The Ultimate Aruba Travel Guide for 2021
It’s finally happening! After a full year of quarantining, 2021 seems much more promising in terms of travel! With COVID precautions now the norm, mandatory COVID testing prior to travel, and the continued roll-out of COVID vaccines, people and countries are beginning to welcome the idea of travel and tourism once again. If you’re looking to plan a trip this year, then look no further - one of the best places to travel to in 2021 is to the Caribbean island, Aruba! Riddhish and I visited Aruba in late March 2021 and highly recommend it. Find my ultimate travel guide to Aruba below!
Best Time to Go & How Long to Stay
The best part about Aruba is that anytime is a good time to visit. The “one happy island” averages more sunny days than any other Caribbean island and has almost no rainfall. It is the perfect beach vacation destination with temperatures of 80-85℉ and cooling breezes year-round.
Aruba is only 20 miles long and 6 miles wide, which means you can pretty much see everything Aruba has to offer in a long weekend trip. I would recommend 4 to 6 days for ample relaxation and exploration time.
Travel & COVID Requirements
COVID tests are required both at the beginning and end of your trip. Depending on your airline, you can either take a PCR COVID test within 72 hours of your flight to Aruba or take a COVID test on-site when you land in Aruba ($75). I would recommend taking the test prior to flying to save on the cost of the test since most health insurances cover COVID testing costs, if any. Also, if you take the test in Aruba, you will have to quarantine until you get your results.
To travel to Aruba, you must also register for an ED card (Embarkation / Disembarkation card) and purchase visitor’s insurance ($30) prior to your flight. The registration takes only a few minutes online, and you receive a digital copy of the ED card to your email that you must present (digital or paper copy) when boarding your flight and then once again at the airport when you land in Aruba.
Within 72 hours of leaving Aruba, you have to take another COVID test (not necessarily PCR), which most hotels do on-site testing for and may reimburse you for the cost of the test. We got our results within 12 hours of taking the test in our hotel.
Where to Stay, Costs, & COVID Safety
All the major hotels in Aruba are lined up along Palm or Eagle Beach and connected with one long boardwalk in the back / beachside. The beaches are public and accessible regardless of the adjacent hotel. We stayed at the Ritz Carlton, which had amazing service, food, and outdoor pool / beach areas, but the hotel decor and rooms were a little older and less trendy (which didn’t really make a difference to us).
Aruba is pricey in general because almost everything on the island is imported. Even though you may think of Aruba as a tropical place, the climate is actually more desert-like; because of that, they even have to import fruits and vegetables! So just have that expectation going into your trip. U.S. currency is accepted everywhere, both cash and credit cards.
In terms of COVID, Aruba is very safe and taking all of the standard precautions of masks, sanitizer, and social distancing. Plus, you have some level of comfort knowing that all of the other tourists also had to test negative before arriving (even though there’s still always a chance). Lastly, you end up spending most of your time outdoors and in open space so it was nice not always having to be in masks (where it made sense and was safe, of course).
How to Get Around & General Safety
Though you can probably cross this small island from end-to-end within an hour, I would recommend renting a car if you plan on venturing away from your hotel often, just for convenience and accessibility. There are no Ubers or similar car services in Aruba so the only other way to get around are local taxis that you can get through your hotel or if you save the taxi driver / company’s phone number. Taxi prices are government regulated so you don’t need to worry about getting ripped off. Buses also run but on a very limited schedule. If you plan to visit Arikok National Park on your own rather than through a tour, then make sure you rent a jeep or 4x4 for that day instead of a normal car due to the park’s rocky and uneven terrain.
In general, Aruba is very safe and has a very low crime rate. The people are warm and friendly, and the island mostly runs on the tourism industry so they cater to tourists. Even late at night, I never felt unsafe with my husband and would not have felt unsafe if I was with one or more girlfriends either.
Best Things to Do
One reason Aruba is a popular destination is because it’s perfect for all types of travelers - solo travelers, couples, families, and groups of friends. Almost all restaurants, parks, tourist sites, and water activities are open and taking appropriate COVID precautions.
Some of the most popular activities include:
Beaches - Eagle, Palm, Mangel Halto, Baby, Arashi; Eagle beach is rated one of the top beaches in the world and truly lives up to that reputation so make sure to check it out.
Water sports, kiting activities, snorkeling, wreck diving, and boating
Arikok National Park - Quadiriki Cave, Fontein Cave, Boca Prins beach, Natural Pool (Conchi)
Hooiberg hike - one of the highest and most central peaks in Aruba
Bushiribana gold mill ruins visit
Aloe factory / farm tour
Alto Vista Chapel visit
City visits - Oranjestad (capital with shopping and restaurants) or San Nicolaas (street art and murals)
Animal activities - flamingos on Flamingo Beach or De Palm Island, donkey sanctuary, ostrich farm
The current nightlife scene consists of nice, higher-end dining where you can still dress up, eat good food, drink nice cocktails, and have a great time.
Food
Dining in Aruba ranges from beach vendors to fine dining and covers all types of cuisine - Caribbean, Italian, Asian, Indian, seafood, steakhouses, etc. There are also plenty of options for vegans and vegetarians - whether restaurants with a few vegan / vegetarian options, completely separate and full vegan / vegetarian menus, or entirely vegan restaurants. Two places I highly recommend trying are Eduardo’s Beach Shack (acai bowls, smoothies, vegan tacos, etc.) and Elements (fine dining).