After spending one week in Aruba, I can attest this 19 mile long island lives up to its tagline of "One Happy Island." Everyone we met was so joyful, the food was delicious and the beach was beautiful. In this guide, I'll outline how we spent our week in paradise and hope it helps as you plan your Aruba vacation.
Where To Stay in Aruba
We stayed at the amazing Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort near the beautiful Manchebo Beach. The resort sits on a corner of the island creating a huge beach area (and a bit of a walk to the water from your beach chair). The service here was TOP NOTCH and in fact one of the best experiences from a service perspective we've had at any hotel.
Bucuti & Tara is an adults only resort so a great place for those looking to relax or to celebrate a special occasion. We looked at several other hotels before deciding on Bucuti & Tara and very glad we chose to stay here for the quiet atmosphere and expansive beach. We went and ventured to other hotels we considered to stay at closer to Palm Beach and noticed towards the other end of the island there was a lot less beach and a lot more people - so depending on your preference something to definitely consider!
Where To Eat in Aruba
We did not have a bad meal while we were in Aruba and recommend everywhere we ate!
- Santos Coffee with Soul: Amazing spot for morning coffee or sandwich, we looked forward to our iced oatmilk lattes every morning here!
- Screaming Eagle: A must go! We had great service here and loved the food!
- Elements at Bucuti and Tara: Such a great spot at the resort and for a special occasion can book a coursed dinner in one of their covered palapas on the beach (highly recommend!)
- Wilhelmena: Great food and a lovely courtyard, make reservations and go and enjoy!
- Renaissance Wind Creek Dinner and Show: I didn't put a link here as the schedule for this experience changes often, but I highly recommend finding a dinner and show that highlights the magic of Carnival! We did one at the Renaissance that occurs on Thursday evenings with a buffet and show that started at 8PM. Check it out because why not when you are in Aruba?!
We didn't get to make it to these places but they were also recommended to us that look great!
- Gostoso
What To Do in Aruba
Aruba has soooo many activities! We opted for more low key ones outlined below but for the adventure seekers, we saw jet-skiing, parasailing and even UTV-ing around the National Park!
- Explore the Beaches: Every beach in Aruba is public even if there is a hotel nearby. There are so many beautiful beaches to explore you can't go wrong!
Manchebo Beach: Where we spent most of our time as this is the beach in front of Bucuti and Tara
Baby Beach: Will need a car, tour or taxi to get here but a beautiful shallow beach you can rent a canvas tent and chairs for $60 on and a restaurant on the beach too.
Arashi Beach: Known to be a more local beach, this beach is closest to the lighthouse on the end of the island and just beautiful!
- Pay a Visit to Flamingo Island: There are three ways to get on the island that is a part of the Renaissance hotel. You need to be a guest at the hotel, pay for a day pass or book a massage through Island Cove Spa. To maximize your day, get to the Renaissance by 8 AM, grab your ticket for the boat from the spa on the second floor of the hotel and board one of the first boats to get to the island! Make sure to bring a quarter to get flamingo food out of the machines!
- Take a Tour of the Island: For first timers like us we loved getting to tour the island with a guide through Pelican Adventures, we did a half day jeep tour and enjoyed getting to see parts of the island we would not see otherwise. Each stop was quick so if you are looking to stay longer in each location may be worth renting a car or doing a full day tour option.
Helpful Planning Tips for your Aruba Vacation
Ensure a smooth and enjoyable trip to Aruba with these helpful planning tips:
- Protect Your Skin. Bring all the sunscreen, rash guards and more sunscreen because you will need it!
- Stay Hydrated. You can drink all the water on the island thanks to their amazing desalination process, bring a refillable water bottle to reduce waste and save money!
- Taxis only accept cash and have set rates around town that range from $10 USD to $15.00 make sure to have plenty on hand that does not require too much change. We used taxis to get around the island and it was super easy!
- Prepare for your airport departure accordingly. The Aruba airport is quite an experience. With a boom in tourism, the airport has plans to accommodate the growth but in the meantime be prepared to head to the airport at least 3-4 hours in advance to go through two security check points and US customs (if you have Global Entry you breeze through customs). We used First Class Aruba to expedite our experience and got through in 25 minutes. (I realize this is a frivolous expense and for personal reasons was an investment we chose to make and so grateful we did). We left on a Saturday and were told the airport is busiest on Fridays and Saturdays.
- You are on Aruba time! Aruba is known for being a more slow paced way of being so relax and enjoy. The one thing I was surprised by was when shops and restaurants were open. Before you choose to venture out, especially during the day, make sure what you are planning to see is open. For example, we went to Paseo Herencia at 2 PM and only a few shops were open so much more of a nighttime place!