An 8-day adventure-filled winter escape to Aruba (with teens)
Winters in upstate New York are not our favorite. Truthfully, they make me miserable. They make The Hubs miserable. They make The Middle and The Baby miserable. We are desperate to escape from the first cold, dreary day in late fall to the last cold snap in late spring. Winters are LOOOOOONG in our neck of the woods. We took winter break this year to sneak away to Aruba for a much-needed dose of vitamin D.
Aruba has very reliable weather. It’s pretty consistently 85 and sunny. It is nearly always breezy, which makes the high temperatures much more manageable. Aruba is south of the hurricane belt, and a direct hit is rare. The rainy season is from October to January but typically comes in short bursts, mainly at night. There is no wrong time to visit!
The official languages of Aruba are Papiamento and Dutch, but most Arubans also speak English and Spanish. We never really had any problems communicating.
We rented an AirBnB in Noord. It’s so nice to have plenty of space for everyone, a full kitchen, laundry facilities, and our own private pool. And we wanted an extra room in case The Eldest could get off work and tag along on this trip.
Given our house was not along the main stretch of hotels where the popular beaches, restaurants, and tourist activities are located, we rented a car. Aruba is small, only 21 miles by 6 miles, so it’s very driveable. The main roads along the island have roundabouts instead of stop lights that take some getting used to. But navigating the island is relatively easy.
As of February 2023, a completed health pass is required for all travelers to Aruba. Be sure to check entry requirements before your travel day!
Another game-changer recommendation before we get into the sun, sand, and fun of One Happy Island….do not do your food shopping at Super Food Plaza. I repeat, DO NOT do your food shopping at Super Food Plaza! If you do a Google Search for grocery stores in Aruba, you’ll want to go to Super Food Plaza because it will remind you of stores from back home. But it’s always incredibly, overwhelmingly busy. You will spend far too long jostling for food and supplies with hundreds of others and end up with half the items on your list. Small little markets over the island are good for grabbing something quickly, but I highly recommend doing your main food runs at Ling & Son’s. It’s large, well-organized, well-stocked, and quiet. Be sure to sample all the delicious tropical fruits!
The kids requested that they be able to sleep in, so all of our activities were scheduled for the afternoon. But The Hubs and I are early risers, and on our first morning, we took a beautiful walk near California Lighthouse. We took the Westpunt Trail around the island's northern tip from the trailhead along the coast to Dunes Beach (about 2.5 miles). The rocky shoreline here is stunning. You’ll want closed-toe shoes here as the trail is covered in volcanic and sedimentary rocks. And don’t forget to bring water!
The Middle wanted to go deep-sea fishing, so I booked an afternoon of fishing and snorkeling with The Hooker Charters. While we didn’t catch anything, it was a gorgeous day on the water. The Baby and I get terribly motion sick but have found great relief from The Relief Band - this recommendation comes authentically without any monetary gain. If you enjoy snorkeling, there are many spots that you can access from shore. Going on a snorkel cruise is unnecessary as the boat takes you along the shoreline to spots mearly yards from shore.
We intended to take our catch to Hadicurari at the end of the pier for dinner but needed to make other plans with our lack of freshly caught fish. We were hungry and tired, but Smokey Joe’s met our needs.
We spent our evenings back at our house playing Euchre and watching movies. It’s a vacation tradition we all enjoy. I finally had my first loner hand, but I didn’t even get to use it!
We spent our second afternoon at Eagle Beach. This beach is home to the famous Divi-Divi tree (Divi-Divi trees are the signature tree of Aruba. They are everywhere and characteristic in their appearance, with extremely swept branches bending to the southwest due to the constant strong sea breezes from the northeast.)
Eagle beach is quieter and less crowded than Palm Beach (but not as quiet as Baby Beach). The sand is so soft, and the water so clear. There are limited water activities on Eagle Beach, but we rented jet skis from Julio’s Watersports. Riding with The Middle at the helm was terrifying, and I was sore for days (from holding on for my life), but I was, per usual, the lame one in the group. Everyone else loved it!
Our next adventure was an afternoon UTV tour. It was a fun tour, and we enjoyed it. However, if we were to do it again, we would rent a UTV for the day and drive along the well-worn public trails on the eastern coast. There is a lot to see (Alto Vista Chapel, Baby Bridge, Bushiribana Ruins, Natural Bridge, Shark Bay, Andicuri Beach, Three Bridges, Ayo Rock Formation, Cave Natural Pool with cliff jumping, and Wariruri Beach), and taking it at our own pace would have been more enjoyable for our family. UTVs are not allowed in Arikok National Park, but you can park your UTV at Daimari Beach and hike to Conchi Natural Pool (you’ll need to purchase your park passes at the visitor center). You will want to wear a swimsuit and closed-toe shoes here, too. You’ll also want to pack water and snacks, but there are some vendors and food trucks along the way.
We had dinner at Cafe 080. It’s marketed as a Dutch restaurant, and the limited menu was a bit intimidating for the kids, but we enjoyed it. The coconut shrimp and chicken schnitzel were delicious. It has a small and almost exclusively outdoor seating area. It got quite loud and busy by the time we left around 8.
We spent our next day relaxing at the house and enjoying cocktails by the pool.
We spent the next day at De Palm Island. It was a fun and relaxing day. The day pass includes unlimited food and drink, waterslides, a small waterpark area suitable for small children, snorkeling, banana boat rides, and flamingos. You can also pay extra for snuba and sea trek. We purchased premium seating in the exclusive flamingo beach area with private lounge chairs and a private bar. The flamingos are beautiful, and we loved that we could get up close.
We stopped and had dinner at Lola Taqueria. It was our favorite meal of the trip. We started with drinks and guacamole. The Hubs, The Baby, and I shared the Bang Bang Shrimp, Lobster, and Crunchy Octopus tacos. The middle ordered a burger. Everything was so good! Unfortunately, we were so enthusiastic about our meal I didn’t get a picture. We will definitely return on our next trip to Aruba! After, we walked next door to Gelatissimo Bus and got some yummy gelato.
We crammed a lot into our last day in Aruba. Late morning, we headed into Arikok National Park. We stopped at Dos Playa, where The Hubs and The Middle enjoyed tossing around a coconut football. We also visited Fontein and Quadirikiri Caves. Quadirikiri Cave is worth visiting - head back to the second chamber to see the heart light effect. In Fontein Cave, we saw the most enormous centipede I have ever seen! Next time, we will spend more time in the park as there is much to see.
Next, we headed to Palm Beach to do some parasailing. The Hubs, Middle, and Baby had a fantastic time while I enjoyed the boat ride.
We had dinner at MooMba Beach Bar. It’s located right on Palm Beach, with plenty of seating and an extensive menu. I was excited to try the steak Pincho (a Spanish kebab) and the passion-filled mojito - neither was disappointing.
One final note, if traveling back to the United States, you will go through US Customs and Immigration in Aruba. You’ll want to give yourself plenty of time before boarding; 3 hours was recommended.
We loved our time in Aruba. It truly is One Happy Island!
I hope this motivates you to travel, eat…and return and share my journey through 7 continents and infinite foods.
8 days/7 nights
Day 1
house pool/dinner
Day 2
Westpunt trail
Smokey Joe’s (takes reservations)
Day 3
Eagle Beach
Jet skis - Julio’s Watersports
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Lola Taqueria (takes reservations)
Day 7
MooMba Beach Bar (takes reservations)
Day 8
out
**I would highly recommend that you make reservations in advance when available. I always book scheduled activities and typically make dinner reservations in advance. I’ve indicated with a parenthetical any restaurants that take reservations.