Are you planning on staying for 10 days in Aruba and have no idea yet what to do? Then you are not alone!
Aruba is a small, tropical island in the Caribbean Sea and part of the ABC-Island group. This year we were lucky enough to spend 10 days in Aruba as part of a longer trip to the Caribbean.
Aruba has a bit of a reputation as a party island – but we found many other things to do that made the tropical paradise quite romantic and unique.
For everyone who has to spend at least a week in Aruba and does not know how to spend it yet – this post is for you!
Let’s get to it!
Not sure if Aruba is the right place for you? Check out Aruba vs Curacao vs Bonaire!
Table of Contents
- How Much Time Do I Need in Aruba?
- Things You Need to Know About Aruba Before You Go
- How to Spend 10 Days in Aruba
- 1. Go to Renaissance Island to See the Flamingos
- 2. Snorkel to the Sunken Shipwreck of Aruba
- 2. Explore Oranjestad
- 3. Check out the California Lighthouse
- 4. Explore the Arikok National Park
- 5. Aruba Aloe Factory and Shop
- 6. Check Out the Fabulous Beaches of Aruba
- 7. Explore San Nicolas – the Forgotten Town
- Our Stay at the Divi Aruba Phoenix Beach Resort
- The Rooms
- The Hotel – Amenities
- Our Airbnb in Savaneta, Aruba
- Conclusion: 10 Days in Aruba
- About the Author
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How Much Time Do I Need in Aruba?
Based on our personal experience, I would say that you need to spend at least a week in Aruba to take it all in.
Personally, we also wanted a couple of days without activities, just lounging on the beach and enjoying ourselves, so we planned to spend 10 days in Aruba.
The island is relatively small, but there is a lot to see and some great places to explore, so I suggest not rushing it.
If you have the time and the money, you can easily spend two weeks in Aruba without being bored!
Things You Need to Know About Aruba Before You Go
If you are planning on spending at least a week in Aruba, make sure to get a rental car. Many of the fun places are far off the beaten tracks and can only be reached by car. However, the roads are super bad in some remote places, so make sure to get a 4-by-4!
Aruba is expensive. Be prepared to spend some serious money on the island – otherwise, I suggest going to Curacao or Bonaire instead. If you can’t decide on where to go, check out this blog post.
Aruba is extremely safe compared to the other ABC islands. You can happily explore without being too scared in the evenings.
Make sure to tip well! Aruba is mainly visited by Americans, so the tipping culture in Aruba is pretty good. 20 % are expected if you were satisfied with the service.
The main language spoken in Aruba is English, although many inhabitants of the island speak Dutch and Spanish as well.
Do you need travel insurance in Aruba? Yes, travel insurance in Aruba is highly recommended. Unsafe roads, water sports accidents, and food poisoning are only a few examples of when travel insurance could come in handy. EKTA offers worldwide travel insurance with 24/7 service and no hidden fees or restrictions.
How to Spend 10 Days in Aruba
Here is my list of my favorite things to do if you are spending 10 days in Aruba.
We have added some days of relaxation in between these activities, so it would not get too busy. However, you can also do all these activities if you only have a week in Aruba, it will just be a bit more busy.
1. Go to Renaissance Island to See the Flamingos
Aruba is famous for its flamingos, yet there are only very few of them on the island and they are perfectly hard to reach. I have dedicated an entire blog post on how to make sure to see the flamingos of Aruba, so you can have the best experience.
Essentially, they live on a private island and it is not open to the public, unless you have one of the twenty day passes they give out or you stay at the hotel that owns the island.
I suggest staying a night or two at the Renaissance Aruba Resort, so you get to see them for sure. Day passes are expensive and hard to come by!
2. Snorkel to the Sunken Shipwreck of Aruba
One of our favorite excursions in Aruba was definitely seeing the sunken shipwreck of Aruba.
We booked a snorkel boat tour that took us to three different snorkel spots, one of them being the shipwreck. The snorkel tour took half a day, we got lunch and breakfast as well as unlimited cocktails (Aruba Ariba, yay!).
The tour was very well organized and we absolutely enjoyed the day trip!
If you are looking for more sailing tours in Aruba, why not consider a Romantic Sunset Sail?
Book your tour here!
2. Explore Oranjestad
Oranjestad is the colorful little capital city of Aruba. You can easily explore the cute town on foot. There are many shops and luxury stores just waiting for you to explore them.
I suggest spending at least an evening in Oranjestad, checking out the colorful houses and having dinner by the ocean to see the sunset.
3. Check out the California Lighthouse
The California lighthouse is something that you should check out during your 10 days in Aruba. You can easily reach it by car and park there while you take some pictures and take in the scenery.
If you have a solid car, you can also explore off-the-beaten-track Aruba right behind the lighthouse. Even if you only stay for a week in Aruba, I would make sure to see the lighthouse.
It is one of the most instagrammable places in Aruba.
4. Explore the Arikok National Park
If you have a good car, you can explore the island and see the stunning coastline, beautiful natural pools, and even a natural bridge.
Many great excursions show many great excursions that show you off the beaten tracks in Aruba.
The Arikok National Park is a great place to explore. Beautiful nature, rugged coastline, and natural pools are waiting for you.
5. Aruba Aloe Factory and Shop
The island of Aruba is growing Aloe Vera plants and making many great products from the plant. The Aruba Aloe Factory is located on the island and you can visit it free of charge.
This is a great recommendation for slow travelers, who want to learn more about the island and buy a sustainable souvenir from local production.
Check out their website here.
6. Check Out the Fabulous Beaches of Aruba
This is one of the most fun things to do in Aruba.
The beaches are magnificent and the water is crystal clear and light blue. there are many great beaches in Aruba you absolutely need to visit in your 10 days in Aruba.
You will most likely be staying at one of the many fabulous Aruba beach resorts on Palm Beach or Eagle Beach, but there is so much more to be seen.
During your 10 days in Aruba, I suggest visiting
- Palm Beach
- Eagle Beach
- Savaneta Beach
- Rudgers Beach
- Baby Beach
7. Explore San Nicolas – the Forgotten Town
If you are staying 10 days in Aruba – you need to put San Nicolas on your itinerary. It is a cute, picturesque town that “is easily 20 years behind in everything”.
Apart from the history of the town, it is also famous for its street art.
Our Stay at the Divi Aruba Phoenix Beach Resort
We decided to split our 10 days in Aruba into two different parts. First, we wanted to enjoy some days on the beach without much adventure, just to calm down and settle in.
We chose the Divi Aruba Phoenix beach resort – and we were not disappointed.
The Rooms
We booked a studio suite in the beach tower and it was absolutely magnificent. Firstly, we had a big terrace for ourselves, a huge bathroom with a jetted tub as well as a kitchen and a living room.
Our room was only a couple steps away from the beach and we could enjoy a view over the ocean in the morning as we woke up. We got a complimentary bottle of wine upon check-in that we enjoyed on our terrace.
The Hotel – Amenities
The resort itself is pretty big and has its own private beaches. This is definitely important to know for Aruba since many resorts are either not directly on the beach or do not have their own private beach.
Many resorts also claim to be on the beach but are separated from the oceanfront by a big busy street.
The resort had a huge main pool, some hot tubs, smaller pools as well as a pool next to the bar where you could enjoy some cocktails in the water.
On the beach, there were plenty of free tanning beds and umbrellas. You could simply pick your spot in the morning and the nice employees of the resort would set it all up for you. This gives you the chance to also keep more distance from other people, if preferred.
Beach towels were free for grabs as well.
Our favorite thing about the hotel was the restaurants though. There was a small mall in the resort with a deli, selling delicious coffee and cakes.
For lunch, we usually hit the Pure Beach restaurant, which served everything from burgers to pasta. For a romantic dinner date, we made reservations at the Pure Ocean fine dining restaurant right by the beach. This was one of the most romantic beachfront dinners we had in Aruba.
Everyone in the resort was super friendly and helpful. The location was amazing, we were only a couple of steps away from the boulevard of Eagle Beach and a nice small town with shopping streets and cafes.
What we really liked about the hotel was the crowd. The other guests were mainly American and between 30 and 50 years old.
No one was behaving in a rude and loud way, as we observed in the more “hip” resorts, like the RIU palace next door.
There were many drunken people on the beach, blasting music and making a mess. We were very grateful that our resort was much more quiet and friendly that way.
Book now!
Our Airbnb in Savaneta, Aruba
For the rest of our 10 days in Aruba, we chose to rent an Airbnb in a small, fisherman’s town called Savaneta. It was far off the beaten track and very quiet and lovely.
We rented an amazing house with a private pool and a beautiful rooftop terrace with an ocean view.
Our host was super helpful and recommended the best restaurants in Savaneta for us and helped us plan our days. We loved the interior design of our house so much, everything was decorated in beach style and it looked great.
This was the most well-equipped AirBnB we ever stayed at. Make sure you have a rental car though, there is no good connection between Savaneta and the rest of the island.
Conclusion: 10 Days in Aruba
To sum it up, 10 days is the perfect amount of time in Aruba. If money is no object, maybe two weeks would be even better.
Aruba is filled with amazing beaches, divine restaurants, and stunning natural wonders.
From the Arikok National Park to the Aruba Aloe Factory and the forgotten city of San Nicolaas – there is something to do for everyone in Aruba.
Aruba is a safe and relaxing place, perfect for a beach vacation. Or maybe even a cruise day in Aruba?
Looking for more ideas on the perfect Caribbean vacation? Check out the most amazing destinations in the Caribbean!
Wondering if Aruba is in South America? Check out my geographical Aruba info.
How many days do you need in Aruba?
I suggest spending at least a week in Aruba. If you have the time, 10 days is ideal to see all the important attractions while still getting to relax a bit.
What is the best month to go to Aruba?
There is no ideal month to go to Aruba, it is an ideal destination year-round. Aruba is located outside of the hurricane belt, which makes it safe to go at all times.
Is Aruba an expensive place to vacation?
Yes, Aruba can be quite expensive. It is a destination for honeymooners and luxury travelers, and the prices reflect that. You will pay a premium in most restaurants, hotels, and tours.
Are beaches in Aruba swimmable?
Yes, beaches in Aruba are swimmable. They have crystal clear blue water and basically no current.
About the Author
Sabrina is a passionate travel blogger and content creator, based in New Mexico. She spends about half the year traveling to various destinations with her husband.
She provides slow-paced itineraries that focus on quality over quantity. Sabrina wants to help her readers to get more out of their travel experiences – while doing less. Read more.
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