Aruba holidays

Things to do

Explore your destination

De Palm Island
This tiny island offers a fantastic family day out. You can snorkel among enormous, electric-blue parrot fish and stunning coral; try Sea Trek or Snuba, a mix of scuba-diving and snorkelling; splash around at the mini-waterpark; or simply relax on sugar-white sands.

Prices from approx. £52pp (adult); £26pp (child)

Sea Trek
You'll discover a bus and sunken plane along with twinkling jewel-coloured sea life as you walk along the specially designed underwater Sea Trek walkway. Even those who can't swim can enjoy this truly unique experience.

Prices from approx. US$57pp (adult); US$28.50pp (child)



Sunset Cruise
Enjoy the late afternoon sun as you sail along the coast to capture uninterrupted views of dusk descending over the distant shores.

Prices from approx. US$56pp (adult); US$28pp (child)

Please note: for further details, please speak to your Representative in resort. This is an example guide only and excursions and prices will be subject to change according to season, availability and demand.

Highlights

• Riding horses into the sunset along Aruba’s beautiful coast; with several ranches offering excursions, this is a great Aruban holiday experience
• Seeing Aruba by four-wheel drive on a jeep safari around the island to California Lighthouse, Alto Vista Chapel and the Ayo and Casibari rock formations
• Checking out Arikok National Park for its flora, fauna, caves and dunes, and the incredible pictures drawn by the island’s first dwellers
• Taking a wander in Queen Wilhelmina Park in Oranjestad, on your holiday in Aruba, where you’ll see pretty gardens and colourful fishing yachts
• Snorkelling with Aruba’s marine life around Malmok Beach and Boca Catalina on the northwest coast; where coastal waters have inviting temperatures
• Discovering Aruba’s capital city, Oranjestad, stopping to shop, seeing the colouful Dutch colonial buildings and visiting the wharf, where fishermen sell fresh fish
• Going on a trip to the Californian Lighthouse to learn about this popular attraction named after the Californian ship that sank off Aruba’s coast and is now a popular dive spot
• Dipping yourself into Aruba’s Natural Pool, near Dos Playa on the east side of the island, where you can enjoy a cooling swim and wander around the rocks
• Climbing to the top of Hooiberg, one of Aruba’s most famous sights. Visible from pretty much everywhere on the island, if you climb to the top you’re in for great views

Food and drink

Make sure you sample local cuisine on your holiday in Aruba. Favourites here include bananas hasa, which is fried plantains and meat stews like stoba.

If you like food with a kick, the Madame Janette chile is a spicy addition to many Aruban dishes.

Fish is also very popular with much of it caught around the shores of Aruba.

Spoil yourself by eating at the massive range of international restaurants in Aruba, serving up all types of food, from Cuban and Mexican to Argentinean and Indian, and everything in between.

Evening Flavour

After a tasty evening meal you can head to one of the many bars in the capital or in the island’s other resorts, like Palm Beach.

If you want to catch a show, stop by Occidental Aruba, near Palm Beach.

For a chilled-out evening Druif Beach is the place to go, where you can watch the pelicans sea-diving at sunset.

Test your luck on your holiday in Aruba by going to the island’s dazzling casinos for a little flutter.

Shopping

Aruba’s capital, Oranjestad, offers the best prices, especially on items like perfume, jewellery and cosmetics and If you head to the harbour you’ll find shops selling local crafts.

The capital’s main shopping spot is Caya G. F. Betico Croes, better known as Main Street and, where you’ll find a few shopping malls.

Renaissance Mall and Renaissance Marketplace in Oranjestad house lots of shops, restaurants, casinos and a cinema. Just down the road, Royal Plaza Mall has upscale boutiques and plenty of places to eat.

Dates for the Diary

Around June each year, you can catch the Hi-Winds World Challenge on Hadicurari Beach, a shore affectionately known as Fisherman’s Huts.

For the Family

• Swimming and sandcastles are at the top of the to-do list at the Blue Parrotfish mini-waterpark on De Palm Island.

• Hop on a horse and go for a sunset beach ride along Aruba’s pretty coastline.

• Make some four-legged friends at the donkey sanctuary near the Ayo Rock Formation.

Local weather

Information

Language: Dutch, English, Spanish and Papiamento. Currency: Aruban Florin and US Dollar. Standard GMT: - 4 hrs., BST - 5 hrs. Aruba Tourism Authority UK: The Copperfields, 25 Copperfield Street, London SE1 OEN. Tel: 020 7928 1600. www.aruba.com.
For essential information on visas, departure taxes, vaccinations and other issues please click on 'info' at the top of the page.

Travel money

Aruban Florin

You can get commission-free foreign exchange on currency notes and travellers cheques at most First Choice Travel Shops and Holiday Hypermarkets.