My husband and I used to tell ourselves that we won’t go back to the same place twice because the world is so BIG and there is SO MUCH to see…but life got busy and our time for planning great adventures diminished..so we decided to go back to Aruba because:

1. We needed a vacation
2. We loved it the first time and knew we’d love it the second time
3. Hurricane season isn’t a thing in Aruba
4. Aruba

Not only did we go back to the same country…we went back to the same Airbnb! The trip overall was relaxing, fun and so needed. Below are photos along with some of our recommendations/favorites/etc.

Stay– We always check Airbnb first. This allows us to stay within a budget and experience “local” life as much as we can. Aruba hotels/resorts are on the expensive side, so exploring other options is a great idea. We stayed at a place that’s very close to Divi Beach (easy bike ride to the beach) and close to restaurants, groceries and “downtown” Oranjestad. Our host let us rent his extra car for a few days, which was great because we were able to explore the entire island! Because the Airbnb wasn’t available for our entire stay, we decided to stay at The Renaissance Marina Hotel for the last few days of our trip. We went with this hotel because it is adults only, you get free access to the Private Island (another post next week) and it was decently priced (compared to other hotels).

Having a car the first few days gave us freedom to explore the island at our own pace and drive through the National Park. To get the full experience of the park, I recommend renting an ATV because there are some areas that even a 4X4 won’t make it to. We didn’t rent one while there, but we came across a lot of people who looked like they were having a blast!

Eat

Although not know for its “fine dining,” there are a few places that quickly became favorites.

Zeerovers– they serve the freshest fish around. Whatever they catch that morning- they fry up and serve (by the pound). It’s very simple- take the fish, throw it into a deep fryer (with whatever sides you ordered), throw some garlic salt on it and there you go. Finger licking good. I only wish we found this place sooner because it was delicious with a beautiful view. You’ll need to drive here if you’re staying in Oranjestad, but it’s a good stop on the way to/from Baby Beach. It looks like a little shack at first- you walk up to a counter and tell them how many pounds you want of the “catch of the day,” any shrimp, fries or other sides and go to the back to find a table. That’s when your breath is taken away- the restaurant is basically on a dock and the aqua blue water surrounds you, with a few colorful fishing boats adding to the aesthetic.

Savaneta 270, Savaneta, Aruba

+297 584 8401

Red Fish– this is another place that serves great fish! Fresh red snapper- served whole was our favorite. They have a menu with other items as well, but we came back a total of 4 times just for the Red Snapper and Ceviche. The restaurant isn’t “fancy” but the food is fresh, the service was outstanding and the prices reasonable. A warning- it does get packed when cruise crowds are around since this is located a few blocks from the cruise terminal.

Yanti Cafe Restaurant– this is a “local” place but filled with tourists- recommended highly by our Airbnb host. The food is Indonesian fusion and so good. I think I ate a total of 10 Somoza’s (fried pastry filled with curry potatoes and cuffed chicken). A few times we got food to go and brought it to the beach with us!

Bugaloe– this is a little outdoor restaurant on a pier at Palm Beach with live music on Tuesdays 7-10pm. The food isn’t anything extraordinary, but the atmosphere is great, there’s dancing and lots of smiles.

Beaches

You really can’t go wrong with any beach in Aruba because they are all dreamy, but some are “better” in my opinion than others. A few things about all beaches- they are public and open to all. Almost every beach has built in “canopies” that are open to the public- even those that seem like they are on resort “grounds.” Hotels will “claim” them by putting their chairs underneath- and you can’t use their chairs if you aren’t a guest- but the actual structure belongs to the public.

Divi Beach– this was our go to beach because it was the closest to our Airbnb and had a ton of parking and canopies. The beach isn’t packed as Palm Beach (full of resort guests) and it’s really big.

Baby Beach– You’ll need to drive to this beach, but it’s so worth it. The water is shallow and clear and the beach has zero votes/developments on it, so it’s pure nature. There is a restaurant and chair rental available, but we just brought chairs with us from our Airbnb and it was perfect.

To the right of Baby Beach is another area that, although we didn’t stop and swim in, we stopped and took photos because the view was so surreal. That’s a Citco Oil Refinery (it’s currently non operational) and set against the aqua blue of the water, it’s like something out of a movie.

Eagle Beach– If you are looking for a beach that’s close to hotels/resorts but has no development on it and is “wild”- this is the beach for you. Eagle Beach shows up on Top Beaches in the World lists every year and there is a reason!

Other

Some photos from our drive through the National Park and island in general…

I love a good cactus- and there are plenty in Aruba.

California Lighthouse– worth a visit! Beautiful views of the island.

Just a few little friends we ran into on our drive…

I can stand and watch water crash against cliffs all day.

As you can see from the few photos above- Aruba isn’t a lush “tropical” island- it’s more of a desert, which is so unique and truly beautiful. I was reminded of Iceland- which is really the apposite of Aruba climate wise, but the feel was similar. Both have interesting terrains, changing landscapes and the feel that you’re away from the world (the perfect feeling for vacation).

Overall, Aruba is a great vacation getaway. It’s a bit on the pricier side, but you’re guaranteed sunshine, aqua blue water and lots of joy.

Like I mentioned above, we stayed at The Renaissance Hotel for a few nights and spent a few days on their private island. I’ll do a separate post on that next week.

Feel free to reach out with any questions!