Aruba in 7 days
the backstory
Our typical trips are a little less tropical, but after this trip we count Aruba as one of our top favorite vacation spots. We loved the white sand beaches, perfect weather, unique mix of desert and ocean, welcoming locals, great food, and that it was safe to venture and explore. Because this is a tropical destination, and we felt like the trip should not be overscheduled, we tried to find the balance between “doing” and just enjoying.
Aruba is known for some of the best weather (averages in the 80s year-round, limited rainfall, and it is located outside of the hurricane belt. We visited in October, and it was mostly sunny and high-70s/low-80s every day.
Itinerary overview
Day 1:
Arrive & Settle
Day 2:
Beach Day
Day 3:
Boat Day
Day 4:
Beach Day
Day 5:
Dune Buggys
Days 6&7:
Beach Days & Sunset Sail
OUR FAVORITE ACTIVITIES
The vibe of this trip is relaxing on the beach, swimming, and not doing much of anything, but we had fun sprinkling in some planned activities here and there too. We basically alternated with one day of a planned activity and one day of lounging on the beach. Our resort offered a bunch of activities we enjoyed too (things like yoga in the morning, massages at the spa, and free kayaks).
Click the pictures below to book some of our favorites from this trip. We didn’t end up going on a sunset sail on this trip, but linking one here since it was on our list and will be something we try next trip.
UTV ADVENTURE
BOAT DAY & SNORKELING
SUNSET SAIL
BEACH DAYS AT COSTA LINDA
detailed itinerary by day
DAY 1: ARRIVE & SETTLE
PLANNED ACTIVITES
ARRIVE & SETTLE
3:00PM | Arrive & check into hotel / condo
4:00PM | Grocery shop / settle in
6:30PM | Water’s Edge Restaurant for dinner
TIPS
STAYING
We stayed at the Costa Linda Resort and loved it. We had a bottom floor, two bedroom condo with a hot tub where we could walk right out onto the beach. We were traveling with two friends on this trip, and the space was perfect. Our resort was not all-inclusive, which was perfect for us because Aruba has a ton of great restaurants and activities. There were plenty of things to do on-site though – the resort offered yoga every morning, and it was just the right way to start each day.
EATING
We opted to buy groceries nearby so we could cook our own breakfast, have the quintessential beach sandwiches for lunch, and have some of our own snacks and drinks on hand. We chose Water’s Edge for our first dinner to keep things easy (this restaurant was at our resort) and to take the opportunity to enjoy the beach right away. It was the restaurant at our resort and right on the water. Perfect to keep things easy and relaxing on our first night.
GETTING AROUND
We had our resort call taxis for us to get around. We eventually found one that we liked, and we contacted him directly each time we wanted to go somewhere. Since we weren’t driving around exploring much, we went this route, but if you choose to drive around more, it might be worth getting a rental car.
DAY 2: BEACH DAY & LIGHTHOUSE
PLANNED ACTIVITES
FOLLOW YOUR HEART
Morning/Afternoon | There is not much by way of planned activities for our beach days – we followed our hearts on these days and spent time on the beach swimming, reading, walking, soaking in the sun, etc. Follow your heart.
6:30PM | Faro Blanco for dinner
TIPS
BEACHES
We opted to keep beach days simple, and we just stayed at our resort for these days. Our resort spanned Eagle and Palm beach which are considered two of the best. You can read more about other Aruba beaches here.
EATING
Faro Blanco is an italian restaurant that sits high up at the very end of the Island right beside the California Lighthouse. We just took pictures in front of the lighthouse, but you definitely could climb the lighthouse if you timed it right (it is open from 9AM-7PM, and you don’t need a reservation). The restaurant has an expansive outdoor patio with panoramic views.
Day 3: BOAT DAY & SNORKELING
PLANNED ACTIVITES
BOAT DAY & SNORKEL ADVENTURE
9:00AM-1:30PM | Boat Day
Afternoon | Relax at the beach before getting ready for dinner
6:30PM | Barefoot Restaurant for dinner
TIPS
BOAT DAY
We booked this boat day activity which included lunch, drinks, snorkeling, and a fun rope swing.
EATING
Barefoot Restaurant (upscale American food) was awesome – we got to enjoy our meal at a table right on the beach with awesome sunset views.
Day 4: BEACH DAY
PLANNED ACTIVITIES
FOLLOW YOUR HEART
Morning/Afternoon | There is not much by way of planned activities for our beach days – we followed our hearts on these days and spent time on the beach swimming, reading, walking, soaking in the sun, etc. Follow your heart. We started each day with morning yoga at the resort before cooking some breakfast at our condo which was amazing.
6:30PM | El Gaucho for dinner (Argentinian food and live music)
Day 5: UTV ADVENTURE
PLANNED ACTIVITES
UTV ADVENTURE & SWIMMING IN THE NATURAL POOL
8:30AM – 4:00PM | All day UTV adventure
5:30PM | Dinner at the condo – we ordered Pizza Bob’s
TIPS
UTV RENTALS
We rented one ATV and one UTV for the day. We opted to venture out on our own with rentals from here, but if you prefer to have a local guide we’d try this one. This was an amazing way to see the whole island and experience the more wild side of Aruba. Since there were four of us on this trip, we took turns riding the ATV and UTV. Next time we will just go with the UTV – it is much more comfortable for an entire day of exploring. The rental place gave us a map and instructions for how to find all of the neat landmarks around the Island. Our favorite on this trip was the Natural Pool where we spent some time swimming.
EATING
It was a long day of adventuring, so we just wanted a quiet evening in and ordered some pizza. Another option we considered was just grabbing some food at the restaurants at the resort.
DayS 6 & 7: BEACH DAYS
PLANNED ACTIVITES
BEACH DAY
Morning/Afternoon | By now, you are probably in your zen beach rythm and don’t need much of an itinerary. We did book massages at our resort which is an all-time favorite vacation activity for us.
6:30PM | Dinner at Flying Fishbone one night & Madame Jeanette’s the other
TIPS
EATING
Call and make reservations for these places well in advance. Flying Fishbone was such a cool experience – our table was right IN the ocean. When you call to make a reservation, you will have to ask for that specifically; otherwise you could end up sitting elsewhere (inside/on the patio etc). Sunset was around 6:30PM when we were there, so we opted for an earlier reservation so we could enjoy the full sunset.
Madame Jeanette’s (upscale) was great too – we loved the food and atmosphere. We made our reservation for the charming outdoor patio.
OUR FAVORITE RESTAURANTS
Aruba was an amazing place to try some fun restaurants right on the water and experience some delicious food. Many of these will require reservations a month or more in advance especially if you are visiting during peak season (December – April). Here are some of the restaurants we enjoyed most.
FARO BLANCO
Faro Blanco is an italian restaurant that sits high up at the very end of the Island right beside the California Lighthouse. Awesome patio with panoramic views.
BAREFOOT RESTAURANT
Barefoot Restaurant (upscale American food) was awesome – we got to enjoy our meal at a table right on the beach with awesome sunset views.
FLYING FISH BONE
Flying Fishbone was such a cool experience – our table was right IN the ocean. When you call to make a reservation, you will have to ask for that specifically.
MADAME JEANETTE’S
Madame Jeanette’s (upscale) was great too – we loved the food and atmosphere. We made our reservation for the charming outdoor patio.
trip gallery
