Aruba
Surfside is a pretty pleasant place to spend an afternoon if you're hankering after some sun, surf and sand. It's the best, most swimmable beach in Oranjestad proper, with plenty of shade and a handful of excellent bars. Kids will love the inflatable water park just offshore, which offers swings, slides, monkey bars, climbing walls and a free-floating catapult.
It's only steps from the airport, so planes taking off and landing will give you something to look at (for better or for worse).
6.85 MILES
Powerful wave action has worn this depression into the coastal limestone ridge. The surrounding rocks break the surf, so – with waves crashing all around …
3.59 MILES
Fronting a line of low-rise resorts just northwest of Oranjestad, Eagle is a long stretch of white sand that regularly makes lists of the best beaches in…
5.4 MILES
Limestone cliffs, crystal-clear waters and crashing waves make this beach experience different from all others on the island. This east-coast beauty is…
7.46 MILES
Up the hill from Arashi Beach, this tall sentinel is named for an old wrecked ship called the California, which is not the ship of similar name …
2.43 MILES
Aruba's second-highest peak attracts lionhearted souls with its 165m, 587-stair climb. Summiting Hooiberg (it means 'haystack' in Dutch) takes most people…
4.37 MILES
With 18 ostriches, 16 emus and a bunch of ducks, geese, peacocks, chickens and turtles, this well-kept little farm makes a fun and educational stop on…
4.42 MILES
Make an ass of yourself doting on these winsome critters, who will follow you around for attention and snacks. Donkeys were brought to Aruba by the…
4.08 MILES
Tucked between the low-rise and high-rise resort areas, this place will make your heart go aflutter, as the gorgeous gardens are teeming with butterflies…
0.71 MILES
This shady refuge is a tribute to Queen Wilhelmina, the longest-reigning Dutch monarch (1890–1948).
0.82 MILES
Fort Zoutman houses a tiny museum featuring rotating exhibits on the island's history. It's worth the price of admission just to climb to the top of the…
0.82 MILES
It's not much to look at, but this 18th-century fort was built to defend the port against pirates. The attached Willem III Tower was added later, serving…
0.89 MILES
A local landmark – and no wonder, it's a beauty. Dating to 1922, the elegant, emerald-green, white-trimmed house is now part of the city-council complex.
5. Aruba Archaeological Museum
1.09 MILES
The capital's newest museum is housed in the beautifully restored colonial-era Ecury Complex, home to a successful merchant family throughout the 20th…
6. Aruba Aloe Museum & Factory
2.38 MILES
You'll see aloe – the spiky desert plant that is the source of the healing and moisturizing aloe-vera gel – sprouting all over the island. Aruba Aloe…
2.43 MILES
Aruba's second-highest peak attracts lionhearted souls with its 165m, 587-stair climb. Summiting Hooiberg (it means 'haystack' in Dutch) takes most people…
2.76 MILES
About 1 mile west of Ayo Rock, these mysterious rock formations rise out of the desert landscape in the shape of creatures such as birds and dragons. It's…