Six Days in Idyllic Tropical Aruba

Audrey Colley Evans: Aruba

Aruba was lovely. I wasn’t sure what to expect going into it, but I’m very, very glad that I went. I got to tick another Caribbean island off the list and I had the opportunity to travel with EL Tours and see the island through the lens of people who care so much about it. It really made a difference. Aruba is excellent year-round because it’s outside the hurricane belt. Even though it’s not primarily all-inclusive, it’s easy to navigate on your own. There are resorts for families and multi-generational travel, beautiful boutique options for couples, and superb nightlife for those younger travelers. It’s a destination that perfectly fits a vast demographic of people.

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Day 1

I landed in Aruba at 2 p.m. and took a quick transfer to the Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino, which was our host hotel. That night we had dinner at Hadicurari Restaurant, which was just a five-minute walk from our accommodation. Our resort was on Palm Beach, and there’s a boardwalk that goes all the way down to the shore. Hadicurari Restaurant is a lovely, beachfront seafood restaurant with a super fresh catch of the day, and it’s an amazing place to catch the sunset. We sat outside, right by the water, and the food was phenomenal. The catch of the day was amberjack with blackened seasoning, veggies, and cubed polenta. It was delicious. Hadicurari Restaurant is right on a marina, and you can watch the fishing boats coming in and out, so you know what you’re eating is right out of the sea.

The Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino was quite nice too, with an intentional design, plenty of character, lighter colors, and a boho chic feeling. It had cute outdoor swings facing out to the ocean. I noticed that Palm Beach didn’t have many pushy vendors, too, so you’re able to fully relax.

Day 2

Our hotel had a breakfast buffet with an omelette station, fruits, veggies, sausage, and pastechi, which is a local pastry that you can customize with sweet or savory fillings, kind of like a croissant. I’m a big hot sauce person, so the one thing I truly enjoyed throughout the entire trip was Madame Jeanette pepper sauce. Its flavor is similar to a Scotch bonnet, and it’s super hot at between 125,000 and 350,000 on the Scoville scale. Aruba is also famous for Pica di Papaya hot sauce, but I’m allergic to papaya, so I couldn’t try it. 

We had plenty of site inspections on the second day, which meant a lot of walking. It was very hot, but I didn’t notice the heat as much because the trade winds are so strong. I noticed that a lot of the properties were similar to the Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino in well-thought-out design. You’re not getting a big box hotel on the beach. The Boardwalk Hotel Aruba stood out to me. It’s got a fun, kitschy vibe, and even though it’s not directly on the beach, it has all of these intimate casitas on the property, which were charming. The Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort, Spa & Casino has some nice touches, like Ruinas del Mar, designed to invoke the Bushiribana Gold Mill Ruins, and it also has the only kosher kitchen on the island.

That evening, we got a taste of Aruba’s nightlife at Apotek Speakeasy in Oranjestad, close to the marina where the cruise ships dock. It’s an apothecary, and all the drinks are tinctures, tonics, or have medicinal names. I had a drink called “Crumbs,” which was vodka-based with Kahlua, apple, cinnamon, brown butter, and brown sugar. Plus, Oranjestad is about 15 minutes from Palm Beach.

Day 3

We started bright and early the following day with more site inspections. In the four years I’ve been doing this job, Aruba Ocean Villas is one of the favorite properties I’ve seen. It’s a boutique property with just 13 accommodations, and there are tons of different boardwalks that lead you throughout the grounds. It’s so tropical, and it’s easy to imagine that you’re somewhere in the interior of Costa Rica or Belize, but you’re minutes from the ocean. Every accommodation was lovingly and intentionally designed by the owner, who is an artist. There are also overwater bungalows with glass floors, so you can see the ocean spread out under your feet. You don’t have to fly to Bora Bora or the Maldives to have this incredible experience.

Next up was a walking tour through the San Nicolas Art District. It used to be the red-light district but is now an artistic hot spot that hosts the Aruba Art Fair annually and invites artists from all around the world to create astonishing murals. Currently, there are 95 of them. My favorite was called “Connection.” It’s a man and woman painted on the side of the building. If you look at it with 3D glasses, you’ll see the people. Without the glasses, you only see skeletons.

We also visited Secrets Baby Beach, which is one of the handful of all-inclusives on the island and is right near a shallow water beach perfect for wading. It’s an excellent choice for people seeking an all-inclusive experience and a bit off the beaten path. That night, I capped the day off with a passionfruit pisco at Quinta del Carmen that I cannot say enough good things about. It was a lovely way to cap off the evening.

Day 4

Thursday was our day out on the ocean, and we sailed in a luxury schooner down Aruba’s southern coast. It was a very upscale boat day. Our craft had a water trampoline hooked up on the back so you could relax with your drink and hang out in the water, and a rope swing. The food was the best I’ve ever had on a day out at sea: steak, chicken, and mahi-mahi that they’d caught that morning. I would absolutely do that style of day cruising again. It’s a higher-end experience, with a larger boat and exquisitely fresh fish. Plus, the fact that it’s a larger craft means that it’s a bit more accessible for those who get motion sickness.

Back on land we went to the Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort. It was the first resort we saw on Eagle Beach, a stunning, wide, white sand beach about two miles from Palm Beach. It consistently ranks high on top beach lists, and it’s easy to see why. You’ll find luxe boutique properties there, and it’s an excellent option for honeymoons and couples looking for a romantic getaway. We dined at Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort, and the food was simply delicious. They also had a comprehensive mocktail list and an exceptional vegan and vegetarian menu. It was quite inclusive.

Day 5

On Friday, our last full day in Aruba, we had more site inspections, including Manchebo Beach Resort & Spa. This property is a splendid example of Aruba’s ethos of giving back. It hosts at least one party a year for the local senior residents, and we actually had the chance to visit while this was happening. It was so nice. The other thing that I noticed was the variety of accommodations. They’re all lovely, of course, but in addition to that, they catered to different needs. Both the St. Regis Aruba Resort and Joia Aruba are newer, more modern properties; the Hilton is more adults-focused, and Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort is adults-only. There are options for families, couples, and everyone in Aruba.

The following day we headed home, and the Aruba Tourism Board gave us “First Class Aruba,” which is basically a VIP concierge service that fast-tracks you through lines and security processes at the airport. Having someone guide you where to go made the process stress-free and was the perfect way to end my trip.

The big thing I’d tell people about traveling to Aruba is that it’s good to get out of your comfort zone a bit and understand that all-inclusive is not the only way to go. Aruba is a comfortable island to explore. They drive on the right side of the road, and you feel safe being out on the street, either in a small group of women or one or two people, even in the evenings. It’s a bit pricier than other islands in the Caribbean, but it’s so worth it. Everyone is friendly, and once you visit, it’s somewhere you’ll want to go back again and again.