Aruba 2016

Aruba is a great place to travel as a family. The weather is ideal, the island is safe, has unique wildlife and some of the world’s most beautiful beaches.

April-September are the best months to visit. Our mid-August trip wasn’t overly crowded with tourists.

We booked our stay at Renaissance Aruba Resort (which provides free access to their own private island – Renaissance island) and airfare through Costco Travel.

There was a free boat shuttle over to the island which we occasionally had to ourselves. The beaches on Renaissance island are Flamingo Beach and Iguana Beach. If you are not a guest of the Renaissance, you can still obtain day passes for $125.00, but the passes sell out quickly. Either way, this is definitely something that you should experience.

The Renaissance Aruba Resort had a constant bustle of gardeners taking care of the pools, property and the native plants. We often walked around the resort in the mornings to admire the beauty of their dedicated work. Iguanas came out to bask in the sun and enjoy a snack of lettuce.

Island tips

Aruba’s currency is the Florin but we didn’t have a need to intentionally get any as USD/credit wasn’t a problem.

Drinking water in Aruba is considered some of the best in the world. So no need to be concerned as you would be in Mexico.

Aruba is an expensive island. We bought breakfast supplies at this grocery store so we didn’t have to buy every meal at a restaurant.

After a few days of walking around, we found a free streetcar that takes you to the shops and restaurants of downtown Oranjestad. This is a great way to explore the town and all that it has to offer. You can hop on and off at any of the nine stops.

The main languages spoken are Dutch, Papiamento, English and Spanish. A few of the locals liked teaching us their native language of Papiamento and they would get a kick out of us repeating it back to them. Sunblock is essential, along with lightweight clothes and a hat to keep cool. Get ready to chill out and have fun on this, “One Happy Island!” Every night we would make sure that we were out at the beach around 7:00 p.m. to capture these stunning sunsets.

Aruba is a small island and very easy to conquer in a week’s time. There was plenty of time to do all of the excursions plus have nightly snorkeling in our cove.

Trip excursions

We booked a jeep safari tour through De Palm Tours (Costco provided credits in our package). They picked us up at our hotel and took us around the island. We definitely went off the beaten path on some pretty rough terrain! Kudos to those drivers for their mad driving skills! We made stops at the Natural Bridge, The Natural Pool and had a photo op at the California Lighthouse restaurant.

We booked a catamaran through Aruba Red Sails Sports that took us snorkeling for a three hour excursion. We had an abundance of rum punch and danced to upbeat music as we cruised around the sea. Take the slide from the back of the boat too!

The West Deck restaurant was one of our favorites. It had a relaxing and festive vibe and was only a five minute walk from the Renaissance Resort. It is right on the water’s edge with a casual, beachy vibe and amazing ocean views. The food and cocktails are delicious and the atmosphere makes you feel really immersed into the island vibe. Though if you want the ultimate in island vibe immersion check out the Pelican bar in Jamaica.

Final Thoughts

Aruba is full of adventure, beaches and wildlife. You will enjoy many excursions and the consistent 80 degree sunny weather! Book a trip and be happy!

Let us know about your Aruba experiences in the comments below! What is your favorite island?

Un bon vuelo!