The island’s coastlines and picturesque towns aren’t the only things to do in Aruba. The landscape is also wild, with plenty of fantastic rock formations. Whether you’re a donkey fan or a spelunker, Aruba has the adventures for you! Learn more by looking at this itinerary. Located just off the north coast of South America, Aruba is a fantastic vacation destination. Aruba’s gorgeous beaches are bordered by crystal-clear, blue water, and it almost looks like something from a child’s holiday catalog.
While Aruba is known for being a tropical destination known for its beaches, warm weather, and laid-back lifestyle, it also has numerous things to do. For instance, the capital of Aruba, Oranjestad, is visually stunning and teeming with colonial architecture. Just steps away from the city proper are a number of great eateries and bars.
Top-Rated Tourist Attractions
1. Ostrich Farm
You are going to love these ostriches if you’re a fan of Big Bird. The Ostrich Farm at Aruba is an interesting place to visit. You will have learned lots of information on ostriches after visiting this place. Whether you need to reintroduce this information at a later time is an entirely different matter. There’s something special about these spectacular birds that amounts to burying their heads in the sand. Your tour guide will tell you everything about these peculiar nocturnal creatures. An ostrich farm visit will be a quick one but will be unforgettable and awesome.
2. Bushiribana Ruins
These ruins are all that remain of Aruba’s short-lived gold rush, which took place in the 19th century. Lying south of Oranjestad, this out of the way area is rich with photographic opportunities. Ghostly metal buildings that exist nowhere but in the middle of desolate terrain are mind-blowingly pretty. Visiting the vanishing smelting works was one of our favorite things to do while visiting Aruba. It simply felt like we were miles away from the gorgeous beaches that the island is known for its being.
The Bushiribana Ruins, which previously provided protection from pirates in the area, are definitely worth exploring. Now that we’ve shown you a couple of Aruba’s attractions, it’s about time to start planning your itinerary. Whatever you choose to see and do in Aruba, you’ll have a blast. You can book your flights from New York to Oranjestad, Aruba with Lowest Flight fare and enjoy a trip.
3. Submarine Tour
If you want to get an even deeper look at Aruba, consider taking an underwater boat tour around the island. The tours last anywhere from one to two hours and take you to the Barcadera Reef, as well as the wreckages that lie in the waters of the island. From the boat, you will see shoals of brightly colored fish swim by, as well as the twisted coral formations of the reef. For us, it became one of the more memorable things to do while on the island of Aruba. The visibility underneath the waves makes it so you can see a variety of beautiful fish up close. We recommend this submarine tour which dives down 130 feet!
4. Donkey Sanctuary
Definitely one of the cutest things to do in Aruba, a visit to the Donkey Sanctuary is a must for any animal lover. Who doesn’t like donkeys? They all have such a sweet appearance. Join this tour of Aruba’s half-day wildlife sanctuary that takes guests to the Donkey Sanctuary and the Ostrich Farm.
Donkeys were once the principal form of transport in Aruba, so unfortunately, quite a few donkeys live in the sanctuary. The donkeys are kept in large stalls, with the sick and injured donkeys tended to by the sanctuary. With a slightly forlorn glance about them, your heart will hurt while you stroke them and feed them carrots!
It’s extremely unlikely that you’ll come away without making a donation towards the maintenance of the donkeys at the sanctuary. This is surely one of the most unique actions in Aruba.
5. Best Beaches
Aruba’s two most visited beaches are Eagle Beach and Baby Beach. But honestly, all of the beaches in Aruba are beautiful. To learn about Aruba beaches in detail, check out our in-depth guide, where you will find the most current rates. Go to Discover Cars to get a used car’s price and make reservations for more than one day.
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6. Divi Divi Famous Tree
Only found in Aruba, fire-prone Divi Divi trees naturally create unique shapes when twisted by trade winds blowing from the north. Although Aruba is outside the hurricane belt, enduring trade winds are strong enough to slowly point the tree specimens toward the southwest. They serve as a natural compass. Caribbean locals frequently lay claim just to follow the bend of a Divi tree to find their way around town. You will see them as you tour Aruba.
7. Boca Prin Sand Dunes
Visiting the Boca Prin Sand Dunes in Arikok National Park is an absolute must when visiting Aruba, and one of our favorite things to do there. The secluded beach has beautiful white sand dunes that impress and stand out from the rocky cliffs surrounding them. There’s a reason it is such a wonderful place to stop by. Unfortunately, you can’t swim here due to its strong currents, and the nearby rugged terrain and rocks are also worth checking out. There is a restaurant not too far away, where you can grab something to drink or a bite to eat while enjoying the gorgeous view.
8. Quadiriki Caves
The Arikok National Park includes the Quadirikiri Cave. Taking pictures in the cave’s dome-like chamber is like shooting in daylight. The sunlight shining through the cave’s holes makes the cave look extra special. While tourists are not permitted to visit a separate part of the cave, bats use it as a nesting site. According to local legend, an Indian chief locked his daughter in the cave’s Quadirikiri location when she didn’t approve of the suitor she was wooing. As a famed location, Quadirikiri Cave is among the top experience activities in Aruba given the impressive pictures you shall take there.
9. Colonial Buildings
Aruba is lush with color and brims with charm as a result of the lovely buildings, particularly yellows, blues, and reds. Traffic in Oranjestad is unusual, and you may ask yourself if you’ve returned to Europe whenever you took a wrong turn in the main attraction. The Royal Plaza, Fort Zoutman, and the Town Hall are a few of Fort Zoutman’s most stunning old buildings. Plaza Daniel Leo is also a popular site: here, old structures are plentiful.
10 Aloe Factory
One of Aruba’s most in-demand exports, aloe, arrived on the tiny island in 1840. There, aloe cultivation became more widespread, and the island’s landscape changed as a result. The Aloe Museum is a rare place—you’ll learn about the history of aloe and its role in Aruba’s culture. Tours are held every fifteen minutes, so it does not take long to go around the amenities, but it’s an interesting stop off nevertheless. When it finally comes time to head home, your friends will be astounded at all the aloe-related facts you can now run down.
11. Flamingo Beach
There are two places to visit flamingos in Aruba, Renaissance Island and Playa De Palm Island. Find out more by going to the reservation center. Spend the day at Renaissance Island, the private island located at Flamingo Beach in Aruba, which is also known as Renaissance Hotel. While on the beach, watch feral pink flamingos take a relaxing dip in the ocean.
You don’t need a hotel room to visit Flamingo Beach. You can purchase a pass, and you can take a trip to the beach whenever you want. Passes now cost $125 apiece, and they’re available each weekend only from Saturday until Monday. They sell out within minutes, so set your alarm!
12. Natural Pool
The Natural Pool in Aruba is hard to imagine, but it is actually wonderful. It is an adventure in itself to get there. If you want to travel there in your own vehicle, you must rent a vehicle in Aruba, as the only four-wheel-drive vehicles can get up the long, bumpy, rocky road.
13. Sunset Cruise
Aruba has exceptional sunsets, and the Aruba sunsets are second to none. Before setting off to discover everything Aruba has to offer, be sure to see when the sunsets are each day from your new destination. Try and attempt to arrive at the west of the island about an hour before the sun actually sets. We highly recommend getting on a boat for a sunset cruise while in Aruba. Departures may be from various docks, but we recommend this particular sunset cruise and suggest it specifically. We went to Manchebo Beach Resort, which had mesmerizing sunsets right from the beach, and right down the beach is the Wester Deck restaurant, which is a beautiful place to eat or have a drink and watch the sun set.
