There is never a shortage of things to do in Aruba, from relaxing on one of many beautiful beaches, to land tours to, water sports, to shopping and more.
One important factor for choosing Aruba as our destination wedding location was making there was a wide variety of activities for our guests. There was such an assortment of things to do in Aruba that all of our wedding guests enjoyed their vacation, almost as much as the bride and groom enjoyed their honeymoon. (grin!)
Best Caribbean Beaches
For sun worshipers like my mom, the island of Aruba has some of the most
beautiful beaches
you have ever seen. Although
Palm Beach
(in front of the High Rise Hotels) and Eagle Beach (in front of the Low Rise Hotels) can get a little crowded at times, it is just a short car ride to 11 other beaches, including my favorite,
Baby Beach.
Spas
Some things to do in Aruba entail doing nothing at all.
If you want to relax and be pampered, there are spas galore! My Maid of Honor and I had manicures & pedicures and our hair done before the wedding at the Mandara Spa in the Marriott Ocean Club Resort. And some of our guests enjoyed treatments at the Intermezzo Day Spa in the Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort.
Sightseeing
Aruba is a small island, but it is loaded with beauty and natural wonders. There are several tour companies that offer island tours by Jeep, horseback, or ATV. We opted to rent a Jeep and explore on our own. Unfortunately, we never found the Natural Pool, which we learned is almost impossible to find without a guide.
Tours
There is a tour for all - walking tours, Jeep tours, tours on horseback, water tours, helicopter tours, glass bottom boats & submarines.
There are even snorkel tours that will take you to various places to see the best fish and sunken vessels.
De Palm Island
I had heard about this underwater tour called Sea Trek offered by De Palm Tours on their private island. I really wanted to try it. Scott was a little anxious about walking around on the sea floor, 30 feet under water with nothing but a “fishbowl” on your head. It took a little persuasion to get him to go, but, afterwards, he couldn’t stop talking about it.
Snorkeling
Baby Beach
was the perfect place for Scott to learn to snorkel because the water is calm and fairly shallow.
I had done some snorkeling in the lakes of New Hampshire when I was a kid but, it didn’t prepare me for the amount of colorful fish that we would see in Aruba.
We also did some snorkeling at De Palm Island where the friendly Blue Parrot Fish are plentiful. These large bright blue fish are so used to snorkelers they swim right up to you. The water was a little rough in the snorkel area, so I am glad that we had gotten some practice in at Baby Beach first.
The Jolly Pirate Tour is an old fashioned wooden sailing ship that takes you out to several different popular snorkel sites around Aruba, including the 400 foot WWII shipwreck Antilla. Several of our friends who stayed in Aruba after the wedding went on this tour.
Unfortunately, we couldn’t make it. Scott had gotten a bit too much sun and was quite pink! Neither of us wanted him to be sick with sun poisoning on our honeymoon so we opted to stay inside that day. Just a reminder folks! Bring plenty of WATERPROOF SUNSCREEN, and re-apply it often.
SCUBA Diving
Some resorts offer SCUBA lessons, and include a beginner’s dive tour.
We wanted to learn to SCUBA dive, but there was just not enough time on this trip. I have been told that the tours of scuba dive sights around Aruba are absolutely incredible!
Golf
Neither my husband nor I are golfers, but my dad, brothers, and a few other wedding guests are. I was told that the Tierra del Sol Golf Course was an absolutely gorgeous, 18-hole, par-71 course. But, apparently no one brought their clubs.
Night Life
Most of the hotels and casinos have their own nightly entertainment,
nightly entertainment,
from Las Vegas style shows, to stand-up comedians.
There are also several party bus tours that take their passengers to night clubs all around the island. Our favorite was the Kukoo Kunuku party bus.
Water Activities
Every sports-lover can take their pick of various water sports like kite surfing, parasailing, wind surfing and others. The constant trade winds that pass over Aruba make it the perfect conditions for any wind/water sport.
A bunch of our friends and I went on a parasailing adventure. None of us had ever done this before. But, after seeing the first person in our tour group do it… a 10 year old girl… we knew that if any of us backed out now, we would never live it down. EVER!
Once I got over the initial adrenalin rush of not having anything under my feet, it was absolutely peaceful. For about 10-15 minutes, you are flying over the sparkling turquoise surf, and you can see much of the island.
I hade a great view of the California Lighthouse, and Hooiberg (Mt. Haystack in Dutch).
I would have liked to have the chance to try wind surfing, or kite surfing. But, that will have to wait until our next visit.
Wildlife
In the resort areas, you can find lizards and iguanas galore, and even some flamingos. In our Jeep exploration of Aruba, we saw signs for The Donkey Sanctuary and the Ostrich Farm. There is also a Butterfly Farm and a Bird Sanctuary on the island.
And just when you thought there were no more things to do in Aruba...
Shopping
Oranjestad - The capital city of Aruba is full of quaint shops and boutiques to fill all of your souvenir needs. And the street is lined with vendors with all sorts of knickknacks, t-shirts, local crafts, jewelry and art.
Weddings and Vow Renewals
If you are planning a romantic wedding or renewing your vows, Aruba has enough selection of activities for your guests, fantastic food services, and incredible scenery to make any special occasion perfect.
These were only a few reasons why we chose Aruba for our wedding. Read more here.
So, to say the least, there is NO LACK of things to do in Aruba. In fact there were just so many things to do in Aruba that we did not get to do everything that we had wanted to. But, that only means that we have to go back! (grin)
Top of Things To Do In Aruba Page
Aruba Night Life
Night Show Listings
Beaches
Sightseeing
Tours
Water Activities
Spas
Wildlife
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