With kids · Aruba
Aruba with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
Aruba is one of the easiest Caribbean islands with children: calm, shallow west-coast water, short drives and a dry climate. Baby Beach and Eagle Beach suit small children, while older kids enjoy caves, jeep tours and snorkelling. Top picks: Eagle Beach, Palm Beach and Baby Beach. Families usually base themselves in Palm Beach.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 7
- Best area for families
- Palm Beach
- Rainy-day options
- 0
- Busiest months
- December–March
Best things to do with kids
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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
Beach · San Nicolas
3.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
Garden · Palm Beach
4.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
5.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
Nature · Arikok National Park
6.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 · Malmok and Arashi
7.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
Where families should stay
$$$$ · Best for first-timers, families, nightlife and beach
Palm Beach
Palm Beach is a 3 km run of calm, shallow water backed by the big high-rise resorts and casinos. Wooden piers launch catamaran cruises, parasailing and jet-ski trips, and the parallel J.E. Irausquin Boulevard is lined with restaurants, shops and malls. It is the most convenient base for first-timers and families who want everything within walking distance, though the beach is busy and loungers are packed close together.
- Good
- Walk to dozens of restaurants and bars; Calm water for swimming; Watersports leave from the beach
- Watch out
- Crowded beach in high season; Expensive hotels and dining; Little local character
- Nearby
- Butterfly Farm, Bubali Bird Sanctuary, Malmok, Noord
Family travel tips
- Pack reef-safe sunscreen, hats and rash vests; the wind hides how strong the sun is.
- Stay on the west and south coasts for swimming; the north and east coasts have dangerous surf and currents.
- Book a hotel with shade structures or palapas on the beach for little ones.
- Many resorts offer kids' clubs; check age ranges before booking.
- Supermarkets stock familiar brands of baby food, nappies and snacks.
Day trips for families
- Southeast coast: Savaneta, San Nicolas and Baby Beach (About 40 minutes by car from Palm Beach) — Drive down the south coast for snorkelling at Mangel Halto, a fried-fish lunch at Zeerovers in Savaneta, the murals of San Nicolas and an afternoon swim in the shallow lagoon at Baby Beach.
- Arikok and the east coast by jeep (About 30 minutes to the park entrance from Palm Beach) — Most jeep tours loop through Arikok National Park to the Conchi natural pool, the caves at Fontein and Quadirikiri, and the dunes at Boca Prins, often returning past the Bushiribana ruins and the California Lighthouse.
- De Palm Island (About 25 minutes by road, then a short ferry) — A small private island off the south coast operated as an all-inclusive day resort, with snorkelling among blue parrotfish, a children's water park and optional activities such as underwater sea walks.
When to go with children
The best months overall are January–May. December–March are the busiest, so book the big sights early. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Aruba good for kids?
Aruba is one of the easiest Caribbean islands with children: calm, shallow west-coast water, short drives and a dry climate. Baby Beach and Eagle Beach suit small children, while older kids enjoy caves, jeep tours and snorkelling.
+What can kids do in Aruba?
Eagle Beach, Palm Beach, Baby Beach, Butterfly Farm and Donkey Sanctuary Aruba.
+Where should families stay in Aruba?
Palm Beach: High-rise resorts, watersports piers and the island's densest strip of bars and restaurants.