This year marked our 10th wedding anniversary and we wanted to celebrate by taking our first trip away from our four kids for some much-needed rest and relaxation. When it came to picking a destination I had three requirements. I wanted an international beach destination outside of the hurricane belt. Aruba was the perfect fit! Below read all about our wonderful trip to Aruba including where we stayed, what we ate, and travel tips.
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Aruba is now one of the best vacations I’ve ever been on. The weather is perfect all the time. We visited mid-October in the slow season and it was in the 80s the entire trip. It rained one day for a total of five minutes and we were swimming in the ocean so we were already wet.
Tip: There is a constant breeze in Aruba (thank goodness). Consider packing hats, hair ties, headbands, etc to keep hair out of your face.
Besides the amazing weather, Aruba is EASY. What I mean by that is in Aruba everyone speaks English and takes American dollars. The country is incredibly safe and the water is fantastic, you can drink it straight from the tap.
Many people recommended renting a car but we decided against that. We were only going for five nights and we didn’t plan on traveling all around the island. My husband and I truly wanted a beach vacation to mostly relax. In hindsight, I’m super glad we didn’t rent a car because we had no need. If you do plan on staying longer, staying in a more remote location, or traveling all around the island definitely rent a car. It is very easy to even rent a car for a day if you want once you are there.
Fun Fact – There are no stoplights in Aruba only roundabouts.
Our condo beach resort representatives hooked us up with airport transportation and then we took taxis when we needed to. Everywhere else we walked. One time we were exhausted and took the electric scooters readily available on the walking paths.
Aruba is also easy to get to. We did have a layover because we didn’t arrive or depart on a Saturday. But this meant that our time to get through customs in Aruba was truly 15 minutes at the most.
All in all, I would visit Aruba again in a heartbeat.
Both my husband and I each brought a carry-on and that was all we needed. Swimsuits, dresses, sandals, shorts, etc. are all you need as far as clothing goes. Using compression packing cubes always helps me fit in everything I need easily. Below I’ll list a few items you might not have thought of;
Tip: Bring a lot of cash especially if you plan on taking taxis. I should have brought more smaller bills (1s, 5s, 10s) and very few 20s.
I wouldn’t bother packing any pants or long sleeves of any kind. After we arrived we walked to the grocery store and purchased food, beer/liquor, and reef-safe sunscreen. You will need sunscreen!!
As a planner, when it comes to where to stay on vacation this is where I spend the most amount of time researching.
Immediately I decided that my husband and I were not interested in an all-inclusive for Aruba. The reasons are that Aruba is incredibly safe and there is no reason to stay on the property (nor would you want to!). The restaurants on Aruba are amazing. If I stayed at an all-inclusive I would feel limited to the food and beverages on site and would miss out on the incredible food and food experiences all around the island. We had amazing meals and I have a massive list of restaurants I want to try if we ever get back to Aruba. Furthermore, the beaches are public. You can swim anywhere, the palapas are public property as well (not the chairs). [Read this article for more information.]
Then I decided we wanted to be close to Eagle Beach. For this anniversary trip, we cared about relaxation and beach time so we wanted the best beach and that is Eagle Beach. When we went there was no construction noise (unlike parts of Palm Beach). Eagle Beach never felt crowded. It was easy for us to get a palapa when we arrived at the beach before 9 in the morning (keep in mind we went mid-October). The sand and water are heavenly.
The condo we picked was a few short minutes walk to the beach. The property provided beach chairs and a cooler. We were ground level right by the pool. The pool was delightful and we swam every night. We were usually the only ones using the pool at night (seriously), it felt private and romantic. A few children were staying at the resort but we rarely saw them. It is a kid-friendly place, there’s a small playground near the pool.
If you are looking for more of a party atmosphere you are going to want to stay in Palm Beach by the high-rise hotels.
The food in Aruba is incredible. The night we arrived we ate at Terrazza Italiana. I had a good pizza but honestly, I was suffering from a migraine attack and feeling so nauseated I couldn’t enjoy my meal to its fullest. I do remember they had an incredible singer. Every single song she sang was my favorite and made the time spent there enjoyable which was a LONG time since there was basically one server who was in zero rush. We shouldn’t have been in a rush either but we were warned that the grocery store closed at 8 pm. In hindsight, we should have shopped for groceries and sunscreen before eating dinner. Dinners on Aruba take hours and everyone is on island time (as they should be).
One of the coolest dining experiences we had was at Flying Fishbone. Be warned that this restaurant is located further away. Plan on a $80 roundtrip taxi ride if you are staying in Eagle Beach but we were happy to pay it. You eat your dinner while sitting with your feet in the water. Men wear shorts and ladies wear a skirt or dress you can hike up if you don’t want your clothes to get wet. We had all the courses but we both agreed my unicorn fish entree was the best. The sunset was excellent and it was fun to see the fish swimming around our feet before it got dark and the lights turned on in the water.
Please Note – Before our trip, I freaked out after reading comments on the Aruba vacation Facebook groups about dinner reservations and I felt the need to book reservations before arriving. Then the restaurants made it seem like they were really booked up not having my preferred days/times available. This was NOT the case! In mid-October showing up just before sunset without a reservation to almost any restaurant would be fine including Flying Fishbone. We got a water table and I didn’t even request one and we certainly didn’t get a 4:00 reservation like their website requires. At other times of the year this could be different.
Our favorite meal of the trip was at Azzurro. This Italian restaurant was fantastic. We both got seafood pasta. It was fun to see other tables get the cheese wheel display but we’re so glad we picked the entree we did. The anniversary dessert the restaurant graciously provided was the best of all the restaurants that week.
After snorkeling one day we ate at Bugaloe, an open-air restaurant on a pier. It’s a perfect casual dining place right on Palm Beach. We had great tacos and drinks. My husband and I even returned another day because of the great food and convenience.
For breakfast, we ate twice at The Bread Basket. A cute little place right on Palm Beach perfect for coffee, a breakfast sandwich, or a waffle.
After a long day at a beach (and being slightly hungover) we had zero interest in a fancy dinner one night and decided to get sushi takeout to eat back at our condo. Po-ke Ono was fabulous. The rolls and bao buns were perfection.
Another reservation that was not actually needed was for Pinchos, a really neat restaurant setting over the water. At first, we had the whole restaurant to ourselves but then it did get popular. The food was delicious. Every course was well done and this was probably the best service we had throughout a meal.
For drinks, we had tasty frozen cocktails on the beach one night at Moomba.
On our last day, we ate lunch at Passions on the Beach. The food was just okay, big portions. But the frozen drinks were very yummy and it was a good location right on Eagle Beach.
As I’ve said before we were there mostly for sun and relaxation. Eagle Beach was amazing. My husband and I spent a lot of time reading on the beach and swimming/floating in the ocean.
As long as you arrived before 9 you could easily get a palapa. But remember this was mid-October, this could certainly be different during other parts of the year. We did have to move chairs out of the way because although the palapas are public property the chairs are not and we brought chairs from the condo. On the last day, we arrived at the beach later and a cruise ship was in port so the beach was more crowded and all the palapas were taken. We rented a portable shade from the beach guys for $35. I’m not sure how much the chairs rent for.
We always felt safe leaving our items at our chairs to walk along the beach or go swimming in the ocean. No one hassles you on the beach. No one is trying to sell you anything. It’s awesome.
One day we went snorkeling. My husband and I had the best time. The music was fun party music. The liquor was flowing and the crew made sure everyone was having a blast. I chose this catamaran because it was one of the smaller ones. I didn’t want a huge crowd. We lucked out with a small group of only 12 passengers – who were all fun.
There was a water slide off the boat and a rope swing. We snorkeled in two different areas including one with coral and the shipwreck. The snorkeling was okay (not a must-do). I think there are much better snorkeling spots around the island. If we can get back to Aruba snorkeling will be a top priority for me. If you are looking for a fun time, to see some fish, and to learn a little history this might be a good fit. We left tipsy and happy.
Another day we went to The Butterfly Farm. The amount of butterflies and the variety is incredible. The tour was intimate and our guide was personable and knowledgeable. I liked it but we see butterflies at our local botanical gardens every year at an annual event so I don’t consider this a must-do in Aruba but if you are vacationing there for several days then add it to your list. I would suggest going early in the day before it’s too hot.
To summarize, should you visit Aruba? 100% Determine what type of vacation you want (relaxation, adventure, mixture), your budget, and the length of your stay. Then that information will help you figure out the area of Aruba to stay in and if you should rent a car. Have the best time!
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