Aruba > Attractions

Aruba Beaches

The Aruba tourist industry is extremely well-organized, developed, and diversified, catering to a wide variety of interests.

Sightseeing
Nature enthusiasts can enjoy the island's exotic flora and fauna by hiking through Arikok National Park. Natural attractions are abundant in Aruba; there are sand dunes, caves, rock formations, natural pools, historic gold mills, and a natural bridge that you just can't miss! Limestone caves can be found at Fontein, Ayo and elsewhere. Depending on your interests you may want to hire a tour guide to show you around the island. When exploring on your own, it is recommended that you rent a 4 x 4 and take extra caution; it is possible to get lost on the island. Aruba has international road signs, vast desert terrain, and many rugged remote areas.

Highlights:

• Arikok National Park
• Aruba Ostrich Farm
• Butterfly Farm

• Bubali Bird Sanctuary
• Donkey Sanctuary Aruba
• Tern Islands

Beaches
Aruba's beaches, and there are plenty of them, rank among the cleanest, widest, and most attractive in the Caribbean. The island's entire South coast, or Gold Coast, is filled with beaches. Most beaches are public and can be enjoyed by everyone. Public nudity of any kind is illegal and insulting to the people of Aruba.

Historical Homes and Cultural Sites
If you would like to take a ride through Aruba's history, from its Indian inhabitation through colonial and recent times; consider visiting a local museum.

Aruba Museums

• The Archeological Museum of Aruba
• The Historical Museum of Aruba
• The Numismatic Museum of Aruba
• Aruba Antiquity Museum
• Aruba Model Trains Musem
• Aruba Aloe Museum Tour

For adventurers, the diving conditions are extremely favorable in Aruba with warm and clear waters. Visibility can extend up to 100 ft; choose any of the island's 42 different diving sites to enjoy these great diving conditions. Diving in Aruba is famous for the spectacular shipwrecks and interesting coral formations. This includes the 400 foot Antilla wreck - the largest wreck in the Caribbean. Most of Aruba's dive sites lie along the protected Western and Southern coasts. If you have an Open Water Certification, just call 1-800-TO-ARUBA and ask for a water sports brochure. If diving is a new experience for you, be sure to take a resort certification course.

Sports enthusiasts will also enjoy windsurfing; the island is famous for its great windsurfing. Other activities include water skiing, parasailing, and deep-sea fishing. The island also features two golf courses, one of which is of professional caliber, an ATP sanctioned tennis center, racquetball courts, horseback riding, and several bowling alleys. Renting an ATV is another way to spend a fun-filled afternoon

A variety of fish can be caught year-round in the temperate waters of Aruba. White and Blue Marlin, Sailfish, Wahoo, Barracuda, Amberjack, Shark, Kingfish, Bonito, Blackfin, Bluefin, and Yellowfin Tuna are abundant. Excursions can be arranged through your hotel front desk.

The warm pristine waters are an invitation for swimming. Arashi, Palm, Eagle, Druif, Baby, and Rogers beaches offer some of the best swimming conditions on the island.

Baby Beach- Located on the Southeast coast; this secluded beach features calm tranquil waters and great snorkeling.

Eagle Beach- Located on the Southwest coast; this activity-oriented beach is considered one of the best in the world.

Palm Beach- Located on the Southwest coast; this wide, white sand beach is perfect for sunning, and the calm waters are wonderful for sailing and swimming.

Rogers Beach- Located on the Southeast coast; is located near Baby Beach and often features live entertainment.

The constant trade winds, along with the variety of flat-water locations and challenging wave conditions have made Aruba one of the most popular spots for windsurfers. Whether you're a beginner, an expert, or anywhere in between, you can find a suitable location for your skill level. Please check with your hotel for board and rig rental as well as guidance from expert instructors. The average wind speed, year-round, is more than 20 knots, though it can get up to 10 knots higher in June, the island's windiest month. Every year in June/July, Aruba hosts the Hi-Winds Amateur World Challenge windsurfing tournament.

Atlantis VI, Aruba's only real submarine adventure, offers a tour of multiple dive sites. All of them have very intriguing stories which will keep you fascinated during the hour-long narration by the co-pilot. All too soon, the thrilling dive comes to an end and it is time to get back to reality.

Golf, bowling, and horseback riding are additional activities that visitors may enjoy. The Tierra Del Sol golf course features a two club wind. Rancho Notorious and Rancho Del Campo are popular horse ranches.

Many resorts and hotel properties in Aruba have golf courses on site. However, there are only 27 regulation holes on the whole island. Most hotels and resorts offer a non-regulation golf course capable of play. Overlooking Aruba's northwest coast, Tierra Del Sol is a well groomed 18-hole, par-71 Bermuda grass course. The only championship golf course in Aruba, Tierra Del Sol is home to the Aruba Aces Championship, a senior PGA tour event. Tee times at Tierra Del Sol occur between 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. daily. During the high season, when Aruba tends to be the busiest, Tierra Del Sol's green fees increase to $133 in the morning and $88 in the afternoon. If you travel to Aruba between May and October, look for a bargain package in which you can play five days of golf for $380.

If you are looking for a more budget-conscious course, then Aruba Golf Club is for you. Located on the southeastern coast of Aruba, this nine-hole Astroturf course may feel more like a competitive 18-hole course. Tee times occur between 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m daily. Rates at Aruba Golf Club are not affected by the tourist seasons: $10 for nine holes and $15-$18 for 18 holes.

Although it is not a regulation course, the Links at Divi Aruba provides a visitor-friendly course for guests and travelers alike. Be sure to follow the dress code: collared shirts for men, collared sleeveless shirts for women, no jeans or cut-offs, and golf length shorts. The Links at Divi Aruba offer professional golf instruction, along with a driving range, chipping area, and bunker practice area. Joe Mendes' Adventure Golf provides wholesome family fun. Located in the Black Hog Saloon, Adventure Golf is the world's largest miniature golf course

Aruba's first world class tennis center, the Aruba Racquet Club, is located at Rooi Santo, 21 in the Palm Beach area. It features 8 lighted courts, an exhibition center court, pro shop, swimming pool, aerobics classes, fitness center, a bar, and a restaurant. Operating hours are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Shopping is another favorite way to spend time in Aruba. The stores are packed with well-priced imported merchandise, so that you can find perfumes, liquor, jewelry, cameras and many more favorably priced goods. The Aruba Shopping Guide provides information about shops, stores, and outlets for a wide variety of merchandise that is attractively displayed in Oranjestad's downtown area and other popular shopping areas in Aruba. Oranjestad is an ideal place to purchase jewelry, watches, and European goods.

Other shopping areas include stores that are located in Caya G.F. (Betico) Croes, Seaport Village Mall, Seaport Market Place, Royal Plaza, Port of Call Market Place, Aventura Mall, the Holland Aruba Mall, the Sun Plaza, and the Atrium Mall. For locals, other major shopping areas include Centro Comercial, in Norrd, and the San Nicolas Shopping District.

Most stores are open throughout the day between the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Some stores are open on Sundays and holidays, especially when cruise ships are in port.