Things to do in Aruba

Ok, after traveling thousands of miles, passing through long security checks at the airport(s), sitting idly in your seat for hours, carrying heavy luggage, you have finally arrived. Go relax and do nothing on the beach for the whole week. If that's your idea of a great vacation, you won't be disappointed. If you want some action and fun please continue reading.

Activities

There is no shortage on activities and excursions offered in Aruba. Searching online for activities might be overwhelming and frustrating due to the amount of irrelevant information, advertisement or other content you might encounter in the process.

In fact, there are so many hot deals out there, that it becomes difficult for a newbie to make a coherent decision on what to do and what to avoid. For your convenience we put together an 7-day itinerary filled with activities.

How to find good ones

How do you go about searching for an activity? In search engines perhaps? Single companies advertise their products and services, but that doesn't help you very much, you want options. Plus ads don't offer any guarantees of quality or reliability.

Let us help you. For your convenience arubalife.net selects the best activities offered in Aruba, no strings attached. Our recommendations and opinions are formed after several visits to a tour operator or restaurant. Thus we try to give a balanced recommendation. More importantly, we will return to the tour operator or restaurant to make sure our recommendation is current.

Difficult task

Giving recommendations is not easy, as every person experiences and feels differently towards a tour or restaurant. Let's make a deal: we select only those activities or restaurants we truly feel comfortable with and where we've enjoyed a steady flow of quality service.

Best Land Activities

Reading this page means only one thing: you are looking for something to do while in Aruba. We've picked the best activities we possibly can, at least we think we did. Let's get right to it.

arubalife.net hottest picks

Party Bus

Kukoo Kunuku is an awesome activity for adults. The Kukoo people will pick you up in front of the lobby and then go hotel by hotel to pick up the rest of the group. You'll notice when they're there by the noise. These buses are wicked. For more details check out the right square.

Off Road Safari

ABC Safari takes you out to the desert of Aruba for about 3.5 hours. ABC offers several trips and lengths, but be choose the 3.5 hour one because this is a short and sweet activity. You have the rest of the afternoon to relax. It takes you to the extreme (for at least 30 minutes) so be prepared. For more details check out the right column.

Harley Davidson Tour

Big Twin offers a unique Harley Davidson tour around the island. A Harley carries two people maximum and the groups are always small. Definitely you'll see Aruba in style. Remember to bring plenty of sun protection; you will be exposed to direct sun for a few hours.

We are constantly looking for new excursions. As soon as we find new ones, we analyze them and add them to our list.

Great alternatives

» De Palm's Aruba Safari
» Tierra del Sol Golf
» Black Hog Bash (18+)
» Mandara Spa

Good alternatives

» Ostrich Farm
» Butterfly Farm
» De Palm's ATV Mania (18+)
» Aruba Panorama

Best Sea Activities

Aruba is surrounded by the Caribbean Sea as a result some of the best activities are on the sea. Whether you like to take it easy on catamarans, perhaps want some speed or maybe exploring the underwater world, there are options in abundance.

Free

The best activities and hottest picks of are all for free: sea, sand and sun. All beaches in Aruba are public, meaning that there are no monetary restrictions for anyone to use any beach anywhere.

Not free

Water sport vendors are well represented on all major beaches. They offer tube rides, wave runners, parasailing etc. All these activities are unscheduled, thus booking is not required. Try Frank's Place.

arubalife.net hottest picks

Catamaran Snorkel

Jolly Pirates is a must-do activity for all ages. This catamaran snorkeling sail takes you to some of Aruba's most beautiful snorkeling sites. Additionally the staff pampers you with food and drinks. On board there's an awesome rope available for people to flip and swing into the water. It has several prices as must-do trip in Aruba.

Kayaking

Aruba Kayak Adventures picks you up, guides you throughout, takes care of the food & drinks and drops you back off at your resort when the trip is over. The kayaking-people really know how to take of you and how to put on a show. The trip starts early morning and you will be back around mid afternoon.

Sunset Sail

Red Sail Sports has a daily sun set catamaran sail which takes you on a relaxing journey in the Caribbean Sea while the sun is setting. Add some snacks and complementary drinks and you've got yourself an awesome trip.

We are constantly looking for new excursions. As soon as we find new ones, we analyze them and add them to our list.

Alternatives (alphabetical)

» De Palm Tours: Catamaran, Snuba, Snorkeling, Water park etc.

Best Sky Activities

Unfortunately Aruba has not much to offer in this category. In fact there is only one true activity that really fits into this category: Aruba Heli-Tours.

Private

Sky activities could also be taking an airplane to somewhere. There are private charter planes available to go around the island; however it seems much easier and convenient to just go on the helicopter tour.

Island hopping

Another activity that fits into this category is island hopping on regularly scheduled flights. More about traveling at Aruba Airport.

Aruba Heli-Tours

Aruba Heli-Tours uses the most popular and best sold helicopter in the world, the Robinson 44. This guarantees your comfort and safety.

From the offered tours by Aruba Heli-Tours, we recommend the island tour. This trip gives you the best value for your money in our opinion.

If you want to secure the helicopter for two people request the 'honeymoon-special' without any additional cost.

The helicopter continuously flies throughout the day, when you have a confirmed booking you'll just wait until the next ride takes you.

NoteNote: The weather in Aruba is very stable, however if there is any weather related reason to prevent the helicopter from flying the pilot will ground the aircraft. You will need to reschedule. For more information read their frequently asked questions.

Best Restaurants

In Aruba there are many restaurants to choose from. A wide variety of international cuisines are represented in the local gastronomy. Prices range from moderate to expensive. The food is generally at a high level and the service is good.

In this section ArubaLife gives suggestions on good restaurants. This isn't a review site, just places where we really enjoy eating.

ArubaLife hottest picks (random order)

Madame Janette

If you are looking for a restaurant that has good food and dessert, swift service and great ambience, then award-winning Madame Janette is the place to be. This restaurant has a diverse international kitchen.

The popular restaurant is situated close to the low rise hotel area. This Dutch owned restaurant first opened in 1999 and has quickly built a reputation as a must-do-restaurant. The service might be the best on the island.

» Open: daily 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm (closed Tuesdays)
» Ride: 10 - 15 minutes from resorts
» Telephone: (+297) 587-0184 | (+297) 587-4784
» Menu detail: selection of menu
» Web site: Madame Janette

Flying Fishbone

The town of Savaneta is known as a fisherman's town. In the present Savaneta is host to a very good restaurant: Flying Fishbone. This restaurant specializes in sea food.

Flying Fishbone is known for its food but also for the tranquil and relaxed environment. The tables at this Dutch owned restaurant are on the beach, thus creating an amazing atmosphere. They definitely take it easy with the service. You will have plenty of time to relax and drink while you wait for the food to arrive.

» Open: daily 12:30 pm - 10:00 pm
» Ride: 45 - 60 minutes from resorts
» Telephone: (+297) 584-2506
» Menu detail: complete menu
» Web site: Flying Fishbone

El Gaucho

Meat is a very popular meal in Aruba. Virtually every restaurant has some meal with made on the menu. The specialty of El Gaucho Restaurant is meat. El Gaucho has built a reputation for being the best meat restaurant in town. There are hunters in the field but we feel that El Gaucho still holds the top spot in the meat category.

The locally owned restaurant has a reputation to uphold. 30 years of dedicated quality and service are synonymous with El Gaucho. This downtown restaurant is a busy with great service.

» Open: daily 11:30 am - 11:00 pm (closed Sundays)
» Ride: 20 minutes from the resorts
» Telephone: (+297) 582-3677
» Menu detail: selection of menu
» Web site: El Gaucho

Great alternatives (alphabetically)

» Amazonia Churrascaria | meat
» Aqua Grill | fish
» Chalet Suisse | international
» Chef's Table | international
» Driftwood | fish
» Le Dome Restaurant | international
» Matilde Island Chic | international
» Papiamento Restaurant | local
» Ventanas del Mar | international

Up and coming (alphabetically)

» Hadicurari | fish
» Screaming Eagle | fish
» Matthew's Beachside Restaurant | international
» Gianni's Ristaurante Italiano @ Palm Beach | italian
» Daniel's Steak & Chop @ Palm Beach | meat

Disclaimer: arubalife.net recommends only the best of the best, however if you decide to follow our recommendations, it is your own responsibility.

* Note: arubaLife.net does not receive any commissions for recommended activities.