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!
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.
Wacky Wahoo - no website - the best seafood we have had ever, anywhere. Quality.
Very small place. Just steps away from the main area in Palm Beach. There is no website, but this link will give you some info.
Note: Wacky Wahoo is only accepting walk-in guests and is not accepting reservations. Anytime after 5 you can expect a short wait. Enjoy a drink at the (small) bar! ... or do some window shopping at the store next door. (You'll see what I mean.)
Papiamento - An amazing experience all-around. Perhaps one of the most "Arubian".
Oak - Fine dining close to home. Reservations a few days (or more) in advance recommended.
Madame Janette's - a wide variety of food, all of which is great. This is the largest place on our "top favourites" but we'd still recommend a reservation.
The Vue Rooftop - we went for a cocktail and a great view, and stayed for the delicious food and great service. And the view.
Quinta Del Carmen - Classic. Another "backyard" style fine dining restaurant.
Anna Maria's - They are great and a little more off the tourist path - relatively close to Canaruba in fact. Truly a fine dining, family-run experience. Be sure to try the limoncello!
Zeerovers - no website, no reservations +297 584 8401 - On the south / east end of the island, this is a more simple (affordable) restaurant in our favourites - your choice is shrimp or fish (no selection, just whatever was caught that day) and you order it by the pound. You eat at picnic tables by the ocean.
Admitedly, not our favourite quality of seafood (everything is flash-fried), but it's lower cost and easy. A great way to end the day if you are coming back from Baby Beach.
Dutch Pancakes? - So good. Check out Linda's.
Maybe not the healthiest breakfast you've ever had, but one of the best.
**NEW** - Diana's at "The Mill" there is now a restaurant - and their dutch pancakes are perhaps even better and the service definitely better.
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.
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 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...
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.
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
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!
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!
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.
The Tierra del So golf course is 2 miles away (5 minute drive).
The other course on the island is the 9 hole Divi Village - ask them about their weekly shot-gun "tournament" specials.
Just to the right of the Ritz hotel you will see more kite surfing companies that you ever imagined. If you are in the beginner-solo category, one interesting fact: At this site the winds blow away from land – so you will see they all offer a nice $20 “rescue” service. If you are up for the drive, head to the southern end of the island, on the north shore – the winds blow inwards.
We have personally used Armando’s Kite Shack – and would recommend them.
If you are more advanced, check out Boca Grandi - and be sure to check out the Aruba High Winds competition held in the summer. It is amazing!
This is located at the northern tip of the island (about 10 minutes away)
A great view on the drive up and even from the ground… the only thing we should say to manage expectations though is that to go up you need to purchase a ticket.
More info on the Lighthouse itself can be found at http://www.arubalighthouse.com (but we’ve found this site and the ticket purchase to be less than easy to use)
There is also a restaurant at the foot of the tower with a great view - Faro Blanco
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.
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!
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 –
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.
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/
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.
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.
Starting from the lighthouse, as if you were leaving, turn to the right down the dirt / sand hill. With the ocean on your left, this is an exciting drive that you can take all the way to the Alto Vista Chapel. You can go slow and enjoy the sights – or let it rip and have some fun. You’ll be sure to get yourselves, the jeep and everything in it very dusty! Generally there’s not too much you can do wrong following this “trail” – in a few spots you may realize you went down a short dead-end, but the paths are pretty clear.Be sure to stop and make an Inukshuk along the way – you’ll see lots of them!
This drive is about an hour – depending on how fast you go and how many stops you make.
From the Chapel, you can either follow the roads out, or you can continue to take the sand-dune roads to the Gold Mine (see below)
When you are at the lighthouse you can go to the right (above route) or you can go to the left. This part can be tricky as they seem to be closing off more and more so as to protect the dune. Last time I was there it was possible (with several false starts) to drive along the dunes from the lighthouse to Arashi Beach. This is a short drive.
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.
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...
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