Things to do in Aruba
Clear water, steady trade winds and a rugged interior make Aruba made for active days. Choose your element.
Kitesurfing
Kitesurfing on Aruba's steady easterly trade wind: learn in the shallows at Hadicurari (Fisherman's Huts), then move on to the waves of Boca Grandi in the south-east.
2–3 h per session
Windsurfing
Windsurfing at Hadicurari (Fisherman's Huts), home of the Aruba Hi-Winds since the 1980s: shallow flat water, a steady easterly trade wind and schools on the beach.
1–3 h
Under the surface
Top snorkel spots from the shore
Arashi Beach
Calm, shallow north-west beach below the California Lighthouse, with free palapas, easy snorkelling on the left side and west-facing sunsets.
Baby Beach
Sheltered, waist-deep lagoon at Aruba's south-east tip: the island's best beach for small children, with free huts and snorkelling near the inlet.
Boca Catalina
Small, calm sandy bay on the Malmok coast with clear water and easy shore snorkelling, five minutes north of Palm Beach. Little shade.
Malmok Beach
Rocky coves with very clear, calm water on the north-west coast, popular with snorkel boats; offshore lies the Antilla, a German wreck scuttled in 1940.
Not sure where to start?
Our ready-made itineraries mix beaches, activities and sights into realistic days.