Oranjestad Activities and Practical: Palm Beach Watersports, Savaneta Fish Fry, Aruba Wedding Destination, South Coast Diving, All-Inclusive Value, and the Rental Car Island Day
The Oranjestad practical guide covers the Palm Beach watersport circuit for the non-diving visitor, the authentic Savaneta Zeerovers fish fry lunch, the Aruba Caribbean wedding destination infrastructure, the accessible south coast World War II wreck dives, the all-inclusive resort value proposition, and the rental car as the most efficient way to explore Arikok and the Natural Pool.
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Palm Beach Watersports: Kitesurfing, Snorkeling, and Glass-Bottom
The Palm Beach watersport circuit includes the Aruba snorkeling tours to the Antilla wreck and the Barcadera reef, the glass-bottom boat tours of the Palm Beach reef, the parasailing, the jet ski, and the banana boat operations that together create the most complete water activity menu in the Dutch Caribbean. The organized watersport operators on the Palm Beach strip provide a safe and structured access to the marine environment for the non-diving resort visitor.
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Savaneta and Spanish Lagoon: The Quiet South
Savaneta, the oldest settlement on Aruba on the south coast, and the Spanish Lagoon mangrove estuary adjacent to the Aruba Airport, provide the contrast to the Palm Beach resort environment in the authentic fishing village community of Savaneta and the kayak-accessible mangrove ecosystem of the Spanish Lagoon where the birds and the fish of the protected coastal habitat create the ecotourism alternative to the resort beach. The Zeerovers fish fry at Savaneta is the most authentic Aruba fish lunch experience.
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Aruba Weddings: The One Happy Island Marriage Industry
Aruba has established itself as the leading Caribbean wedding destination, with the favorable marriage laws that allow foreign nationals to marry in Aruba with minimal advance notice, the resort infrastructure of beach ceremony venues and honeymoon packages, and the reliable sunshine that eliminates the Caribbean hurricane risk that makes other island wedding destinations uncertain during the August to October peak wedding season. The Aruba Tourism Authority wedding permit process takes as little as 14 days.
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Aruba Diving Beyond Malmok: The South Coast
The Aruba south coast dive sites beyond the Antilla wreck include the Pedernales wreck, an oil tanker sunk in the 1942 German submarine attack in World War II and lying in shallow water accessible by snorkel, the Mike's Reef coral garden, and the Jane Sea cargo ship wreck. The south coast Aruba diving is characterized by calmer conditions and more moderate currents than the north coast, making the sites accessible to open water certification divers without advanced experience.
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Aruba All-Inclusive Resorts: The Value Proposition
The Aruba all-inclusive resort model, practiced by the large properties of the Palm Beach strip, packages the meals, the drinks, the non-motorized watersports, and the entertainment in a fixed per-night price that provides the most predictable vacation budget in the Caribbean for the family or couple who prefers the resort experience over the independent travel itinerary. The Aruba all-inclusive properties, led by Manchebo Beach Resort and Riu Palace, are considered among the best-value all-inclusive options in the Caribbean.
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Aruba Rental Car: The Freedom Option
The Aruba rental car, available from the international operators at the Queen Beatrix Airport and from the local operators in Oranjestad, provides the most efficient access to the Arikok National Park, the Natural Pool, the California Lighthouse, and the Alto Vista Chapel in a single day itinerary. The Aruba road network is compact and well-maintained with clear signage in Dutch and English, making the rental car the most practical self-guided exploration option for the visitor who wants to move beyond the Palm Beach strip.