Destinations · Caribbean

Aruba.

One happy island: powder beaches, trade winds & sun all year.

Scroll

The country

Aruba sits low and bright in the southern Caribbean, a short hop off the coast of Venezuela and comfortably outside the main hurricane belt. That lucky position gives the island its calling card: warm, dry, reliably sunny weather almost every day of the year, cooled by a steady trade wind that rustles the palms and keeps the heat easy. For travelers who want the certainty of good beach weather, few places in the region come close.

The beaches are the headline, and they live up to it. The long sweep of Palm Beach is the lively, resort-lined heart of the island, while neighboring Eagle Beach is broader, quieter and famous for the lone, wind-bent divi-divi trees that have become Aruba's unofficial emblem. Beyond the soft white sand and shallow turquoise water, though, the island has a wilder side: a rugged windward coast of crashing surf and limestone, a cactus-studded desert interior, and the boulder fields and hidden coves of Arikok National Park.

We design Aruba trips that balance the easy days on the beach with the island's quieter corners: a jeep run out to the Natural Pool, a sunset at the California Lighthouse, a wander through the candy-colored Dutch streets of Oranjestad, a morning snorkeling the Antilla wreck. It is a small island that rewards a little curiosity, and we build the route so you get both the rest and the discovery.

Capital: Oranjestad
Currency: Aruban florin (Afl.)
Ideal trip: 5–7 nights
Best for: Beaches, sun & easy days

When to go

The best time to visit Aruba.

Aruba is the rare Caribbean island with almost no bad season — it sits below the hurricane belt, so the trade winds and sun hold all year. Timing here is about crowds and rates, not weather.

Prime season Shoulder Quieter & better value

December–April

High season and the island at its best: warm, dry and sunny, with the trade winds keeping things comfortable. The busiest and priciest stretch, so we book the best resorts and villas well ahead.

May–June

Our quiet favorite: the same reliable sunshine as winter but with thinner crowds and softer rates, before the summer holidays fill the resorts. Lovely, settled weather for the beach and the water.

July–August

Hot, lively high summer, busy with families and home to the island's biggest carnival-style festivals and regattas. Still dry and sunny, and we secure the popular resorts early.

September–November

The quietest, best-value months, and still largely dry and sunny thanks to Aruba's position below the hurricane belt. A passing shower is possible, but storms rarely trouble the island.

Where to go

The regions of Aruba.

Aruba is small enough to explore end to end in a few days, but it packs a surprising range of landscapes into that compact frame, from the resort beaches of the leeward coast to the wild, windswept north. These are the corners we weave together most often, and we shape the route around the balance of beach and adventure you have in mind.

Region

Palm Beach & Eagle Beach

The island's golden leeward strip: lively, high-rise Palm Beach with its resorts, restaurants and water sports, and broad, tranquil Eagle Beach with its famous divi-divi trees and acres of soft white sand.

Region

Oranjestad

The cheerful capital: candy-colored Dutch colonial facades, a free streetcar, the marina and a clutch of museums and boutiques, with the buzz of the cruise port and some of the island's best dining.

Region

Arikok National Park

Nearly a fifth of the island, protected: a rugged country of cactus, lava and limestone, hidden caves with ancient drawings, secluded coves and the cliff-ringed Natural Pool out on the wild coast.

Region

The North Coast

Aruba's dramatic windward edge: the surf-battered limestone shore, the ruined Bushiribana gold mill, the church of Alto Vista and the landmark California Lighthouse standing watch over the island's tip.

Region

The Desert Interior

The arid heart of the island: forests of towering cactus, scattered boulders, wild goats and the bent divi-divi trees that lean away from the constant trade winds, a landscape that feels worlds from the beach.

Coming soon

More from Aruba on the way.

We're busy writing up our favorite Aruba experiences. There's far more here than we can list, so the fastest way to start is simply to tell us what you're dreaming of.

Plan a Aruba Trip

A sample journey

One way to spend a week in Aruba.

1

Day 1
Arrive in Oranjestad

Settle in along the leeward coast and ease into island time. An evening stroll through Oranjestad's candy-colored Dutch streets, a ride on the free streetcar and a first waterfront dinner by the marina.
2

Days 2–3
Eagle Beach & Palm Beach

Two unhurried beach days on the island's golden strip: the broad, tranquil sands and divi-divi trees of Eagle Beach, the livelier resort scene and water sports of Palm Beach, and easy sunset dinners along the shore.
3

Day 4
Arikok & the Natural Pool

Trade the beach for adventure on a guided jeep tour into Arikok National Park: cactus desert and limestone cliffs, ancient cave drawings, and a swim in the Natural Pool, a cliff-ringed basin out on the wild coast.
4

Day 5
The North Coast & California Lighthouse

Explore the island's windward edge: the surf-battered limestone shore, the ruined Bushiribana gold mill and the Alto Vista chapel, finishing with sundowners at the landmark California Lighthouse on the northern tip.

Every itinerary we build is bespoke: this is a starting point, not a package.

Getting around

Along the leeward coast: Aruba is compact, and the beaches, Oranjestad and the airport all sit along one calm leeward road, so transfers are short. Taxis are plentiful along the resort strip and a free streetcar loops through the capital.
By guided jeep into the north: The wild windward side calls for four-wheel drive. We arrange a guided jeep or UTV tour for Arikok National Park and the Natural Pool, leaving the bumpy trails to someone who knows them.
On foot & by hire car: For the beach days you may not need to drive at all — the resorts cluster within walking distance of the best sand. A hire car suits the more independent, villa-based rhythm.

Where to stay

Palm Beach: The island's liveliest base: a strip of high-rise resorts along a gorgeous beach, with restaurants, casinos, water sports and nightlife on the doorstep. Ideal for travelers who want energy, choice and everything within walking distance.
Eagle Beach: Quieter and more low-slung, with a run of boutique and low-rise resorts along one of the widest, most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean. Our pick for couples and anyone after a calmer, more spacious stretch of sand.
Oranjestad & the marina: Stays in and around the capital put you close to the dining, shopping and the harbor, with boats out to the reefs and the offshore islets. A good choice for travelers who want a more urban, walkable base than the beach strip.
Private villas: For families and groups, we also arrange private villas and condos, many with pools and sea views, that pair beautifully with a hire car and a slower, more independent rhythm to the trip.

Airport transfers, taxi and private-driver days and the guided jeep tour into Arikok are all arranged as part of every itinerary, so the logistics are handled before you arrive.

Good to know

Aruba travel questions.

When is the best time to visit Aruba?

Almost any time, which is part of Aruba's appeal. The island sits below the main hurricane belt and stays warm, dry and sunny year-round, cooled by constant trade winds. High season runs December to April, when the weather is at its most reliable and the resorts are busiest; May and June, and the early autumn, are quieter and better value with much the same sunshine.

How many days do you need in Aruba?

Five to seven nights is the sweet spot. That gives you several unhurried days on the beach plus time to explore the wilder side of the island, a jeep tour of Arikok and the Natural Pool, a drive up the north coast to the California Lighthouse and a day on the water snorkeling the Antilla wreck, without ever feeling rushed.

Which is better, Eagle Beach or Palm Beach?

It depends on the trip you want. Palm Beach is the lively, high-rise resort strip, with restaurants, water sports, casinos and nightlife all within walking distance. Eagle Beach is broader, quieter and more low-slung, regularly rated one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, and home to the iconic divi-divi trees. Many of our travelers stay near one and visit the other.

Do I need a car in Aruba?

Not for the beaches. The resort strip, Oranjestad and the airport all sit along the calm leeward coast, linked by taxis, a free streetcar in town and short transfers. A vehicle does help for exploring the rugged north, but the tracks into Arikok and out to the Natural Pool really call for a four-wheel drive, so we usually arrange a guided jeep or UTV tour for that side of the island instead.

Does Aruba get hurricanes?

Very rarely. Aruba lies in the far southern Caribbean, below the main hurricane belt, so it is one of the most weather-reliable islands in the region. Storms occasionally pass to the north, but direct hits are uncommon, which is a big part of why the island stays dry and sunny almost the whole year through.

From the journal