First time in Aruba

We have never been to Aruba so we don't know what to expect. Can anyone recommend any excursion? There are 12 of us. We are there from 1-11pm

Beaches in Aruba are public. Take the bus to any beach, plop your towel down on the sand and you have a low cost beach day for the price of bus fare. BE SURE to wear sunscreen and reapply frequently. The sun is STRONGER than you would imagine.

Beaches in Aruba

Any Suggestions on this port?

First time to Aruba?

Suggestions for Aruba?

What to do in Aruba

Beaches in Aruba

Cruise Terminal to Bus Station

http://arubus.com/schedules/ L-10 schedule bottom of the page

This is the bus to Eagle Beach, Palm Beach, Malmok, Boca Catalina and Arashi Beach

Besides the beaches there are

Island Tours-

private taxi tour, bus tour, mini bus tour, "yellow school bus" fun tour, jeep tour, atv tour, motorcycle/trikes tour, hiking tour, mountain bike tour, horseback tour

First time visitors to the island benefit from a guided tour of the island. This way you will know the sights are seeing. AND you won't miss any of the highlights.

Sightseeing

Aruba's Aloe Factory Tour

Alto Vista Chapel

De Palm Island

Fort Zoutman & King Willem III Tower

Arikok National Park

Bushiribana Gold Mill Ruins

Baby natural bridge

Caves

Picturesque beaches, no swimming on the windward side

Natural Pool if time permits

Rock Formations

Bubali Bird Sanctuary

California Dunes & Lighthouse

Lourdes Grotto

St. Anna Church

Balashi Gold Smelter Ruins

Museums & Art Galleries-

Archaeological Museum of Aruba, Aruba Numismatic Museum, Aruban Model Trains Museum, Historical Museum of Aruba

Activities in Aruba-

Spas & Sports- Tennis, Golf

Watersports- Scuba Diving, snorkeling, windsurfing, kitesurfing, waterskiing, jetski, parasailing, sailing, motorized boat tours, banana boats, sunset cruise, stand up paddleboard,

Donkey Sanctuary- kids too

Butterfly Farm- kids too

Ostrich Farm- kids too

Casinos

Sky Diving

Rock Climbing & Caving

Nightlife

Romance

Shopping

If you are adventurous you will not want to miss a tour which stops at the Natural Pool. Check out ABC Jeep Tours or Kini Kini Tours for more info.

For groups of 5 or less looking for something more sedate, a private tour by taxi would cover all of the highlights. If you would like a private tour see Questions on Bully Tours in Aruba??

Bullys Taxi Tour (What are the highlights?)

For a group of 12 I would suggest contacting Sonny Binns binns.tours@yahoo.com. You can find more info on him by using the search function here in the forum.

private tour with SOnny Binns????

Sonny Binns Tour Bus?

Also see HELP - Aruba

If you are looking for dinner off the ship or just a night out on the town...

Restaurants on the beach

Aruba Restaurant Recommendation/Advice?

Need recommendations for a nice restaurant in Oranjestad (on water prederably)

Restaurant recommendations on a Sunday

There is no snorkeling within walking distance of the cruise terminal.

All below are accessible by public bus and literally a few foot steps onto the beach with Boca Catalina, Catalina Cove and Arashi beach being the furthest from the port. Take the public bus and ask the bus driver to drop you off wherever you wish. Plan on a good hour. It will be less than that, it depends upon whether or not the bus has to stop at every stop. Bus fare is $5 per person round trip. US dollars are accepted, exact change is appreciated. If you are at Boca Catalina the bus runs "about" every hour. It is all dependent upon how many stops the bus makes along the way. Keep an eye out for it heading north and you can gather your things and be ready after it goes up and turns around at Arashi.

The closest, but poorest choice would be Palm Beach. There is nothing to see snorkeling off of Palm Beach (or Eagle Beach). With a "only" a white sandy bottom, you may see some fish swimming by, but that is just a random thing.

On Palm Beach, there is a spot between the Riu Antillas Resort and Divi Phoenix Resort (south end of Palm Beach) which you can snorkel. The water is very calm there as well. About 150 yards off the beach there is a little jetty like rock island. BE CAREFUL OF BOAT TRAFFIC. A towable snorkel buoy is really a MUST.

click on thumbnail to enlarge

Here you can view fish, octopus, and other critters such as lobster, etc. There are also rock jetties along both sides of the Phoenix's beach which may offer some glimpses of sea life.

No chaises though nor much else real close by. The Riu Antillas is a short walk and the closest resort.

North of Palm Beach, by bus or taxi, there is a small beach at Boca Catalina which is perfect for swimming and snorkeling. There are a few shade palapas here but no restroom facilities. There are no "real" rest room facilities at all along the coast at either Boca Catalina, Catalina Cove or Arashi. Rest rooms, changing facilities and showers have been installed at Arashi beach but as of this moment are not yet open. There are chaise lounge rentals at times as well. It is a beautiful white sand beach if only to get away from the hubbub of Eagle and Palm Beaches.

Below is Arashi Beach on a day with a few waves, it can be very calm here as well.

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Arashi Beach is again pictured below. You can enter here and swim south towards and around the rocks and there is a reef there on the other side.

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It is a fairly easy walk street side from Arashi southward to Catalina Cove and then Boca Catalina. Malmok beach is further to the south.

Below is Boca Catalina

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If you enter at above, Boca Catalina there is a plain white sandy bottom. On some days, early in the morning, you will be able to see your feet. Put your fins on and walk backwards into the water or walk in as far as you need, sit or get into a crouched position and put your fins on there. This is the easiest spot for a beginner.

The snorkeling is a bit better at Catalina Cove below, in the past it had been a rocky difficult entry. As of December 2015 you could easily pick out of sandy path into the water. Head towards your left when you descend the stairs down on to the beach. If it is too rocky for you, enter the water at Boca Catalina and swim northward. Catalina Cove pictured below.

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Catalina Cove, I would definitely put your fins on before entering and just walk backwards as best as you can. If one of you has more tender feet than the other, have the tough foot wade in without, holding your back so you do not fall.

I have further information and photos of this area here.

When we head to Boca Catalina to snorkel there are always other tourists there. It is a popular spot for those folks staying at apartments or villas to have beach access. Dh and I generally ask someone to keep an eye on our towels and of course never bring anything valuable in the first place. Or, my brother, when no one is looking buries his keys in the sand?

As of December 2015 there is tiny beach at Malmok.

It tends to always be windy in Aruba ... especially when you first get off the ship. Hold on to your hat! :D

We enjoyed taking a 3 hour bus tour of Aruba. Stopped at the Aloe Factory, Casabiri Rocks, and Natural (baby) Bridge area. The driver pointed out lots

of places along the way and the tour covered about 2/3 of the island- so we were pleased. We then had the afternoon to spend at the beach- on our own.

We also visited Aruba for the first time about a month ago. We did a 1/2 day tour with Sonny Tours (excellent) and then spent the other 1/2 day wandering around, but many from our tour spent that second half on the beach. Had the best of both worlds.

We were very glad we did the tour as we learned how arid Aruba really is. Most people only see the beaches and beautiful water, but Aruba is so different once you get inland and we enjoyed it immensely.

Cheers

Len

I will be in Aruba for the first time in November... Looks like a lot of reading in here :D

We took a tour if the island from the port area. The guide was excellent and told us she had been a Midwife in Rotterdam.

We saw a lot of the island accompanied by a good commentary. Aruba is one of our least favourite Caribbean islands. Over commercialised and brash. However, glad we saw it.