13 Things You Didn’t Know About Aruba

Home to some of the best beaches in the world, taking a stroll in the sand in Aruba is magical! The sand is white and powdery, making it a dream to walk through. Walk along Eagle Beach or Palm Beach during sunset for gorgeous views. Better yet, the sand in Aruba doesn’t heat up, so walking along the beaches during the day will not burn your toes! The beaches here are also extremely clean with generally no litter in the sand or waters! 

The water surrounding Aruba has the most beautiful shades of blue! It is really picturesque and perfect for those looking to spend lots of time in the water on their vacation, and it also offers a gorgeous backdrop for destination weddings. The warm waters make it comfortable to swim, snorkel, dive, kayak, and more!

Due to Aruba’s location, about 15 miles north of Venezuela, the entire island is out of the hurricane zone. Aruba is located in the Southern Caribbean, and because of its southern location, hurricanes do not directly hit the island. This is perfect for those looking to vacation to warmer islands during the hurricane season as well as perfect for destination weddings! Your wedding is a very important day, and you don’t want to be stressing about the weather! 

During our travel to Aruba, we toured so many properties that are perfect for a range of budgets. Aruba has all-inclusive resorts, family-friendly resorts, as well as high-end, luxury properties. You can find 3-star to 5-star properties all along Palm Beach and Eagle Beach. There are many options with larger suites for multigenerational families or boutique resorts for those looking for a quieter experience.

Aruba is easy to access from the East Coast, but now it is easy to access from the West Coast! American Airlines now operates a route from Dallas to Aruba! This nonstop flight from Dallas leaves in the afternoon, making it easy for all the West Coast cities to connect, such as Seattle and LAX. With this new flight route, you will arrive into Aruba around 8p, however, it will feel earlier due to the time difference from the West Coast. 

Aruba is 19 miles by 6 miles, making it very easy to explore all the different areas! Palm Beach and Eagle Beach, the main beach areas, are only 10 minutes apart. This is a very walkable area, where you can stroll along the beach and pop into lots of restaurants, bars, and local shops. In addition to walking, you can also rent bikes, scooters, or take a cab around the island.

There are many activities for people of all ages on the island of Aruba! Palm Beach is the more active beach with many water sports, like parasailing, kayaking, windsurfing, and more! The snorkeling and diving are phenomenal here with over 40 dive sites all around Aruba! Snorkeling or diving the Antilla shipwreck is a must! What an amazing site! If water activities are not your thing, you can explore the Arikok National Park in a dune buggy or ATV. Take a tour of the island and explore downtown or play a round of golf. 

Due to the desalination plant in Aruba, water all over the island is clean and safe to drink! This desalination plant is the third-largest in the world! All around the island, there are water bottle stations to refill your water bottle with fresh water.

One great benefit when departing Aruba is clearing customs to the US while you are still on the island. When you arrive at the airport in Aruba to catch your departing flight, you will go through passport control before boarding the flight. This means that once you land in the US, you don’t have to go through a long customs line, which is especially helpful if you are catching a connection. 

Even though Aruba is a small island, it is a major culinary destination! Aruba has hundreds of restaurants, with over 90 nationalities represented in the cuisine. With this many different cuisines, there is something for everyone! 

Aruba is making a huge push to be sustainable by 2021. The island has already rid plastic straws, and each resort is working to provide guests with reusable water bottles for during their stay. These water bottles can be filled up at the many water stations around the island. Aruba also offers sunscreen application machines that provide tourists with reef-friendly, fish-friendly sunscreen! 

Aruba is 85 degrees, warm, and sunny year-round! This amazingly consistent weather makes this little island perfect for vacations and destination weddings, so you don’t have to stress or worry about bad weather disrupting your vacation. 

Aruba is known as “One Happy Island,” which is clear when you travel there to visit! The locals are happy as tourism has created jobs for them, yet the Aruba Tourism Board works hard to keep the island pristine for the residents. Due to the happy nature of the locals on this island, Aruba is known as one of the safest destinations in the Caribbean. From my experience walking around in Aruba on the beaches, along the main streets, and at night, I felt very safe in Aruba.