First Trip to Aruba
This was our first trip to Aruba and we had an amazing time. We stayed in the Hooiberg area and rented a car which ended up being extremely convenient. Nothing on the island felt too far away and I’m really glad we were able to explore all different parts of Aruba. We stayed for 8 days.
Dinners & Food
Yemanja – Easily the best dinner we had on the island. Definitely make a reservation.
Lima Bistro – Our second favorite dinner spot. Reservations are recommended.
Sexy Shrimp – Great vibe and good food.
The Fish House Island Bar & Restaurant – Right on the water. Worth visiting if you have a rental car.
Zeerovers – Local spot with super fresh and reasonably priced seafood.
Papiamento Restaurant – Beautiful outdoor atmosphere. We ordered the hot stone grill meals and really enjoyed them.
Lucy's Retired Surfers Bar & Restaurant – First place we stopped after landing. Good tacos, drinks, and waterfront views.
Salt and Pepper – Decent, but skippable. Mostly convenient when we needed a late dinner without reservations.
The West Deck – Unfortunately, this was our least favorite meal of the trip. I’d skip it.
Waffles & Beach House – Great breakfast spot with excellent açaí bowls and coffee.
Linda's Dutch Pancakes – Really good pancakes.
Santos Coffee with Soul – Great downtown breakfast and coffee spot.
Pofferdorie – Perfect mini Dutch pancakes for dessert after a night out in Palm Beach.
Excursions
De Palm Tours – Palm Pleasure Snorkel Adventure
We did the morning tour for the included lunch, which was surprisingly good and filling. The overall snorkeling experience was decent, but not a must-do.
ABC Tours Aruba – Wild Side UTV Tour
This tour included a lot of stops around the island, which made it worth it for a first trip to Aruba. The guide was average, and while lunch was good, it wasn’t very filling. I probably wouldn’t do it again on a future trip, but I’m glad we experienced it once.
Beaches
Baby Beach – Easily the best beach we visited. Definitely worth renting a car and driving out there.
Eagle Beach – Beautiful beach and a great place to relax.
Arashi Beach – Bring water shoes.
Tres Trapi – Also recommend water shoes. The snorkeling here was really fun, and we got to see a sea turtle.