Aruba, Central America And The Caribbean
Mrhbond009 asks,
“What are some of the less expensive but fun activities to do in Aruba besides going to the beach?”
Answers:
brungrrl
Columbus
Rent an SUV, if only for a day. Be sure to see the Natural Pool and the Natural Bridge. Get some good directions though… we’ve never been so lost! And the island is only 3 × 20 miles! :-)
brungrrl
Columbus
It is VERY windy in Aruba, year-round. I’d recommend an SUV with a closed top and air-conditioning. My husband and I noted that the folks behind us were eating our dust as we drove around the dirt roads looking for the sites. We were pretty glad we got the closed-top vehicle instead of the rag-top we had initially asked for.
ATVs would be a fun excursion also… but if you want to see the sites on the “other” side of the island, you’ll need an on-road vehicle to get to them. I think you can only ride the ATVs in certain areas. (But I could be wrong on that one.)
KateDuckie
New York State
You can also go jet skiing ot go on the bannana boat! but it also depends on what place you go to.
SyberCat
Portsmouth
Yes, definitely rent a vehicle for a day and tour the island! If I recall correctly, car rental for a day is $60-$80 but it’s worth it. You could also take a cab down to Oranjestad, if you’re not already staying there, and walk around the town center. There’s a lot of nice little shops and restaurants there.
If you’re into diving or snorkeling, check out Baby Beach. There are some absolutely incredible reefs just a few yards out from the shore. We saw a school of squid there on our trip! It’s not crowded there either.
Mrhbond009
Las Vegas
Where is Baby Beach? I am a certified scuba diver but my brother is not so going somewhere close to shore to snorkel would be great!
SyberCat
Portsmouth
I’m sorry, it’s actually called Arashi Beach. It is at the western end of the island, up past the resort area. It’s probably about a mile or two up from the last resort.
Baby Beach is another nice beach, I think it’s on the eastern end of the island. This is where the locals go. There’s a shallow lagoon there, and where the lagoon opens up into the sea is some pretty good snorkeling. But Arashi Beach would definitely be my first choice for snorkeling or diving.
Jordan Ambra
Dallas
There’s a butterfly farm that’s interesting, depending on who you’re with :)
Downtown Oranjestad is cool, plenty of places to eat and shop.
I second going snorkeling, and you may even like the natural bridge…pretty cool to see, although you’ll probably have to ride a horse or ATV down there.
trippity
Fairfax
I agree with the others – rent a car or SUV for a day (they are all very beat up on the island, by the way), and drive around the island to see the sights. There are ruins, weird rocky areas, crazy vegetation – lots of interesting things to see… And Aruba is so small, that you can see all the free/cheap things in a day.
While we were there, we went to the butterly farm, which may have been my favorite part of the trip (not including the beach). But, of course, you may not feel the same. The people who work there are very knowledgeable, and you can get a little tour/lesson from them.
We also went to the ostrich farm where they have a little shop with exotic items and serve some light snacks. They might serve more – can’t remember. I think they serve beer, too. We tried the ostrich sushi – it wasn’t bad, but really nothing special. We also met a friendly potbellied pig while there. As I recall, the ostrich farm was an ideal place to rest between sights around the island.
Baby beach was nice. Very windy, though. I guess it doesn’t matter much when you are in the water snorkeling. Also, there is an interesting pet cemetery nearby.
I know you didn’t ask, but I have to recommend the following restaurants: Marandi, Gasparito’s and Flying Fishbone. The food was great, and the ambience was cool. We also liked Que Pasa. With the money you save on sightseeing, you can splurge on dinner out! Have fun!
redinbo8323
0 places
Rent a jeep for a day and drive all around the island. Go on a snorkeling trip for half the day it is very cheap and well worth it.
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