Although Aruba is a Caribbean paradise, there is so much to do on the island outside of lounging by the beach and enjoying a cocktail. From planting aloe, Sea Trekking, or going on a submarine adventure, the island has plenty to offer to its visitors. Discover the do's and don'ts of local activities with our trusty guide.
De Palm Island
De Palm Island is a coral island with many activities to offer, including unlimited banana boat rides, waterslides, flamingo watching, and complimentary snorkeling, among other things.
We paid for a day package at De Palm Island, including bus transportation, which costs $129 per adult. Alternatively, you can purchase a day pass for De Palm Island and arrange transportation yourself. However, this may not necessarily be worth it as it only saves $10 per adult.
On the day of our tour, we were picked up at our hotel and taken aboard a large bus. Check-in was pretty easy, and the bus arrived at our hotel lobby timely. The journey from our hotel to the boating dock was quite lengthy – however, our bus driver was entertaining and provided some general information about Aruba, key buildings, and local culture while we traveled. What was a bit surprising, however, is that even though the bus driver confirmed our names at pick-up, we were still required to check in at the De Palm Island booths prior to boarding the ferry. At check-in, each guest receives a coloured wristband depending on the package purchased and their age (for adult beverages). This is where some of the inefficiencies of De Palm Island started to show; however, we'll discuss that in further detail in our overall comments for De Palm.
Once we checked in, we boarded the ferry to De Palm Island. The ferry ride in itself was pretty quick – about 10 minutes. Arriving on the island, we rushed off to the stores located by the lockers to check in (yes, this was a third check-in point) for our Sea Trekking experience (this is an add-on we purchased that was $59 per adult). We had plenty of time to change, put our stuff into the lockers, and walk through the shop before we began the Sea Trek, even with all the delays given lineups and check-ins.
The Sea Trek is an unbelievable experience that allows you to walk the sea floor on a custom walkway wearing specially designed diving helmets. Daria isn't a great swimmer and tends to shy away from experiences like snorkeling or scuba diving. However, she was very excited to undertake Sea Trekking and said it was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience that allowed her to enjoy marine life up close without being burdened by her fears or inability to swim. Following a short tutorial from our guides and a bit of information on different gestures and signs to use while underwater, we were to receive our helmets and enter the water. Our guides were nearby the entire time we were underwater and directed us by either providing their hand or navigating us towards the rails built underwater. Multiple photoshoot spots were available underwater that the guides encouraged us to enjoy – giving us props and sea urchins to hold for the photos. The guides would also feed the fish during the experience, which would cause a whole school of fish to swim by us during the experience. This was truly amazing as we could see the fish up close and even have them be part of many of our photos and the video. For Daria - this was probably the best part of Sea Trekking, if not even the entire day trip.
Two other couples did the sea trek at the same time as us, and several people in the group couldn't swim. However, everyone was thrilled after the experience and talked about how fun it was to sit in a vehicle underwater or to walk through groups of fish, seeing them up close to your face.
After enjoying the Sea Trek, we ventured off to see the flamingos. There are two places in Aruba (De Palm Island and Reinassance Island, where you need to stay as a hotel guest) where you can get close to flamingos and take photos with them. Touching the flamingos is an understandable no no. However, on De Palm Island you are allowed to get pretty close to them while a photographer will take a few pictures of you with them. We waited about 10 minutes in line to walk up to the flamingos and take photos alongside them. While this is just a photo op experience, we still found it pretty fun as we've only seen flamingos a handful of times before. There is also an option to purchase premium seating on De Palm Island. These premium seats are on a private beach with day-long access to the flamingos. However, the premium seating is $65 extra on top of the ticket to visit the island.
Once we were done with the photos, we enjoyed lunch at the Island's Grill. The food is included in your ticket, and you can visit the restaurants as often as you'd like while on the island during the day. In terms of the grill's food – it is generally standard BBQ food, offering things such as burgers, hot dogs, and fries. All of the items were what you would expect - nothing terrible or stellar by any means. The drink cups were relatively small though, meaning you're getting up for refills fairly often.
Do note that the grill closes a bit earlier than the island at 4 pm. We did notice that there was another area where you could eat, located closer to the front of the island; however, we largely stuck to the grill. The other restaurant seemed to primarily have seafood dishes, soups, and an assortment of rice and chicken dishes. This location closed at 3 pm and is also at no extra charge for guests of De Palm Island.
The cafeteria (grill area) hosts several activities, such as salsa dance lessons, which were entertaining to watch while enjoying the meal. Within the grill, a number of vendors are also located, offering many trinkets for purchase, as well as activities. We noted quite a few families opting to purchase kids' bedroom signs and canvases, which the kids could then paint while enjoying a bowl of popcorn.
While we didn't ride the slides on the island, we did enjoy the banana boat ride. We watched a number of people fall into the water – but given that our boat had several kids and non-swimmers, everyone had to give it their all to ensure we didn't fall in. Ryan and a nine-year-old girl were at the very front of the boat as our "captains" and have thankfully led us back to the Island with everyone staying nice and dry.
Massage stations are spread throughout the island and available without reservation. Large basketball courts and volleyball nets can also be found on the island. While we didn't play either sport, we walked around the on-land turtle habitat. Although a relatively small space, it does hold several turtles and their homes.
Overall, the island has plenty to offer those seeking a nice relaxing day and/or a bit of a thrill.
The biggest downfalls in terms of the island experience though would most likely have to be the efficiency of things as well as the shortage of seating. For example, we waited around 45 minutes in line to board the banana boat. Additionally, it took us about 20 minutes to check in to board the ferry even though we had our tickets and add-on experiences pre-purchased. It seemed like some lines could have been avoided if more staff were available on the premises or if the lines were better managed.
In terms of seating, we generally found that unless you have pre-booked a cabana, there wasn't much seating available outdoors. If you weren't participating in an activity, you generally had to sit within the cafeteria area. While the cafeteria isn't bad and is an outdoor (covered) space, seating somewhere closer to the beach would have made the experience more pleasant and allowed us to appreciate the island further. Also, the cabanas' prices are shockingly steep, from $269 to $399. This is very expensive considering that this is on top of your day pass and any add-on experiences (and is in USD currency too). However, cabanas have some added benefits - an outdoor shower, a fully stocked fridge, a bottle of Prosecco, and a dedicated De Palm Island employee who will accommodate your requests.
Her take:
I thought that while this experience is a bit on the expensive side, and the food isn't necessarily something to rave about, there are plenty of activities for groups of any age. In fact, there are so many activities that you can easily fill the day without paying for any of the add-ons. Considering we were staying in Aruba for an entire week, it was nice to get away from the hotel for the day and do something a bit different. However, if you're staying for a short amount of time in Aruba – I would say that this may be something you want to skip.
One thing to note is that the beach is very rocky and filled with shells, so water shoes are recommended.
His take:
I agree with Daria that De Palm Island makes for an expensive day trip, however, the fee includes food and drinks. Overall, while I enjoyed seeing flamingos and some of the De Palm activities, I would say it is best suited for a family with children. There is a lot to do with kids, but as an adult, I thought it was perhaps a bit too expensive given the nature of the activities included in the package.
Aruba Atlantis Submarine Expedition (provided by De Palm)
The Aruba Atlantis allows you to experience Aruba's underwater world in a submarine that dives as deep as 130 feet in the Caribbean Sea.
The expedition is a lot of fun, and you get to see several sunken ships and marine life while on the submarine. The tour guide also talks you through the journey, providing information about the corals, turtles, and fish around you. The staff is extremely friendly and knowledgeable. However, it is a fairly tight space and gets filled with quite a few people. If you're claustrophobic, you may want to reconsider this. Additionally, the experience in itself is relatively expensive. The overall experience (about 2 hours) costs $114 per adult or $92 for children ages 4-12.
His take:
So I actually did this on my own, so I have to represent Daria and me on this one. Overall, I enjoyed the activity and thought it was a great way to break up the day and spend some time away from the sun. I also quickly learned that when you're burnt – your skin will actually show as purple under water. However, it is a relatively expensive and short experience. I would say that if you've never been on a submarine before, then this is worth it. However, if you've been on a submarine before in Bermuda or other similar locations, I would perhaps skip this one.
Exploring Downtown Oranjestad
Exploring the capital of any place you travel is always a great idea as it really allows you to familiarize yourself with the local culture. Regarding Downtown Oranjestad, the area is primarily populated by shops and restaurants – some of which are local and others that you can easily find in North America. If you're looking to purchase souvenirs, Oranjestad is a great area to start, as there are several shops selling t-shirts, Christmas ornaments, magnets, and other small trinkets with Aruba's name and décor. A wide variety of jewelry stores are also spread throughout the area, so if you're looking for gold – this is definitely the place for you.
Her take:
Overall, this is definitely a nice activity if you're looking to take a break from lounging on the beach & are looking to stock up on gifts for friends and family. However, on this trip, we personally weren't looking for jewelry, so most of the stores didn't suit our needs. I actually personally prefer some of the stores found along Palm Beach instead.’
His take:
Oranjestad is beautiful and has unique and colourful pastel buildings. However, if you're not looking to buy jewelry, then the assortment of stores is a bit slim. I personally wouldn't spend my time exploring Oranjestad and would focus on just enjoying some other watersports activities like kayaking in the ocean.
Comments