In addition to the endless fun awaiting you at Aruba’s beautiful beaches and luxurious resorts, there are plenty of other activities to enjoy for both kids and adults! Even without kids, we've found plenty of these activities to be incredibly enjoyable.
Located in Palm Beach, across from the new St. Regis being built is the Butterfly Farm! This is a great activity for adults and kids! As it gets later in the day, the butterflies get drunk from the fermented fruit (yes, I’m serious, lol), so it’s best to go earlier. You can also beat the heat this way too! Entrance fee comes with a guided tour-be sure to take advantage of this as the guides are very knowledgeable and have lots of fun and interesting facts to share! The tours take about 20 mins and are in small groups. Be sure to go early in your trip as you can come back for free!
Located in Noord, about 12 minutes east of Palm Beach is Philips Animal Garden. This is a great way to spend an hour or 2 with kids or with friends! Entrance fee is only $10 (bring cash) and you will get a bag of food-pellets and carrots-to feed all the animals! You can see donkeys, goats, monkeys, pigs, deer, parrots, fish, a camel, a llama and more! You can also bring your own carrots for extra food!
Located in Santa Cruz, about 30 mins south of the Palm Beach area is the Donkey Sanctuary! Bring cash for food to feed the Donkeys and to donate as they run on donations and volunteers! Be sure to close to gate securely behind you when you get there and follow the path to the visitor Center. You can also bring carrots and apples as well! DO NOT FEED THE DONKEYS UNTIL YOU GET BEHIND THE FENCE AT THE VISITOR CENTER!!!! Otherwise, the donkeys can attack and hurt each other to get to the food. If you go early enough, the kids may even be able to help with the daily chores of feeding & caring for the donkeys. You can see gorgeous peacocks there too! And don’t worry, the donkeys are VERY gentle to feed and don’t really slobber too much. There is a hand washing station to use before you leave as well.
This was a really fun experience! We did the Seabob tour out to the the Antilla Ship wreck. If that's too far out, they have a tour that stays closer to shore and it great for families! You get to go pretty fast and drive under water. They supply the goggles and there’s even a GoPro hook up. Ladies, be sure to wear a one piece here as these get going pretty fast and you could lose your bottoms! Leaves from Boca Catalina!
This is a great place to take kids as the water is pretty shallow (waist deep) really far out. Water is usually really calm unless really windy or bar weather. Great for floating and relaxing all day! Good snorkeling, especially close to Rum Reef-I have even seen Sea Turtles here! Be sure to look for stray donkeys on the road leading to Baby beach. Bring carrots or apples to feed them!
Located in Paradera, is the Ostrich farm in Aruba! I’m not gonna lie, Ostrich’s freak me out, lol. Be careful when feeding them as Ostrich’s are constantly hungry and you could find yourself surrounded by the curious critters! Also, they can be a wee bit aggressive and attack glasses, hats and tops of heads, so be prepared. Take the guided tour to learn all about these cool flightless birds! Located about 22 mins southeast of Palm beach. If you’re really lucky, the first Sunday of every Month (except January) there is an AMAZING local market here that takes place from 10-2! Be sure to check that out, I have another blog post about it!
The morning 4 hour snorkel adventure would be the most kid friendly option here I believe. You will head north and hit up 3 great snorkel spots: the Antilla Ship wreck, Malmok & Boca Catalina! Open bar for the adults and lunch is also served! Fun Rope swing for everyone, but kids need to be at least 8 here to swing I believe. Snorkel gear, life jackets provided, awesome staff and a great time! Leaves from MooMba!
VIDEO-Sunset Sail
Go cart racing in Aruba! Located in the Divi Beach area, this is about a 10 min drive from the Palm Beach area. Offers the exhilarating experience of driving high-performance 9 hp karts that reach speeds up to 50 mph. With high-speed passing zones and hairpin turns, their track guarantees an action-packed adventure that will make your vacation unforgettable! Each "Arrive and Drive" session lasts for 10 minutes and can include up to 20 drivers.
They provide racing helmets, head socks, and instructions for first-time racers. For junior sessions (ages 8 to 15), a parent or legal guardian must be present. Guardians must be over 18 years old.
Volunteer at the Luna Foundation:
You can sign up up to walk dogs while you’re there any day from 10am -12pm! Text via whats app + 31 6 39354442 a few days in advance to get it set up! You can also sign up to be a volunteer and spend a few hours there helping with the dogs, cleaning, feeding and cuddling!
You can also volunteer at any of the other shelters-be sure to check out my blog about Helping the Dogs in Aruba!
Take a Jeep Safari tour! There are a number of tours to choose from here, and you will have a blast on any of them!!
Amid stunning coral reef formations, this offshore island is the perfect spot for snorkeling and relaxation for families. This attraction offers all-inclusive packages that cover food and beverages, snorkeling, water parks, banana boat rides, flamingos, and salsa lessons. SeaTrek(their underwater helmet walk), SNUBA, beach cabanas, temporary tattoos, and day spa are all available for an additional charge.
Located in Santa Cruz, close to Hooiberg mountain that you can hike up, is the Aruba Waterpark! This is where the locals go and will be a LOT less than De Palm Island! large pool with a cascading waterfall. Several separate pool slides, a kids adventure pool, a climbing wall for kids, a bar and a restaurant.
Located at Antrco Plaza mall in the downtown area, close to Aruba Ports Authority, by the Wendy’s roundabout, is this awesome indoor playground! Perfect for young children and it’s inside in case they need a break from the heat! Open at 2 pm during the week and 10am on weekends! Super clean and a fun way to meet kids from all over the world!
For more in depth activity information, feel free to download my Aruba Activity Guide!
Comment below if there's anything I missed!
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This is awesome!!