Maps

Getting Around (renting a car)

Restaurants / Dining Out

Going out at Night

Beaches

Activities
Renting a Jeep? (Off-roading)

Festivals & Special Occasions

Some good articles to help you out...

• Aruba Today Article

• Aruba vs Barbados

MAPS

Walking to the Beach - 1.1 miles

Walking to the main restaurant / entertainment area
(2.4 miles - suggestion - stroll along the beach instead!)

Overview of the Island

Canaruba (the home) is near the top-left - just down from the California Lighthouse - this is also known at the "high rise hotel" area.
The bottom side in the middle is where the airport is.
The lowest (right side) part of the island is Baby Beach - and as you go around from there you are on the "North Side" of the island.
It's a bit confusing given the island is on an angle from the north-west to the south-east!

Getting Around (Renting a Car)

Car - Aruba is a small island, so you can get everywhere pretty quickly by car.

If you take the car to the beach, there are lots of options for parking. Unofficially, you can park at many of the hotel parking lots without paying. There are many access streets to the beach that have parking at the side. If you go to Eagle beach there is a ton of parking there as well. 

Taxi - Taxis in Aruba do not have meters. Rates are fixed based on the locations.

Bicycle - There are several bike rental companies on the island.

The closest location is FX Sports, which is just around the corner from here. This location only rents mountain bikes, but they have the easier-to-ride street bikes (sometimes called “Dutch bikes” at their other location.)

You will notice that there are also the one-way bike& Scooter rental stops located throughout the island. You can use your credit card to release a bike and then return it to a different location later and only pay for the time you used. Convenient and fun - but check out the prices before you use these to go on a long ride. ($8 for 1 hour up to $25 for 8 hours - and you need to be 16 years or older) - and personal opinion: those scooters can be dangerously unsafe (especially after a drink or two)

Walking - the walk from Canaruba to the beach at the Ritz is 1.1 miles and will take you under 20 minutes. From there, you can walk along the beach to get to all the other hotels, restaurants, entertainment and casinos. Some of this walk has sidewalks, but not all of it - and it’s been our experience that for some reason cars don’t seem to be overly generous with giving you “space” when you are walking at the side of the road. (Odd for such an otherwise friendly place.)

As you leave our street, you will notice some “changes” in the homes - keep in mind that Aruba is a Caribbean country and is generally in a perpetual state of construction, particularly with the locals. You may encounter some dogs at the houses on your walk - don’t worry, they are friendly and stay on their own property (or at least that’s our experience!).

One final thought on travelling around Aruba: While Aruba is very small, taxis are easy and walking is pretty good, having a rental car will probably make for a better overall experience. It’s “easier” of course, there is lots of parking and most of it is free - but there is also so much to see around the area and the island overall.

Dining Out / Restaurants

In no particular order, but here is a list of other places that ourselves or other guests recommend:

• Passion on the Beach - enjoy the sunset at Eagle beach while you eat dinner

• Flying Fishbone - another sunset meal, further south on the island (if you reserve far enough in advance you can request a table with your feet in the ocean!)

• Alfie's - a pub in Oranjestad. Thursday night rib night is great if you want a change from seafood. Alfie's was started up and is still owned by a Canadian couple so you'll see some of that flavour on the walls - and a good beer selection! Biggest feature here is the live music most nights - great talent.

• Charlie's Bar - in Sint Nicolaas (near Baby Beach, right by the Texaco refinery) - worth checking out just for the sights inside!

• Barefoot

• Elements

• Lima (Peruvian restaurant in Oranjestad)

• Cafe080 - great fish & chips down the road

• Ruiz - a late-night food truck. The oyster chowder is amazing and the fries with peanut butter sauce is unexpectedly delicious (it's a Dutch thing)

If you are looking for a restaurant that delivers, check out food-aw. It's kind of like UberEats, Aruba style.

And finally, our favourite lunch / brunch place is Eduardo's. Eduardo's Beach Shack is on the beach in front of Playa Linda. Eduardo's Hideaway is closer to Canaruba (0.9 miles, right beside Ng grocery store). Try the Acai bowl!

If you are going to or from Baby Beach we have been told that La Granja Savaneta is worth a stop for lunch or dinner.

Going out at Night

You will enjoy relaxing on the white sandy beaches and the blue water. You will enjoy some of the best seafood anywhere. You will enjoy relaxing in the pool when you get up and when you come home after your "long" day.
And if you want to go out at night there are many options:

Personal favourite for happy hour and every evening 8-10 is Bugaloe.  A great time regardless of your age (or dancing ability). Live music at some point every day. Great fun staff. You won't regret it. And it usually closes before midnight.

If you want to go out "after hours", you could check out:

• Gusto - starts around 10:30 and goes until 1 or 2am. Shoulder to shoulder. Loud music. Dancing on the bar if you are so inclined.

• Kalibra - gets going a bit earlier than Gusto

• If Gusto is the after-hours bar, The Mill ("Molen") is the after hours, after hours - underneat the big windmill you'll see near the Riu. Starts when Gusto closes. Closed Friday nights (can't explain that)

• Opened in summer of 2025, Tantra is located near Fat Tuesday (which is also near Gusto)

• Boutique Speakeasy (also near Gusto)

• Speakeasy in 

• Sunday nights - starting around 10pm - Moomba Beach. It seems like half the island goes here!

• And you can never go wrong with a piano bar - Sopranos. Put a song in the jar and sing along. More of an evening place - probably not much past midnight.

Beaches

Beaches in Aruba are all public. So whether you are in front of the Ritz, the Hilton or the Riu, you will feel comfortable.

Palm Beach is the main beach along the high rise hotel strip, and this is what it looks like when you enter it between the Ritz and the Marriott (only 1.1 miles from Canaruba)…

Eagle beach is another great beach – the hotels here are “low-rise” and they are across the road from the beach. This beach will tend to be a bit quieter, there’s lots of parking all along it, and the sun shades (like you see above) are all public. You can also rent chairs and umbrellas here from the beach vendors if you prefer.

Inside Arikok National Park is an amazing beach – we really don’t have a way to explain how to get there, but ask around – it is called Boca Keto (aka Little Aruba). Our best suggestion is to Google it and ask around.

Difficult to get to, but if you are feeling adventurous check out Dos Playa beach – it is very close to the edge of Arikok Park.

Please take a look at what we have available at the home for your use:

• • • • foldable beach chairs

      • There is often some snorkel gear at the home for your use - some of which we have brought there for you and some that has been left by previous guests

      • there are no umbrella's (as they often burst or blow away!) but there are some public use palapas (see the Looking for Some Shade section below)

Aruba has plenty of beaches and we encourage you to explore many of them - all with beautiful fine white sand and crystal blue warm water and each with their own flavour...

• Arashi Beach

• Boca Catalina

• Fishermen's Huts (Hadicurari)

• Palm Beach

• Eagle Beach

• Manchebo Beach (Punta Brabo)

• Andicuri

• Druif Beach

• Surfside Beach

• Renaissance Island

• De Palm Island

• Mangel Halto

• Santo Largo

• Boca Grandi

• Bachelor's Beach

• Rodger's Beach

• Baby Beach

• Malmok Beach

• Blackstone Beach

• Grapefield Beach

• Something a bit different - Boca Keto (little Aruba island)
  The easiest hiking access to Boca Keto is via the Conchi Natural Pool Trail just under a mile in length (about 1.8 mile roundtrip) beginning at the end of Daimari Road.

VisitAruba.com Beaches

Aruba.com Beaches

Looking for some shade?

While all the beaches in Aruba are available for the public, the palapas in front of the hotels are often reserved for their guests ... which makes finding shade difficult!
Check out this area on Eagle Beach for palapas that are free for anyone to use, first-come-first-serve.... Look for this section on Eagle Beach, drive down and you'll see the area

A "private" beach close to Canaruba

Instead of renting a jeep and driving offroad from the lighthouse, there is a shortcut to some private beaches near Canaruba. These are not "swimming" beaches, but there is a great mist that keeps you cool and comfortable.

Map overview - from the home, turn left, left, first right, keep following it around and then you'll see the "entrance" on your left.
We have done this comfortably in a small car - make sure it hasn't just rained!

Two "Private" beaches near the Natural Bridge

Park at the Natural Bridge and walk in, or if you have a jeep you can go off-road to get there (at least to the first one!). Be sure to bring your cooler!

There are great waves to play in on these beaches - but please be careful of the undertow. These waves can really beat you up!

Our favourite snorkeling "beach"
(not much sand but great sights and a great time!)

Activities

Activities

We won’t go into too much detail, because exploring is half the fun!

A couple of general guides are www.visitaruba.com & www.aruba.com.

Cliff jumping

This is done at Moro Beach – we haven’t done this ourselves, and it may need to be arranged through ABC Tours

www.abc-aruba.com ; Phone: +297-582-5600. We have done an amazing tour of the other side of the island with them though – and it is amazing. Our guides were Rocky & Joal – and they were fantastic. We did the UTV tour but they have many different tours. There is no shortage of tour companies. Make sure you ask if there are any other optional fees – such as insurance if you are renting a sport vehicle. And plan on a tip too if you like the service.

Southern End Beaches

These are about a 45 minute drive down the island, past the airport.

Mangel Halto – a small secluded beach. Good snorkeling.

Baby Beach – Beautiful, shallow & calm. Be sure to bring the cooler and enjoy a cold one while you float around. Once there you will get the opportunity to snorkel and encounter sea life and colorful coral formations. The shallow waters are ideal for a relaxing and yet refreshing swim in an area that is also safe for the young ones to splash and play. More experienced swimmers can venture outside the cove where plenty of tropical fish and colorful coral can be appreciated. Bring a loaf of bread and you’ll attract all kinds of fish!

Boca Grandi – strong winds make this a great place for advanced kitesurfers – those who like to watch them! Be careful swimming here though as the current is strong here. Great beachcombing though!

Scuba Diving

The diving in Aruba is so amazing it would be a book on it’s own to do it justice. Check out https://www.visitaruba.com/things-to-do/tours-and-activities/scuba-diving/

Two companies that are location convenient that you can check out are:

• Red Sail Aruba – they pickup at Piet’s Pier, which is convenient if you have brought your own equipment as there is free parking in the lane leading up to it

• Aruba Watersports Centre

Plan to book at least a few days in advance – these usually book up, and they have different schedules of dive sites for different days of the week.

If you are interesting in snorkeling off the beaches, check out  www.tropicalsnorkeling.com/aruba-snorkeling.html for more information. This article is also very good –

Arikok National Park

20% of the Island is made up of the National Park. It is fantastic – not to be missed. Great views, caves, the Natural Pool and so much more! Check out the website.

Fishing

If you are a small group (2 or 3 maximum), get in touch with me and I can introduce you to a local who has a boat with his father and will take you out. A very enjoyable time - especially if you catch something!

A few places you could check out are:

• arubapremierboatanddive.com

• Melina Charters – https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Attraction_Review-g488162-d1737101-Reviews-Melina_Charters-Noord_Aruba.html

• www.flyandspinfishingaruba.com/

• https://www.arufishing.com/

Please also check out Aruba.com Fishing Charters – https://www.visitaruba.com/things-to-do/tours-and-activities/fishing-charters/

Philip’s Animal Garden

Hike the Mountain - Check out this video. (There are steps so it’s not a rugged hike!)

Kayak Tours - A fantastic local-run experience: https://onehappykayak.com/
Contact Ericko at erico_piet@hotmail.com. Super guy. A very enjoyable few hours out on the ocean!

Yoga - We’ve been told that the team at Island Yoga is world-renowned. There are 2 yoga mats at the house for you to use as well.

Pickleball - Guidance from an avid player that stayed with us...The founder of Aruba pickleball Gerry plays with the group, great fellow.   It’s very hot to play in the gym but at least there is no wind.    So for future reference if other guests inquire, the club plays on Sundays at 10:30-12:30 am , Monday and Wednesday nights from 19:00-22:00. Sundays is $10 and Mon & Wed is $15.  I believe a monthly rate is about $50 which would be the best deal.    Location of gym is E.P.B. (Hato) Sportcentrum on Pitstraat Road.

Off-Road (ATV / UTV) Rentals

Arubiana is close by (nearby mall), you can park your car in the shade (essentially a parking tower) and you can do either guided tours or rent the ATVs and go off on your own.

They offer both tours and rentals:

Their tours are 4 hours and guests can choose between the Island Tour, the Natural Pool tour or a custom/private tour if they are a big group. All their tours we have swimming stops and they also provide snorkel and mask. Tours includes 2 bottles of water per person, small snack (bag of chips) and a cooler with ice. They also allow guests to bring their own refreshments or snack. The price is $100 per person in a UTV or on a double ATV double and $50 for kids under 11. A single rider in an ATV is $130. They don’t have have permits to deliver or pick up at houses so you would need to meet them at their office.

If you wanted to go out on your own, you could rent the vehicles without a tour. The UTV’s and ATV’s are street legal on the island and therefore you are allowed to drive on the main roads and have the extra privilege to explore the north side. They provide a detailed map of the island and will explain the trails, where to go, what to do and what not to do.  Rentals are half day 4 hours or full day 8 hours.

ABC Tours is another company that we have used ourselves. They offer several different tours, so we won’t go into detail here, but you can check out their website at www.abc-aruba.com.

A few suggestions if you do these rentals or tours:

• Please mention our name – Patrick Heffron. Maybe they will give you special service, but at the very least we can use this to build up a rapport to better take care of our guests over time.

• Ask about insurance – it is optional, but depending on where you are going it can be extremely rugged, so you may want to consider it.

Going Off-Road (best in a Jeep)

A lot of this are things that you would normally do if you did an ATV tour. Parts of this are “possible” in a car – but if you rent a jeep, you could do it yourself, on your own timeline, and save the cost of a ATV tour.

Alto Vista Chapel to the Gold Mine (or you can go the reverse)

It is a little less clear to find the entrance, but as you are leaving the chapel on the road, very quickly you’ll see a trail that heads back along the ocean. This will take you to the Gold Mine.
In reverse, it’s a little easier to find, just pass the Gold Mine with the ocean on your right and keep going.This trail does have sections that have more “deep” sand – be sure to hit those with a bit of momentum and don’t slow down, and don’t forget you can put the jeep into 4 wheel drive.Total drive maybe about 1/2 hour – depending on your stops and speed.There are lots of nice stops along the way on this drive – and if you have your water shoes you can wade in.

At the Gold Mine
You can get to the Gold Mine in a normal car directly using "main" roads.
Be sure to look for 2 small ladder tips coming up from the edge of the cliff to the water. Bring your water shoes (or at least socks, as the lava rock is sharp), climb down this ladder and enjoy the lagoon! (Maybe even do a small cliff jump if you are inclined!)
2026 Update: the ladders have been removed due to safety concerns with some of the area being "unsettled"

Private Beach - Walk or  "Drive"
When you park at the Natural Bridge, you will see a beach in the short distance to the right. This is Shark Bay Beach - but don't be scared off by the name. You can leave your car parked at the Natural Bridge and walk in (10 minutes - wear good shoes) - or you can drive a jeep.
The tricky part - at least last time we were there - is there is a bit of a drop to get to the sand - pick your path carefully and it's fine.
Once there you are at a beach that few others will go to. If you want to feel like you are back in your teens play in the waves - otherwise lounge in the water closer to shore!

A private beach close to the home
Accessible by car if it hasn't rained recently - or even easier in a jeep. Please see the link here.

Arikok National Park

This is an easy drive to find – type the entrance into Google Maps and then go from there. Be sure to stop at the entrance and buy your park tickets (approx. $10 per person I think.) The road itself is “easy” in that it is paved for most of it. The challenge is that there are lots of drainage ruts along the way – that are very deep. These are not a problem going slow in a jeep. Sometimes people try this in a car – and that is tough. (It is also tough if you get behind a car that has to go crawling over the ruts!) In the park, be sure to check out the caves. Our  favourite is Fontein.

When you are at the Fontein cave, be sure to wander down into the bush to the left (if you are facing towards the cave). You’ll see a small trail. About 1 minute in, you’ll see a small foot bridge and a little pond – take your shoes off and slowly put your feet in the small pond by the bridge – people pay a lot of money for this spa treatment, and here it’s natural!

You can either exit the park early, or my preference is to keep going along the ocean and drive under the wind turbines. You can’t miss them. You can let it rip driving around that area.You can take this all of the way to Baby Beach. Total time is about 2 hours with some stops.

The one part of Arikok park that I don’t recommend that people try to get to on their own is the Natural Pool. (Different than the Natural Bridge – that is near the Gold Mine.) It is possible to get to the Natural Pool driving your own jeep – but it is very difficult. It is difficult even with an ATV and a guide! If you are feeling very adventurous, go for it! (One thing with the Natural Pool is that the ability to snorkel there is dependent on the water conditions – quite often it isn’t safe.)

Make sure you have lots of gas for all these drives! (A half tank is good) For much of these there is no cell phone coverage and there are no gas stations nearbye even if you were to leave the area and head onto the main roads.

A few other links...

Check out www.aruba.com/things-to-do/land-activities/attractions …

 ARIKOK NATIONAL PARK

BUBALI BIRD SANCTUARY

BUTTERFLY FARM

CALIFORNIA LIGHTHOUSE

CAVES

CHURCHES IN ARUBA

DONKEY SANCTUARY

FORT ZOUTMAN / HISTORICAL MUSEUM

HISTORIC GOLD MINES

LOURDES GROTTO

MUSEUM OF ANTIQUITIES

NATURAL BRIDGES

NATURAL POOL

NATURE AND WILDLIFE

OFFSHORE ISLANDS

OSTRICH ADVENTURES

PHILIP’S ANIMAL GARDEN

PLAZA PADU

ROCK FORMATIONS

SAND DUNES

SANTA ROSA

Festivals & Special Occasions

Are you coming to Aruba to enjoy a festival or a special occasion?

Aruba is a huge destination for weddings & vow renewals!

Check out this massive list of activities that take place each year in Aruba! (the dates below are not going to be the same each year) The most up-to-date lists can be found here: visitaruba.com and Aruba.com

• Aruba Carnival Season (Jan / Feb)

  • GRAND FINAL TUMBA CONTEST

• Aruba Dande Celebration (Dec 27)

• New Year's Celebration In Aruba

• New Year's Plunge (Jan 1)

• Betico Day (Jan 25)

• Valentine's Day In Aruba (Feb 14)

• Aruba's National Anthem And Flag Day (March 18)

• Easter In Aruba

• Mother's Day In Aruba

• Father's Day In Aruba

• Aruba Cycling Federation (Various dates)

• Ms Canada Annual Beach Volleyball for Charity (March)

• AHATA RECYCLED ART COMPETITION (May)

• ANNUAL WAHOO CHALLENGE FISHING EVENT (February)

• ARUBA ART FAIR (November)

• ARUBA BEACH SOCCER TOURNAMENT / Copa Cees Bossers Tournament (Easter Week)

• ARUBA BEACH TENNIS OPEN / BTA (November)

• ARUBA CUP / PGA tour at Tierra del sol Aruba (December)

• ARUBA FASHION WEEK (December)

• ARUBA FOOD TRUCK FESTIVAL (April)

• ARUBA HI-WINDS - Kitesurfing / Windsurfing (May)

• ARUBA INTERNATIONAL BIKE WEEK (October)

• Aruba International Half Marathon (March)

• ARUBA INTERNATIONAL PRO-AM GOLF TOURNAMENT (August)

• ARUBA INTERNATIONAL REGATTA

• ARUBA RAY'S COMEDY SHOW AT THE MARRIOTT RESORT

• ARUBA REEF CARE PROJECT

• ARUBA SOUL BEACH MUSIC FESTIVAL

• ARUBA SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL

• ARUBA SYMPHONY FESTIVAL

• ARUBA TRIATHLON OLYMPIC

• ARUBA TURTLE PROTECTION PROGRAM

• ARUBA WINE & DINE RESTAURANT WEEK

• ARUBA'S GRAND CARNIVAL PARADE

• ARUBA'S LIGHTING PARADE

• ARUBA'S TORCH PARADE

• ASCENSION DAY

• ASH WEDNESDAY

• ATECH CONFERENCE

• BETICO CROES DAY

• BON BINI FESTIVAL

• BOXING DAY (DECEMBER 26TH)

• BURNING OF KING MOMO & CLOSING OF ARUBA'S 63RD CARNIVAL

• CADUSHI FESTIVAL (CHRISTMAS)

• CARIBBEAN SEA JAZZ FESTIVAL

• CARNIVAL MONDAY

• CARNIVAL QUEEN ELECTION

• CHALLENGE ARUBA

• CHILDREN & YOUTH CARNIVAL QUEEN ELECTION

• CHILDREN CALYPSO AND ROADMARCH CONTEST

• CHILDREN'S CARNIVAL PARADE IN NOORD

• CHILDREN'S CARNIVAL PARADE IN SAN NICOLAS

• CHILDREN'S GRAND CARNIVAL PARADE IN ORANJESTAD

• COPA ARUBA VETERAN SOCCER

• DANDE FESTIVAL

• DERA GAI (ST. JOHN'S DAY)

• EASTER SUNDAY AND EASTER MONDAY

• ELECTRIC FESTIVAL

• EXPERIENCE SAN NICOLAS

• FIRE PREVENTION 10K & 5K RUN

• FLIP FLOP FESTIVAL

• GEA SOUGÉ LIFE COACHING - MAGIC SOUL RETREAT

• GOOD FRIDAY

• GRAND CARNIVAL PARADE IN SAN NICOLAS

• INTERNATIONAL BOULEVARD RACE (10K)

• INTERPASO 2017

• JOUVERT MORNING

• KINGS DAY

• KORTEWEG, ARUBA'S NEW LOCAL ART FESTIVAL

• LIGHTING PARADE SAN NICOLAS

• LIVE SHOWS

• LOVE FESTIVAL ARUBA

• MANIC MONDAY TALENT SHOW

• MASTER OF THE MIND – GUY BAVLI AT THE ALHAMBRA CASINO & BALLROOM

• Meet San Nicolas: a Monthly Cultural Fair in Aruba (First Thursday of each month)

• NATIONAL ANTHEM AND FLAG DAY

• NATIONAL COASTAL CLEAN UP

• NEW YEAR'S DAY

• ONE COOL SUMMER INTERNATIONAL DRAG RACE

• PLAYERS POKER CHAMPIONSHIP

• PRESIDENTIAL CHALLENGE ARUBA CUP

• SAINT NICOLAS DAY

• SOUL BEACH MUSIC FESTIVAL / SBMF18 (Memorial Day Weekend)

• TEDX ARUBA

• TURIBANA TO SANTA CRUZ 10K RACE

Wallpapers & Backgrounds