Your guide to white sand beaches, flamingos and secret seaside pools in Aruba

Yahoo

09-04-2025

We're whisked off by boat, knowing only we are destined for a nearby island.
With the setting Aruban sun painting a sky of warm pastels and the balmy breeze lifting the cares from our shoulders, we step onto the buttery beach and abandon our sandals. Our toes melt into the shimmering sand and clear Caribbean waters as the island's flamingos approach.
As we sit at our seaside table, the paradise that is Renaissance Island unfolds with designer plates of culinary masterpieces — like ponzu-marinated tuna and beurre blanc sea bass — arriving at our table in a perfectly synchronized dance with flamingo watching between the four courses.
The Renaissance Wind Creek Aruba Resort in downtown Oranjestad has perfectly curated its own private island a 15-minute boat taxi from the hotel. Renaissance Island is a dream escape with two Caribbean Sea-connected lagoons creating calm waters for snorkelling, private cabanas for rent and hiking paths ideal for spying on turquoise geckos, giant iguanas and scuttling hermit crabs.
Our first day pampered at the rooftop-pooled Renaissance, complete with an in-hotel boat taxi to its private island, is sharply juxtaposed with our third day when we hoist ourselves into a vaulted land-rover with local guide to be transported to the undeveloped side of this Caribbean paradise. Aruba, located outside of the hurricane belt just 29 nautical kilometres north of Venezuela, measures only 32 kilometres long by 10 kilometres wide.
On the island's rugged east side we explore Arikok National Park where we find mystery in the Quadirikiri and Fontein Caves dotted with Arawak Indian drawings, and wonder in the feet-nibbling fish whose kissing lips and scraping tongues provide our pond-dipped toes with a pedicure.
But the true crowning glory of the park is swimming in Conchi Natural Pool where waves throw themselves against the towering volcanic stones that surround and protect us. With explosions of white water draping the skyward-reaching lava outcroppings, we float in the tranquil volcanic basin in awe of what nature has provided.
'The journey to this hidden gem includes traversing through rocky terrain, offering guests a chance to connect with nature and experience Aruba's natural beauty,' says Tyson Lopez, CEO of the Aruba Conservation Foundation.
'Conchi is a place where guests can float in the sea among its marine wildlife, offering a unique experience amid the ocean.'
While the sea and natural wonders have brought us to Aruba, it is the people that make us want to stay. This small island, which remains part of the Netherlands, boasts a population of just over 100,000 who are taught four languages in school — Dutch, English, Spanish and the native Papiamento. We did not meet anyone in Aruba who did not embrace us wholeheartedly despite being overwhelmed by a booming tourist trade of about 1.3 million visitors to the island annually.
'In Aruba, we believe that every guest is a friend, and every day is an opportunity to share our island's beauty and warmth with the world,' says Sjeidy Feliciano of the Aruba Tourism Authority.
Tito Bolivar provides us with the most authentic glimpse into the hearts of our generous hosts, the Aruban people, as he takes us on an art tour of world-class murals in the tiny village of San Nicolas. Bolivar, an Aruban with a post-secondary degree from the Netherlands, fell in love with art while overseas. He returned to his country in 2016 with a vision of economically reviving his hometown using art as his main tool.
Abandoned by its oil-refining partners whose foreign workers created the 'red-light-inspired' village from 1924 to 1985, the new San Nicolas is painted in colours of ochre, turquoise and magenta and landscaped with mosaic benches, quaint cafés and … hope.
'When I came back to Aruba, I thought, 'where is all of the art here?'' says the exuberant Bolivar, owner of two San Nicolas art galleries and the creator of Aruba's Mural Tours and world-renowned art fair.
Armed with a roving microphone and the personal mantra that 'art is life,' Bolivar walks us through a maze of masterpieces created by some of the world's most celebrated mural artists from Artur Bordalo of Portugal to German-born Bond Truluv. The larger-than-life and symbolism-filled murals leave us speechless but Bolivar does not, as his ebullient and honest assessment of Aruban culture informs us about why this island is one of the safest and most welcoming in the Caribbean.
On day five, we wake up to the capital city of Oranjestad teeming with activity as the greatest Aruban party of the year (held annually on the Sunday before Ash Wednesday) is set to take to the streets for eight full hours. Thousands of dancers and musicians pour through Aruba's capital in a cataclysmic fusion of colour and steel-drummed song as the end of Carnival arrives and the Grand Carnival parade marks the culmination of the two-month long celebration of all things Aruban.
'Go, go and celebrate,' says an elderly man standing nearby who gently takes my phone as he ushers me directly into the roadway. Brightly sequined and feathered dancers immediately gather around me to pose for a photo.
Our one week of glory in Aruba holds highlights every single day as we take to the two-mile-long Palm Beach area for a catamaran snorkel trip and we swim among plate-sized Palometa fish at Flamingo Beach on Renaissance Island. Our evening meals of fresh-caught fish, lobster with charred butter, the Gouda-wrapped local delicacy of keshi yena and locally crafted cocktails provide perfect endings to perfect days.
I am left with only one question as I leave Aruba.
How quickly can I come back?
Accommodations: The centrally located Renaissance Hotel, with its own private island and rooftop pool, is certainly the place to stay. However, if the nightly price of approximately $600 to $1,500 is out of reach, many affordable all-inclusive options are available on the island's southwest shores in the Palm Beach and Eagle Beach areas.
Renaissance Island: If you're a hotel guest, you get 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. access, but even if you're not a guest, you can buy a day pass for approximately $180 CAD (children under five are free). Or book Dinner under the Stars by world-class executive chef Sebastian Cechet every Wednesday from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. for about $130 (children from five to 12 years old pay about $60). For more information, visit marriott.com.
Restaurants: The Flying Fishbone has tables right in the water and blue lights attracting a wide variety of fish. Papiamento features more than 100 years of history and served our favourite dishes of the meat-stuffed cheese ball called keshi yena and stone-grilled mahi-mahi, shrimp and lobster.
For more information on Arikok National Park, visit acf.aw.
For more information on Aruba and to book your trip, visit aruba.com.