Things to do · Aruba
18 best things to do in Aruba
18 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
The essential sights in Aruba are Eagle Beach, Palm Beach and Arikok National Park. Of the 18 picks below, 9 are free, 2 work on a rainy day and 7 suit children. Allow about 7 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Eagle Beach
- Free sights
- 9
- Good on a rainy day
- Fort Zoutman and Willem III Tower
- Time to see the highlights
- 7 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eagle Beach | Eagle Beach | Half a day | Free |
| Palm Beach | Palm Beach | Half a day | Free |
| Arikok National Park | Northeast coast | Half a day to a full day | Low cost |
| Conchi natural pool | Arikok National Park | 2–3 hours including the drive | Mid-priced |
| Fontein and Quadirikiri caves | Arikok National Park | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Baby Beach | San Nicolas | Half a day | Free |
| California Lighthouse | Malmok and Arashi | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Boca Catalina and Tres Trapi | Malmok and Arashi | 2 hours | Free |
| Antilla shipwreck | Malmok and Arashi | Half a day by boat | Mid-priced |
| Mangel Halto | Savaneta | 2–3 hours | Free |
| Alto Vista Chapel | Noord | 30 minutes | Free |
| Bushiribana gold mill ruins | North coast | 30 minutes | Free |
| Hooiberg | Central Aruba | 1 hour | Free |
| Fort Zoutman and Willem III Tower | Oranjestad | 1 hour | Low cost |
| National Archaeological Museum Aruba | Oranjestad | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Butterfly Farm | Palm Beach | 1 hour | Mid-priced |
| Donkey Sanctuary Aruba | Central Aruba | 1 hour | Low cost |
| San Nicolas street art | San Nicolas | 1–2 hours | Free |
The 18 best things to do
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Beach · Eagle Beach
1.Eagle Beach
A broad, powder-white beach with gentle surf and plenty of room, Eagle Beach is the island's signature stretch of sand. The two fofoti trees leaning towards the sea at its northern end are among the most photographed sights on Aruba. Public palapas give some shade, and the beach is free to use.
Arrive early to claim one of the public palapa shelters, and keep clear of roped-off turtle nests.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Kids
- Couples
- Photo spot
Beach · Palm Beach
2.Palm Beach
Palm Beach has calm, shallow water in front of the high-rise hotels, with piers for catamaran and snorkel cruises and stalls renting paddleboards and jet skis. It is the place for people-watching, sunset drinks and watersports rather than solitude.
Walk to the northern end near the piers for slightly clearer water and easy access to the snorkel boats.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Kids
- Active
Nature · Northeast coast
3.Arikok National Park
The national park protects about a fifth of the island: cactus-covered hills, the sand dunes at Boca Prins, the small sheltered bay of Dos Playa and caves with Arawak rock drawings. Paved roads reach the visitor centre and Fontein Cave, while the rough tracks to the Conchi natural pool need a 4x4, a horse or a long hot hike.
Go early in the morning with plenty of water; there is very little shade and the midday sun is fierce.
- Time needed
- Half a day to a full day
- Cost
- Low cost
- Nature
- Outdoors
- Active
- Photo spot
- Iconic
Nature · Arikok National Park
4.Conchi natural pool
A ring of volcanic rock on the rugged east coast shelters a calm pool from the Atlantic waves that crash over its rim. Reaching it involves a bumpy off-road drive inside Arikok, which is why most visitors come on a guided jeep or UTV tour.
Wear water shoes for the rocks, and do not swim if waves are breaking strongly over the edge.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours including the drive
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Nature
- Active
- Outdoors
Nature · Arikok National Park
5.Fontein and Quadirikiri caves
Two limestone caves inside Arikok: Fontein Cave has Arawak drawings on its ceiling, while Quadirikiri has two chambers lit by sunlight streaming through holes in the roof and is home to small bats. Both are reachable on paved roads and suit families.
Visit Quadirikiri late in the morning, when light beams through the roof openings are strongest.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- History
- Nature
- Photo spot
Beach · San Nicolas
6.Baby Beach
A shallow, almost enclosed lagoon at the island's southeastern tip, Baby Beach has waist-deep turquoise water ideal for small children. Snorkellers head to the rocky edges near the breakwater, where the current picks up beyond the bay.
Stay inside the lagoon when snorkelling; strong currents run beyond the mouth of the bay.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Kids
- Free
- Outdoors
Landmark · Malmok and Arashi
7.California Lighthouse
This stone lighthouse at the northwestern tip of the island, completed in 1916, is named after the steamship California that was wrecked off this coast. The hill gives wide views over the dunes, the north coast and the hotel strip, and it is a popular spot at sunset.
Combine it with a swim at Arashi Beach just to the south.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- History
- Couples
- Photo spot
Beach · Malmok and Arashi
8.Boca Catalina and Tres Trapi
These two small coves between Palm Beach and Arashi are the easiest shore-snorkelling spots on the island, with calm water, coral patches and reef fish a few metres from the shore. Tres Trapi is named after the three steps cut into the rock that lead into the sea.
Bring your own snorkel gear and come before 10am, when catamaran groups start to arrive.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Nature
- Outdoors
- Kids
Experience · Malmok and Arashi
1.Antilla shipwreck
The German freighter Antilla was scuttled off Malmok in 1940, and its hull now lies in shallow water covered in coral. It is a popular dive site, and parts of the wreck are close enough to the surface for snorkel cruises to stop over it.
Catamaran snorkel cruises from Palm Beach often combine the Antilla with Boca Catalina; morning trips usually have calmer water.
- Time needed
- Half a day by boat
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Active
- History
- Nature
Nature · Savaneta
2.Mangel Halto
Mangrove channels and a shallow lagoon on the south coast near Pos Chiquito give sheltered snorkelling and kayaking, with a reef beyond the drop-off for more experienced swimmers. It is far less busy than the west coast beaches.
Stay inside the reef unless you are a strong swimmer; currents increase beyond it.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Nature
- Outdoors
- Active
Religious site · Noord
3.Alto Vista Chapel
A small yellow chapel on a hill above the north coast, rebuilt in 1952 on the site of the island's first Catholic church from the 18th century. The winding road up is lined with white crosses marking the Stations of the Cross, and the hill looks out over the sea.
Combine it with the California Lighthouse and the Bushiribana ruins on a north-coast drive.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Views
Historic site · North coast
4.Bushiribana gold mill ruins
The stone ruins of a gold smelter built in the 1820s stand on the wild north coast, a reminder of Aruba's 19th-century gold rush. The walls frame views of the Atlantic surf, and the surrounding coast is dotted with rock cairns left by visitors.
The north coast tracks are rough; a jeep or tour is easier than a small rental car.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Photo spot
Viewpoint · Central Aruba
5.Hooiberg
This steep, haystack-shaped hill of about 165 metres rises from the centre of the island. A long stairway of several hundred steps leads to the top, from where you can see much of the island and, on clear days, the coast of Venezuela.
Climb early in the morning; the stairs are exposed and hot by midday.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Active
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Historic site · Oranjestad
6.Fort Zoutman and Willem III Tower
Aruba's oldest building, a small fort completed in 1798, stands in Oranjestad alongside the Willem III Tower, which was added in the 1860s as a lighthouse and clock tower. Inside, the Historical Museum covers the island's colonial and early modern history.
Pair it with a walk along Main Street and the National Archaeological Museum, a few minutes away.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Architecture
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Museum · Oranjestad
7.National Archaeological Museum Aruba
Housed in restored early-20th-century buildings in central Oranjestad, the museum traces thousands of years of Indigenous Caquetío and earlier history on the island, with pottery, tools and burial finds. It is compact and air-conditioned.
A good choice for the hottest part of the day or a rare rainy afternoon.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
Garden · Palm Beach
8.Butterfly Farm
A walk-through tropical garden across the road from the Palm Beach hotels, filled with hundreds of butterflies from around the world. Guides explain the life cycle, and a nursery shows chrysalises hatching.
Go in the morning, when butterflies are most active; wearing bright colours attracts them.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Nature
- Photo spot
Zoo · Central Aruba
9.Donkey Sanctuary Aruba
A volunteer-run refuge near Santa Cruz looks after donkeys descended from the animals once used for transport on the island. Visitors can feed and meet the donkeys, and donations and gift-shop sales fund the work.
Buy a bag of feed at the entrance; children love feeding the donkeys by hand.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Outdoors
Neighbourhood · San Nicolas
10.San Nicolas street art
Large murals by local and international artists cover the walls of San Nicolas, many painted during the town's annual art festival. Walking the grid of streets around the main square takes about an hour and gives a look at the island's more working-class, Caribbean side.
Stop here on the way to Baby Beach, and look for guided walking tours run by local organisations.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- Photo spot
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | National Archaeological Museum Aruba and San Nicolas street art |
| History | Fontein and Quadirikiri caves, California Lighthouse, Antilla shipwreck and Alto Vista Chapel |
| Views | California Lighthouse, Alto Vista Chapel and Hooiberg |
| Outdoors and nature | Arikok National Park, Conchi natural pool, Fontein and Quadirikiri caves and Baby Beach |
| With children | Eagle Beach, Palm Beach, Fontein and Quadirikiri caves and Baby Beach |
| On a rainy day | Fort Zoutman and Willem III Tower and National Archaeological Museum Aruba |
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Aruba?
Eagle Beach. A broad, powder-white beach with gentle surf and plenty of room, Eagle Beach is the island's signature stretch of sand.
+What can you do for free in Aruba?
Eagle Beach, Palm Beach, Baby Beach, Boca Catalina and Tres Trapi and Mangel Halto. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Aruba when it rains?
Head indoors to Fort Zoutman and Willem III Tower and National Archaeological Museum Aruba.