Aruba: Top 4 Things to Do
This post is going to be a lot more pictures than words because they speak for themselves !
1 hotel rec + top 4 things to do + other fun little stops!
HOTEL REC
I stayed at the Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino & it was absolutely beautiful.
Me, Beachfront at the Stellaris ; )
The view from our balcony was truly awesome & dreamy.
There is a swim up bar & volleyball court!
They also have an adult pool that is more secluded & has cabanas
Had to work remote a few days from there so there office space was helpful (had to use wifi hotspot).
+ they also have a Starbucks inside, which I loved bc I needed a little familiarity in my diet while visiting
<Yes , this hotel was expensive, BUT there are quite a few restaurants and bars to walk to along the beach (see below) + everyone came to this hotel for the night life (it IS a Casino) ! I am all about being walking distance from everything because walking places is just so lovely to me.>
okay now for THE TOP 4 THINGS TO DO IN ARUBA !
#1 Arikok National Park
Arikok National Park is a MUST. If you go to Aruba & don’t come here, you are not cool. I rented a car for the day & drove around the entire thing. There are 21 stopping spots on the park map, below are my top spots.
Quadirikiri Case is extremely picturesque. Many photographers go to Aruba just because of this cave with a hole in the top!
Dos Playa
Dos Playa was breathtaking. The water was actually this blue. Some locals come here to surf, but for most the water is too dangerous & you should not go in.
Fontein Cave was a lot smaller than Quadirikiri Cave, but the rock formations were pretty cool to me ( don’ t you remember learning about stalactites & stalagmites ? ) + the cave is filled with Indian Pictographs dating back 1000 years.
You can actually swim in this pool! Every few minutes water will splash over the rocks & into the circular pool area that you can swim in! It is always packed during the day, so I would go early one morning.
#2 FLAMINGO BEACH ON RENAISSANCE ISLAND
2. Flamingo Beach on Renaissance Island
A guest pass to Flamingo Beach is $125……. & 100% worth it.
If you stay at the Renaissance Aruba Resort you can get a pass for free, but guest or not you need to book in advance. Starting at 6 AM (& you can only book for a visit the next day) you go to this website & book. Tickets were gone within a couple minutes every morning I tried. I got lucky my last day ; )
You get a boat ride to the island, a full meal & drink of choice from their menu, you get to see flamingos & other awesome little animals + the beach itself is so incredibly quiet & refreshing. Such a different experience on this beach/island compared to the shore.
I hung out with these guys for awhile. There are only 6 of them. They stay here on the island because their wings were clipped. Aruba is not filled with endless flamingos. If you don’t come to this island, you won’t see em! The island is open from 7 AM to 6:45 PM. Boats leave every 15 minutes.
#3 UTV TOUR
#3 UTV Tour
My aunt & I did a UTV tour which are pretty popular in Aruba as they are a fast way to see a lot of the island.
A UTV is a mix between a golf cart & an ATV, aka not this car behind us.
We did the Nautural Pool UTV Off-Road Adventure from De Palm Tours. This tour was around $230- $260. My aunt & I both went, so $100 something a person is not too bad. This tour included 6 stops, but you can pick all different kinds of tours with different sites to visit.
My fav 3 spots are pictured below:
(Conchi) Natural Pool
REAPEAT bc this place is in Arikok National Park & 1 of the 21 spots!
+ this is tagged all sorts of incorrect on maps in Aruba, but it is in the National Park !
Bushiribana Gold Mill Ruins
Everything you see on these tours, you can see on your own. But you would still need to rent a dune buggy (or jeep, something off-road friendly) which can be around $100 a day as well.
The reason I liked this tour was driving the fast UTV buggy around & it gave me idea of Arikok National Park the day before I explored it. (+ time w my Aunt <3). The reasons I did not like it, you have to stick to a schedule, a bit pricey, + you get COVERED in dirt.
#4 Sunset Cruise
Unfortunately, I did not make it on a sunset cruise, but there are a zillion offered on the island & I heard they are one of the best things to do in Aruba! I heard they can be very romantic (I went with my mom & aunt on this trip so I should be good that I missed! haha )
Those are the top 4 !
Below are a few more stops that I enjoyed so much!
Historic Lighthouse
This historic lighthouse is on the north side of the island and not near anything else, so I did this early on one morning. It just a pretty historic site to see & snap a picture. Keep in mind, from end to end the entire island takes a little less than an hour to drive across, but it was nice to check this off my list early!
Eduardo’s Beach Shack
You go to Eduardo’s Beach Shack for an awesome açaí bowl, a fantastic view & of course a cute pic. I got the classic bowl & seriously ate it in under 10 minutes because it was so good! + I walked from my hotel to get there (1/2 mile).
Other things to do that I did not care for OR forgot to mention!
- Butterfly Museum (play w a tremendous amount of butterflies!)
- Donkey Sanctuary (play w Donkeys)
- Snorkel Cruise ( had just snorkeled in Hawaii + you can snorkel on the shore of the island)
- Baby Beach (I stopped but did not get a pic!)
- Palm Beach (my hotel was on Palm Beach so I explored it a lot. One of the best beaches)
- Eagle Beach (I stopped by in my car. A lot of ppl go here to take pics of the Divi Divi trees)
- Sunrise at Tripod/ Trinity Bridge (went but not during sunrise)
- Sunset Mangel Halto
- San Nicolas (a town with many beautiful Murals on buildings, saw a few from my car)
- Shopping in Oranjestad (I love shopping but not when on a beautiful island to explore!)
If you have any question, leave a comment or DM me on Instagram: tori_churchill !
I hope your trip to Aruba is as delightful & refreshing as mine was !
X O X O
– D O L L
Tori Churchill 