Things to do on Aruba

BEACHES

Palm Beach has the best swimming, sailing, and water sports. It runs from the Wyndham Aruba Beach Resort to the Aruba Marriott Resort.

Eagle Beach (more than a mile long) has been designated one of the 10 best beaches in the world by Travel & Leisure magazine.

Manchebo Beach (Punta Brabo) (also known as Punta Brabo), in front of the Manchebo Beach Resort, is a wonderfully wide beach where you may encounter nude sunbathers.

Malmok Beach on the northwest shore, has shallow waters that make it a good spot for diving, snorkeling and learning to windsurf. Off the coast is the wreck of the German ship Antilla from 1940.

FISHING

Barracuda, kingfish, bonito, and black and yellow tuna, are all caught off Aruba in deeper waters. Deep-sea fishing is popular sport on Aruba and many charter boats are available for half- or full-day sails.

De Palm Tours (800/766-6016) runs deep-sea fishing tours seven days a week. It costs $275 to charter a boat for four hours.

Pelican Tours & Watersports (297/8-72302) offers daily boat charters from 8 AM to noon for deep-sea fishing, mostly on the south coast.

Red Sail Sports (297/8-61603; 877/REDSAIL) offers half-day fishing trips for $300 and full-day trips for $600.

GOLF

Aruba Golf Club (San Nicolas; 297/8-42006), is a 9-hole course with caddies and club rentals available.

Brown Golf & Leisure (Oranjestad; 297/8-64589), offers putting greens, a chipping area, driving range and golf clinics.

The Tierra del Sol (Malmokweg; 297/8-60978), is a championship course on the northwest coarse designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr. The18-hole, par-71, 6,811-yard course has $130 greens fees which includes a golf cart.

HIKING

The Arikok National Wildlife Park has more than 20 miles of trails around Aruba's second-highest mountain, the 577-ft Mt. Arikok.

De Palm Tours (297/8-24400 or 800/766-6016), offers guided excursions on the island.

HORSEBACK RIDING

Ranches off beach rides or trail rides through the Arikok Park.

Rancho del Campo (297/8-50290)

Rancho Daimari (297/8-60239)

Rancho Notorious (297/8-60508)

PARASAILING

You’ll find otorboats pulling parasailers up and down from Palm and Eagle beaches. There's no official center where you can make arrangements, so look for operators on the beaches.

SCUBA DIVING AND SNORKELING

Aruba is great for diving and seeing marine life with visibility up to 90 ft. You will see sponge tubes, gliding manta rays, sea turtles, lobsters, octopuses, and green moray eels. The best shore diving is at Baby Beach.

Mangel Halto Reef (also known as Pos Chiquito Reef or Bao Baranca) is excellent for night diving.

De Palm Tours (800/766-6016)

Mi Dushi (297/8-28919)

Pelican Tours & Watersports (297/586-3271)

Red Sail Sports (297/8-61603; 877/REDSAIL in the U.S.)

Aruba Pro Dive (297/8-25520)

SHOPPING

Oranjestad’s dowtown area has a wide variety of shops, many stores are located on Caya G.F. (Betico) Croes and nearby streets. Other spots for shopping include the Seaport Village Mall, Seaport Market Place, the Royal Plaza, Port of Call Market Place, Aventura Mall, the Holland Aruba Mall, the Sun Plaza and the Atrium Mall.