Things to do in Aruba

There is never a shortage of things to do in Aruba. No matter what kind of vacation you are looking for, you can find it. Beautiful beaches, sightseeing, land sports, water sports, shopping and more await you.

Here is a list of some of the more popular things to do in Aruba. Some of them we got to do while we were on our honeymoon, but some we just didn't have time for.

Sightseeing - Aruba is a small island, but it is loaded with beauty and natural wonders. You can either take an island tour by jeep or on horseback, or you can rent an ATV and go exploring on your own. We did both.

The jeep tour was great because we had the guide to point things out and explain things to us. I wasn't too impressed with the first stop which was an Aloe factory. But after that, we had an awesome time at Baby Beach, the Natural Pool, and the Natural Bridge.

On another day, we just drove all over the place. We must have seen nearly every foot of island. We went to see the California lighthouse, drove around the sand dunes, stopped by Baby Beach to snorkel, saw the Fontein cave paintings, and pretty much spent the day stopping to take pictures as we went. I highly recommend leaving a day open to explore on your own.

We wanted to do the horseback tours as well, but at the last moment we decided we needed a day to just crash on the beach and relax.

Sea Trek - This will take up a good chunk of your day but trust me its worth it. This is one of the funnest things to do in Aruba, as you actually get to walk around on the sea floor, 30 feet under water.

You have to take a short ferry ride to DePalm Island where you receive safety instructions. The instructors teach you how to decompress yourself so you do not get sick from the water pressure and they teach you some hand signals so you can communicate with them underwater.

They help get you into a wetsuit and give you a large helmet with an air hose connected. Then you slowly walk down a ladder until you are on the sea floor. The scenery is unreal and there are fish all around you. The instructors even take underwater photos that you can buy.

The pictures are only a few dollars and its worth it. Its hard to explain the experience to someone who hasn't done it. A picture really is worth a thousand words:

Our underwater Sea Trek in Aruba

Snorkeling - Now I had never snorkeled before our Aruba vacation but I couldn't wait to try. My first experience ended up being on DePalm Island, while we waited our turn for Sea Trek. It wasn't the best place for a first-timer. The waves in the snorkeling area were a little rough for someone just starting out and the area also had lots of coral. The coral made for gorgeous scenery but it hurt to bump into and I scrapped my knee. I would go back there again though now that I've had some practice snorkeling.

We did lots more snorkeling in Aruba though. We bought our own snorkeling gear and used it at Baby Beach. They call it Baby Beach because the water is so calm a baby could swim in it. It was the perfect place for me to learn to snorkel. And there were plenty of fish swimming around to keep it interesting.

Snorkeling in Aruba with an underwater camera

The last snorkeling adventure we had was on the Jolly Pirates ship. There are other ships that will take you snorkeling, but we like the Jolly Pirates because it was an old wooden sailing ship. The crew was fantastic and we went to three different sites, including the 400 foot WWII shipwreck Antilla. That was an impressive sight!

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, and art. I bought my wife a lovely 8X10 painting of a divi divi tree on the shoreline for only $8.

There are plenty of local places to eat during the day and the city is alive at night too for the nightclub crowd.

I'm not a golfer, but we did see a section of the Tierra del Sol Golf Course. The 18-hole, par-71 course is breathtaking. It takes full advantage of Aruba's natrual beauty and picturesque landscape.

There is also a smaller nine-hole course on the island, as well as a miniature golf course.

Some of the other adventure sports that we didn't have a chance to try include scuba diving, windsurfing, jet skiing, and the Atlantis Submarine tour which takes you 150 feet below the sea.

Of course, one of my favorite things to do in Aruba was just relaxing. Spending the day lounging on the beach or swimming in the hotel pool was just so relaxing.

So to sum it all up, no matter what you like to do on your vacations I promise you will have no problem finding things to do in Aruba.