We spent a full week in Aruba (aka The Happy Island) and had the absolute best time ever! We soaked up the sun and also did some excursions, so it was the perfect mixture of relaxation and adventure. Below we are going to be sharing our favorite restaurants, which excursions / activities we did, where we stayed, and a full 7 day itinerary that you can use! Bon Bini :)
Aruba | The Happy Island
Things To Do
• Renaissance Island / Flamingo Beach: I'm sure you've seen MANY pictures at Renaissance Island (often referred to as Flamingo Beach or Flamingo Island), and if I'm being completely honest... in some ways, it kinda felt like a giant photo op. Don't get me wrong, I too wanted a picture with the adorable flamingos!! But just be prepared for people constantly taking photos while you're there!
If you're staying at the Renaissance Resort, you are able to visit the island for free. But if you're not, you need a day pass which costs $125 per person. (You can purchase HERE - but they only open the website on Saturdays). It is a bit pricy, BUT the good news is that you do get 1 meal & 1 drink included with the price! I got the ribs and they were the most delicious ribs I think I have ever had in my LIFE. The cocktails were also incredible!! I got one that had fresh fruit in it, and it was SO tasty.
There are two sides of the island: Flamingo Beach and Iguana Beach. Flamingo Beach is adults only, but we ended up spending our day on the Iguana side because it was actually less crowded and we liked the setup / vibes better! The flamingos will also venture over to the Iguana side as well throughout the day.
I would recommend going early if you can, so that you have first choice of seating! The first water taxi leaves at 7 am, and the last one comes back around 6:45 pm. We went around lunch time, because we decided to sleep in.. and we didn't get a great seat at first. Luckily we saw a couple leaving, and snagged their spot - and it was PERFECT. I would recommend getting a spot on the far left side of Iguana Beach. It feels like you have your own private space, because the seating is more spread apart. The bartenders also serve you from your seats, so you don't even have to leave your spot for anything!
• Jolly's Pirate Ship: Luke had the BEST time ever on Jolly's Pirate Ship... I did not 😅 If you get super motion sick, this is NOT the excursion for you... However if that stuff doesn't bother you, I highly recommend doing the "Sail, Snorkel, Swim, and Swing" 4 hour excursion with Jolly's Pirate Ship! It's $72 per person, but you will get to snorkel, do a rope swing, AND it's open bar + a delicious lunch is included! Luke also met so many cool people. It's basically a giant party on a pirate ship, and the staff were SO much fun! You can purchase a ticket here.
• Explore the island on ATV's: This was by far our FAVORITE day in Aruba! We got to explore the entire island and see so many cool spots; including the Natural Bridge, New Natural Pool, Black Stone Beach, and so much more. You can do a guided ATV tour with a few different companies; but we wanted to have flexibility and freedom, so we just rented an ATV for the whole day ourselves! It's actually cheaper than doing a guided tour too. We rented the ZFORCE 800 EFI from Arubiana, and it was $229 total for the entire day. They also have a free offline navigation app so you can follow their recommended route and see all the must see spots on the island. We stopped at Zeerover for lunch on this day, since it's further down the island - and it is a MUST. More info on that below :)
Places To Eat
• Eduardo's Beach Shack ($): We ate at Eduardo's Beach Shack almost every morning, and we never got tired of it. The coffee is SO tasty (we actually got that in the afternoons too sometimes), and they have a ton of different food options! I mostly tried different açaí bowls, which were INCREDIBLE, but Luke got some of the pancakes and toast options - which were also very tasty! It's a great spot for a photo op too with the bright colored signs, swing, and tropical vibes!
• The Dutch Pancake House ($$): You absolutely must try the Dutch Pancake house one morning for breakfast! It is actually located near the meeting point for Renaissance Island, so you could even do it that morning and then hop on the boat! Luke got the Hawaiian one, and it wasn't his favorite. But I got the nutella, strawberry, banana pancake and it was the most delicious thing (if you couldn't tell from photo number two below). YUM!
• Gianni's ($$): Gianni's is a really delicious Italian restaurant, and they are known for their Spaghetti Al Formaggio Parmigano. Basically they cook your spaghetti noodles in the kitchen, then bring it to your table with a giant cheese wheel! They set it on fire, pour in the sauce, then mix the noodles in with the cheesy deliciousness. It was SO freaking good, and also just a fun experience. We also got their "special" appetizer meat & cheese board (pictured on the right - which wasn't on the menu) and it ended up being like $40 when we got the bill. Definitely was not worth it in my opinion. But the spaghetti was delicious, and the atmosphere + live music makes you feel like you're in Italy!
• Pelican Pier / Pelican Nest Restaurant ($$): We only went to Pelican Nest for an appetizer and cocktail one night before our dinner reservation, but man oh man it was some of the best calamari I've ever had! If you go, definitely make a reservation and DEFINITELY get the calamari. It's a pier right on the water, and has a super fun, beach vibe. This is also a great spot to just go and get a drink during the day or at sunset!
• Brutto Beach House ($$): We sort of just stumbled upon this place the one night we didn't have a reservation anywhere.. and it might have been one of my favorite restaurants we went to in Aruba. I can not tell you how many times Luke and I talk about the Korean Fried Cauliflower (KFC). If you go, it is a MUST. Trust me on that one. We also got the Brussel sprouts and some sushi! Truly everything we had was so delicious. The vibe is also SO cool here. 11/10!
• The West Deck ($$): There are a ton of great beach shack style restaurants in Aruba, The West Deck being one of them. But it also had a super cool “backyard area” vibe iwith picnic tables, trees, and string lights - sitting right in the sand! It was super cute and the food was really good. Luke got the West Deck Fish Sandwich, and lets just say I was very sad I didn’t get it too.. Luckily he let me have a few bites because it was the best fish sandwich I’ve maybe ever had. Definitely would recommend if you go to The West Deck!
• Passions On The Beach: If you want a super romantic dinner while in Aruba, look no further! Passions On The Beach is a super unique experience, where your table is RIGHT by the water. Like legit in the sand, waves crashing right in front of you. I made the mistake of getting a reservation for around 8:00, so it was already dark when we got there. It was still amazing - but if I did it again I would get a reservation for like 30 minutes prior to sunset! That way you can experience it with some light, watch the beautiful sunset, and then get the night time experience too! I didn't have the chance to take a photo since it was pretty dark, but you can see one here.
• Zeerover: If you want the FRESHEST seafood on the island, make a stop at Zeerover! You can actually see them catching the fish, cooking it, then sending it to your table. It is a bit further down the island, so we stopped here for lunch on the day we rode ATV’s (since we passed right by it). There is usually a pretty long line, but it is well worth it. Even all the locals come here - that’s when you know it’s good!
• Bohemian Cocktail Lounge & Restaurant: We didn't have dinner here, but we went for some pre-dinner cocktails and they were SO good. They were fancier cocktails, so it wasn't just a good drink - it was a full experience (torch included). The vibe was awesome too; they refer to it as a secret garden. Definitely hit up Bohemian at least one night for a pre or post dinner cocktail.
Where To Stay
• Hyatt Regency Aruba ($$): We stayed at the Hyatt Regency, and it was probably the nicest hotel I’ve ever stayed at. It’s not all inclusive, but I wouldn’t recommend all inclusive in Aruba. There are SO many great restaurants that you will want to try! They have an amazing adult only pool, a family friendly pool with a water slide + swim up bar, a few different bars, and it’s a PRIME location! It’s a super quick walk to almost all the restaurants and activities that we did! You can also reserve your spot at the beach through their website each day (for the following day), so you don’t have to worry about waking up early to get a good spot. You just show up, they take you to your reserved palapa, and they lay out some fresh towels for you! Our stay was seriously incredible, and I would 1000% stay at Hyatt Regency again if we went to Aruba!
7-DAY ITINERARY
Day 1: Travel + Beach Day
• Travel to Aruba
• Check into hotel
• Head to the beach or pool, grab a nice cocktail, and RELAX. It's vacation time baby!
• Watch your first BEAUTIFUL Aruba sunset by the water (they are on another level)
• Dinner at Gianni's
Day 2: Beach Day & Chill
• Breakfast & Coffee at Eduardo's Beach Shack
• CHILL ALL DAY LONG. Beach, pool, alternate.. just enjoy your first full day of relaxation on The Happy Island
• Happy Hour / pre-dinner drinks at Bohemian Cocktail Lounge
• Dinner at Brutto (don't forget the Korean Fried Cauliflower)
Day 3: Morning Snorkel Cruise / Beach Afternoon
• 9:00 am - 1:00 pm: Jolly Pirates Sailing + Snorkel Cruise (lunch included)
• Soak up some more sun by the pool or beach!
• Sunset drinks & dinner at Pelican Pier / Pelican Nest
Day 4: Renaissance Island (aka Flamingo Beach)
• Flamingo Beach day! The first taxi leaves at 7 am, so you can go as early as that. I would recommend grabbing a quick breakfast before you go though, so you can save your 1 free meal + drink for lunch!
• Stay allllll day on the island; just soaking up the sun and enjoying the delicious cocktails + flamingos!
• Dinner at The West Deck. You can actually walk here from the Flamingo Beach water taxi pickup, so we walked over as soon as we got back!
Day 5: Full Day ATV Exploration
• 9 am - go pickup your ATV and get ready for a day of exploring!
• 1 or 2 pm (ish) - stop at Zeerover for lunch!
• 4:30 pm - return ATV rental (5 pm at the latest)
• Go back to hotel and shower + freshen up
• Dinner time! We went to Lola this night (a Mexican cantina), and it was good - but not our fav.. the music was a bit loud and we felt VERY rushed.. so maybe try somewhere you've had your eye on all week!
Day 6: Beach Day & Chill
• Soak up the sun, enjoy some fruity cocktails by the swim up pool bar, and just enjoy your last full day on the island
• Romantic dinner at Passions on the Beach
Day 7: Travel Home aka The Worst Day
• Breakfast at The Dutch Pancake House
• Any last minute shopping if you have time for it
• Head to the airport to fly Home *womp womp womp*
ADDITIONAL TIPS:
• MAKE RESERVATIONS - We made a reservation for practically every restaurant and it is the way to do it. Places get so busy, and often times full for the evening, so I would highly recommend making reservations! Pretty much every restaurant excepts reservations too!
• If you are on your honeymoon, birthday trip, etc.. TELL THEM when you make a reservation! We were FINALLY celebrating our honeymoon on this trip, and many of the restaurants brought us complimentary champagne or even a dessert!
• Be prepared to spend a decent amount of money.. Aruba is NOT cheap, especially in the tourist areas where all the restaurants are. We definitely spent way more than I expected, so just go into it with that mindset
I hope you have as much fun as we did exploring The Happy Island of Aruba!! Feel free to DM or email me any questions, and tag me in your pics if you do anything from our itinerary!
Xo,
Blaire
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