Aruba: My Honest Thoughts
Key Takeaways
- Ultimately, Aruba is not recommended, the article cites high costs and lack of authentic experiences.
- Eagle Beach stands out as a top destination, with beautiful scenery but pricey rentals.
- The local culture and food heavily lean towards tourism, making it hard to find genuine local experiences.
- The airport experience is notably poor, often taking over 2.5 hours to navigate through security and customs.
- Ultimately, if you seek a beach getaway with amenities, Aruba may be appealing, but alternatives may offer more value.
Aruba
Regardless of how you arrived here, you more than likely already know my overall opinion: I am not a fan of the island of Aruba, and under almost any circumstance, I would recommend somewhere else to visit. I have not been shy about it, I’ve been very transparent with my experience and my research before and after the trip. Now, with that statement behind me, I’ll dive much deeper and share why those are my thoughts, shed light on the positives of the country, tell you about the real highlights of the trip that made it an enjoyable one overall, and ultimately why I never plan to return.
The Before
I had never really had Aruba on my radar as a place to visit in the near future. I have a list of places I want to see soon, but I don’t have a list of places I don’t want to go (mostly because I want to go everywhere). Aruba just hadn’t made its way to my desk, if you will. That changed with a wedding invitation. Some good friends of my wife and I were getting married in Aruba. It happened to be on the weekend of our tenth anniversary. It was a nice surprise and honestly a bit of a gift to us, a ready-made trip without any real thought (this holds true still).
Before the formal invite came in the mail, I booked a round-trip ticket on Delta from JFK to AUA. Boston was our preferred airport, but I wanted to use my Delta miles and status. There wasn’t a direct option in June, and all of the flights with a connection were three times the price of the JFK ticket. I booked the Acela train from Boston to NYC for the night before, a hotel at JFK, and started looking at hotels. The JOIA Aruba by Iberostar caught my eye as it was brand new and I could use some of the hundreds of IHG points I had. That seemed to be the best option until a family member of my wife’s recommended an Airbnb they stayed at and loved, I booked it. Our wedding and anniversary trip was locked in.
I did do some research prior to the trip, but not nearly as much as I normally do. I think this was because I wasn’t looking to build a trip, It was happening, and I could just arrive and learn as I go. I did some searching about best beaches and whether I needed a rental car or not (I did in my case), etc. In the end, I’m glad I didn’t do more; going in with an open mind and a little blind was exactly what this trip called for!
The Arrival
While I think there is learning to be had around navigating JFK at 5 AM, I’ll leave that for a different time and start us off in Aruba.
After a flight just shy of five hours, we deplaned (my wife just ahead of me as she sat in first class and I, well, did not). We took the somewhat long walk to customs and were guided to a very short line to speak to a customs officer. Many others at the wedding talked about how they didn’t see anyone at arrival, it was all automated. Either we missed that or it was closed when we arrived, because I don’t remember having an option. It worked out because we got our passport stamps, and I must say, it was one of the most impressive.
If you go to Aruba and want a stamp but end up at the automated kiosk, just ask someone, it’s not an uncommon request. We almost never check a bag. After the very short and friendly customs experience, we were out of the airport. We had reserved a car for the week and headed to National Rental Car just across the parking lot. This was one of very few wins for this airport (more to come later). The rental car checkout was quick, and we hit the road!
Airbnb
We had a dedicated check-in time to meet someone at the house at 2 PM. It was 12:45 and we were hungry (my wife not as much, she ate in first class). I decided on navigating the GPS to the house and seeing what we found on the way. I noticed a restaurant just a few minutes from our destination with people sitting outside. I made a U-turn and pulled into the small dirt parking lot out front.
We ate inside because it was quite warm, and we still had on long pants. It ended up being a vegan restaurant, which I’m okay with, but I went for a breakfast at lunchtime (which is rare for me, I’m a very open-minded person but for whatever reason, I’m not a big breakfast-for-lunch-or-dinner person). We ate and headed to the house.
Aruba’s addresses are very straightforward and easy to follow. When we arrived, a man greeted us and showed us around the giant three-bedroom, three-bathroom house. The backyard resembled that of a boutique resort with about 10 chairs and small tables around a medium-size in-ground pool with a swim-up bar. There was also a large outdoor dining table as well as a very nice outdoor couch and chair set with cushions. We knew where we would be spending a good bit of the vacation.
We go back and forth between renting an Airbnb or staying at a resort. A lot of it depends on how long we’ll be in one location. Typically, for a quick weekend somewhere in a city, we’re getting a hotel. A beach weekend may depend on where we are, but for any trip longer than three days, we’re more than likely getting an Airbnb.
We enjoy cooking, and as much as we travel, eating quick meals out gets old. We absolutely do eat at restaurants and bars, as we are excited to find new places and local cuisines, but having the option to cook at home, especially a light lunch or making breakfast while sitting around the pool, is great. The Airbnb was fantastic and proved to be one of the top highlights of the trip.
We spent the rest of day one relaxing and unpacking. We took a quick drive to one of many neighborhood grocery stores down the street to grab some beer and a light dinner for that night. The prices at the grocery store were outrageous. I understand there are parts of this world where things we take for granted must be imported or cost far more to manufacture. That said, a 12-pack of local beer for $35 USD seemed incredibly high.
We later learned that those local grocery stores are great for a few small things, but Super Foods just a few minutes away was where we really should have started. We had dinner, relaxed in the pool, and went to bed.
Beach
Day 2 we hit the beach. About a 10-minute drive to Eagle Beach looked like our best option, and I still agree with that today. The beach was beautiful and not overly crowded for a weekday in June. We took a few chairs from the well-stocked Airbnb garage, but it was very hot and a bit windy, so we decided to rent 2 chairs and an umbrella that was professionally installed in the sand. $70 rented us the umbrella and chairs for the day.
Is this expensive? I don’t think it was outrageous, but it was higher than I expected given we were a bit away from all the main resorts. It was closer to Miami Beach prices than small beach town Mexico, for sure. It was our anniversary, and we splurged. We also brought a cooler of beer, as Aruba has an extremely lenient policy on public alcohol consumption. We stayed for several hours and headed back to enjoy the pool.
We did the same thing the next day but found a vendor for chairs a little further down the beach for the same price and enjoyed that area better. I found a bar on the beach that belonged to the hotel across the street. It was large, clean, and inviting, so I sat down. As I had noticed earlier around the island, everyone I interacted with seemed not only American but from the Northeast based on both their accents and overheard conversations, talks of leaving New Jersey or heading back to Albany. I’d bet every single person at that bar was from one of four states.
I enjoy sipping good rum, so I asked what they had. Being in the Caribbean and knowing Aruba makes some good rum, I was ready for some suggestions. I was quickly asked if I wanted Bacardi or Captain Morgan. Surprised, I asked if they had anything local. He said yes, showed me a bottle, I agreed, and he poured me some.
A few minutes later, an older gentleman appeared behind the bar showing me a different bottle of rum and gave me a sample, saying he’d been drinking rum for many years and this was his favorite local one. I feel like I finally met my first truly local person, someone who could give me not only insight into rum but also places to explore. After a few minutes chatting, I asked him where the best places were to avoid the tourist areas. He told me there wasn’t really such a thing, I was already in a local area.
I thanked him for the conversation and rum, and headed back to our beach chairs where my wife was waiting for a drink. We spent a few more hours there and headed back to the Airbnb to grill some steaks and relax by the pool.
Food
A friend had recommended Flying Fishbone as a great place for dinner. A reservation hightly recommened, but they don’t use any online tool. You can fill out a form and they will call you, but I elected to go old school and just called them. A few days out was all I needed, it was a weekday in June.
The highlight of the venue is the seating. Most seats are on the sand, and if you’re close to the water, your shoes come off as your feet submerge in shallow water. Our table was slightly elevated by rocks overlooking the sand and water, it was perfect.
Again, I asked what they had for rum, and again was given the options of Bacardi and Captain Morgan. Once again, I asked for something local, they had it.
I’m a big fan of seafood, and several items on the menu caught my eye, including the special. I asked if the seafood was local and was surprised by the response: “All of our food is imported.” Okay… the fish from Hawaii it is! Honestly, it was excellent. Many coastal places import seafood, but it surprised me that nothing at all was local, we are literally on the water.
A 2015 paper published by the University of British Columbia says it all:
Fishing is not a primary industry in Aruba, as it contributes, according to Wikipedia, less than 1% of its Gross Domestic Product. However, since Aruba has a thriving marine-based tourism industry (based on scuba diving and game fishing), it holds an interest in maintaining the biodiversity of both the pelagic ecosystem and the coral reefs surrounding the island*.
*FishBase reports 577 species of marine fishes from the EEZ of Aruba (see www.fishbase.org)
Day four was our friend’s wedding, another highlight. The ceremony was on the beach, and it was beautiful. Then we all embarked on a three-hour sunset cruise with drinks and dancing (I cannot dance, but I do dance)!
After the boat, we headed to Moomba Beach, a large bar/restaurant on the beach. They had some local beer and unique pizza, which I enjoyed as a late-night snack. They offered the special of what they claimed was local-caught fish (I didn’t even have to ask). As much as I wanted to try it, a full meal after 10:00 PM doesn’t usually sit well with me.
Again, the bar was fun, but it felt like the U.S. The walls were covered in license plates from all 50 states. It felt like New York with Caribbean weather and New York prices.
Airport
WOW! And I mean WOW! Ready for this statement? “By far, the worst airport experience I have had, ever.”
My wife and I both have Global Entry, and it still took over 2.5 hours to process through the airport. Aruba has U.S. Customs and Border Protection Preclearance, which means Americans clear customs in Aruba before departure and arrive in the U.S. as a domestic flight, in theory. This is often used as an excuse for the insane process at Queen Beatrix International Airport. But that excuse doesn’t hold, major airports in Canada have this and it’s far more efficient.
Step 1 – Before security, travelers must process through exit customs. This line moved somewhat quickly.
Step 2 – Then you go through TSA-style security. For a foreign country, it wasn’t bad. Shoes off, small liquids out, but they didn’t have to be in clear bags like some countries. I’ll give it a 7/10 for foreign security.
Step 3 – U.S. customs. We have Global Entry, so we sped through. Those without it also seemed to move fast. It was not a busy day, though, I’ve read horror stories of people waiting over an hour just to enter the building.
Step 4 – Here’s the kicker: it’s an exact repeat of step 2, just with longer lines. Why? I have no idea. Those who checked bags had to pick them up again and re-send them through full-on security screening.
Step 5 – Finally, the gate area. Here you retrieve any duty-free. I bought a bottle of local rum (not Captain Morgan). There were a few overcrowded bars and one wine bar with almost no food. We sat, had a drink each and a cheese board, for $100 USD, and left.
We boarded and said goodbye to Aruba, likely forever.
Culture and Summary
At the time of writing, I’m just under a week removed from Aruba, and I still don’t fully understand the culture or feel like I experienced it. On the way back from the wedding, I asked our taxi driver (there is no rideshare) where locals go to escape the tourist areas. She, like the bartender the day before, said no such thing exists. What I had seen was it.
Do I believe Aruba has no identity outside of tourism? No. Somewhere on that 20-mile-long by 6-mile-wide island, a unique civilization lives. But it’s not meant for me to see. That small slice of private paradise is reserved for the locals, and they have no intention of letting me in. Or maybe I just didn’t meet the right people for the right invite.
To sum it up: Aruba is not a bad place. It’s safe, and it’s beautiful. My strong feelings stem from the reasons I love to travel, learning and growing from new experiences. Look, I love Las Vegas, and I go from time to time. But Vegas is cheaper and far easier for a weekend.
This blog is about how I travel (hence the name), and this is just my opinion. I believe in learning through travel and gaining a better understanding of the world we live in. Sometimes, though, we just need a beach chair, a fruity drink, and someone handing it to us, and nothing more. If that’s what you’re after, and you’ve had your eyes set on Aruba, go for it.
FAQs
Aruba is safe and beautiful, but whether it’s worth visiting depends on what you’re looking for. If you want a beach chair, fruity drinks, and resort amenities, Aruba delivers—though cheaper options exist closer to the U.S. If you travel for authentic cultural experiences and local cuisine, you’ll likely be disappointed. The island is heavily Americanized, prices are high, and the airport experience is notoriously difficult with a 2.5+ hour security process.
Yes, Aruba is very expensive. A 12-pack of local beer costs around $35 USD at neighborhood grocery stores. Beach chair and umbrella rentals run $70 per day at Eagle Beach. A simple cheese board and two drinks at the airport cost $100. Restaurant prices are comparable to major U.S. cities like New York or Miami. Shopping at Super Foods instead of small neighborhood stores can help reduce grocery costs.
Queen Beatrix International Airport is extremely difficult to navigate on departure. Despite having Global Entry, expect 2.5+ hours to process through five separate steps: exit customs, TSA-style security, U.S. customs preclearance, a second identical security screening (inexplicably), and finally the gate area. Travelers with checked bags must retrieve and re-screen luggage. The gate area has limited food options with high prices—expect $100 for two drinks and a cheese board.
Eagle Beach is the best beach in Aruba, offering beautiful white sand and turquoise water without being overly crowded on weekdays. It’s about 10 minutes from most accommodations. Beach chair and umbrella rentals cost around $70 per day. Aruba has extremely lenient policies on public alcohol consumption, so you can bring your own cooler to save money. The beach has several bars and restaurants nearby, though most cater to American tourists.
Aruba’s tourism industry dominates the island to the point where authentic local culture is difficult to find. Most restaurants import all their food, including seafood despite being surrounded by water. Fishing contributes less than 1% to Aruba’s GDP. Bars stock primarily American brands like Bacardi and Captain Morgan, with local rum available only upon request. Multiple locals confirmed there are no real “non-touristy” areas accessible to visitors. The island feels more like an extension of the northeastern U.S. with Caribbean weather.
Yes, rent a car in Aruba unless you’re staying at an all-inclusive resort and never leaving. There is no rideshare service (Uber/Lyft), only taxis which are expensive. Having a car gives you flexibility to visit different beaches, grocery stores like Super Foods for better prices, and restaurants. The island is small (20 miles long by 6 miles wide), so navigation is straightforward with simple addressing. Rental car pickup at the airport is quick and convenient.
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