The Journal
Long reads from peoplewho know Aruba.
October 2, 2026 · 10 min read
Aruba entry requirements for U.S. and Canadian travelers
Passport rules, the ED card, fees, customs limits and what to have ready at the airport for Aruba.
Read it →September 30, 2026 · 10 min read
AUA to Palm Beach, Eagle Beach and Noord: transfers, taxis, shuttles and prices
Every way from AUA to Palm Beach, Eagle Beach and Noord — how long it takes, what it costs, and which option to book.
Read it →September 30, 2026 · 7 min read
All-Inclusive vs Hotel in Aruba: The Real Math Including Resort Fees and Service Charges
Aruba has few true all-inclusives and a great restaurant scene. When the all-inclusive wins, when a hotel or condo plus dinners out wins, and the resort fees, taxes and service charges that change the answer.
Read it →September 30, 2026 · 9 min read
Aruba Events Calendar: Carnival, Restaurant Week, Hi-Winds, Soul Beach and What's On Each Month
The events worth planning an Aruba trip around — Carnival's parade season, the Hi-Winds windsurf and kite week, Soul Beach, Restaurant Week, Bon Bini Festival and the holiday fireworks — month by month with what they mean for prices.
Read it →September 30, 2026 · 9 min read
Aruba Resort Day Passes: Which Hotels Sell Them, What They Cost, and Whether They're Worth It
Day passes to Aruba's all-inclusives and private islands compared — prices, what's included, the booking traps, and when a public beach and a palapa beats them all.
Read it →September 30, 2026 · 5 min read
Aruba Taxi Rates: The Official Fixed Fares, Surcharges, and When a Rental Car Is Cheaper
Aruba taxis have no meters — every ride is a government-fixed fare per car published at taxi.aw, with a $10 minimum and a $5 night/Sunday surcharge. What common routes cost, tipping, and the car-rental break-even.
Read it →September 30, 2026 · 9 min read
Do You Need Travel Insurance for Aruba? The Honest Answer by Trip Type
Aruba sits outside the hurricane belt, so the usual Caribbean cancellation math changes. When insurance earns its price (medical, nonrefundable resorts, cruise-and-fly trips), what it costs, and what travelers actually claimed for.
Read it →September 30, 2026 · 7 min read
Aruba Water Temperature by Month: How Warm the Sea Really Is (and When You'll Want a Rash Guard)
Aruba's sea runs 79-84°F year-round — warmer than Florida's winter ocean and never cold. Month by month water temperatures, the trade-wind chill factor, and where the calm water is.
Read it →September 30, 2026 · 8 min read
Getting Married in Aruba: Legal Steps, the Venues Guests Recommend, and What It Costs
Aruba allows legal civil weddings for non-residents at the courthouse or on the beach. The paperwork and timeline, the resorts and beaches guests say worked, realistic costs, and the guest-logistics traps.
Read it →September 30, 2026 · 9 min read
Renting a car in Aruba: insurance, real prices, and whether you need one
Whether you need a car in Aruba by area and trip style, the insurance that's really required, real daily prices and the counter gotchas.
Read it →September 30, 2026 · 7 min read
The Cheapest Time to Visit Aruba (and What You Give Up for the Savings)
Aruba's weather barely changes, so the price curve is the whole story. The cheapest months for hotels and flights, how much you actually save, and the trade-offs in each low-season window.
Read it →September 30, 2026 · 15 min read
Aruba Day Trips That Are Actually Worth Leaving the Beach For
Arikok and the Natural Pool, Baby Beach and San Nicolas, the California Lighthouse and Arashi, De Palm Island, Renaissance Island — who each day suits, time needed, how to do it, and what the tours cost.
Read it →September 30, 2026 · 8 min read
Flamingo Beach Day Pass: How to Get onto Renaissance Island Without Staying at the Renaissance
The flamingos live on a private island reached by boat from the Renaissance lobby. How the day pass works, what it costs, how early to be in line, and the alternatives when passes sell out.
Read it →September 30, 2026 · 10 min read
Aruba hurricane season: risk by month, resort policies and insurance
What hurricane season really means in Aruba: risk by month, what resorts do when a storm comes, and which insurance is worth it.
Read it →September 30, 2026 · 8 min read
Cash, cards, ATMs and tipping in Aruba
Which currency to carry in Aruba, where cards work, ATM fees to dodge, and exactly who to tip and how much.
Read it →September 30, 2026 · 12 min read
What to pack for Aruba: the no-regret list
The Aruba packing list travelers wish they'd had — by trip type and month, with the things you can't easily buy there.
Read it →September 30, 2026 · 10 min read
Is Aruba safe in 2026? Areas, scams and what travelers report
An answer-first look at safety in Aruba: where to relax, the scams that actually happen, water risks and what travelers report.
Read it →September 30, 2026 · 10 min read
How much does an Aruba trip cost in 2026?
Real 2026 numbers for a budget, mid-range and splurge Aruba trip — 4 and 7 nights, line by line, from flights to tips.
Read it →August 14, 2026 · 4 min read
We Read 610 One- and Two-Star Aruba Resort Reviews. Here's What Actually Goes Wrong
Room condition, check-in chaos, and price shock — a data breakdown of what separates angry reviews from happy ones, and how to avoid each problem before you book.
Read it →August 14, 2026 · 3 min read
We Analyzed 6,661 Aruba Resort Reviews. The Best-Rated Places Aren't the Famous Ones
Boutique hotels sweep the top of the ratings table while some big-name resorts sit a full star below them. The numbers, the names, and what explains the gap.
Read it →August 14, 2026 · 3 min read
Does a $$$$ Dinner in Aruba Buy a Better Night? We Checked 8,432 Reviews
Fine dining outscores cheap eats by just 0.08 stars, Oranjestad quietly beats Palm Beach, and the island's best-reviewed table is an open-fire spot in Noord.
Read it →August 14, 2026 · 3 min read
We Tracked 3,117 Posts in Aruba Travel Groups. These Are the Questions Everyone Asks
Three months of Facebook-group chatter, ranked: car rentals dominate, the ED card confuses everyone, and hardly anyone asks about safety.
Read it →August 14, 2026 · 3 min read
The Happiest Month to Visit Aruba, According to 21,883 Reviews
We grouped every review in our database by the month it was written. May visitors are the happiest, September visitors the grumpiest — and the reasons are useful.
Read it →June 10, 2026 · 8 min read
Aruba's Hidden Gem Restaurants: 10 Spots the Crowds Haven't Found
Skip the 5,000-review heavyweights for a night. These newer and off-the-beaten-path Aruba restaurants are quietly putting up perfect scores — here's where the locals and repeat visitors are actually eating.
Read it →June 10, 2026 · 6 min read
Where to Watch the World Cup in Aruba (2026 Guide)
The 2026 World Cup runs June 11 – July 19 — and Aruba is a surprisingly great place to watch it. The sports bars, beach bars, and casinos showing every match.
Read it →June 9, 2026 · 7 min read
The Aruba Packing List Nobody Writes
Aruba's constant trade winds, the oxybenzone sunscreen ban, and the rare real dress codes — a packing list built on how the island actually works.
Read it →June 8, 2026 · 8 min read
Aruba Nightlife: Cocktail Bars, Party Buses, Casinos & Late Nights
Aruba after dark is friendlier than it is wild: beach bars, the Kukoo Kunuku party bus, a dozen casinos, and a few true late-late rooms. Here's the honest map.
Read it →June 6, 2026 · 8 min read
Eating Like a Local in Aruba: Pastechi, Snack Trucks, and Fish by the Pound
Where Arubans actually eat — pastechi counters, late-night snack trucks, Zeerover's dockside fish, and the San Nicolas kitchens tourists drive past.
Read it →June 4, 2026 · 7 min read
9 Mistakes First-Timers Make in Aruba (From People Who Made Them)
Drawn from hundreds of traveler posts: the booking, packing, and planning mistakes that show up over and over — and the easy fixes.
Read it →June 3, 2026 · 6 min read
Which States Visit Aruba the Most? The Flight Map Tells the Story
Aruba doesn't publish state-by-state visitor stats — but the nonstop routes, the JetBlue effect, and who the island advertises to make the ranking obvious.
Read it →June 2, 2026 · 7 min read
Your First 24 Hours in Aruba: The Arrival Playbook
ED card, landing at AUA, taxi vs. rental, the first grocery run, and where to eat tonight without a reservation — your first day, hour by hour.
Read it →May 31, 2026 · 8 min read
Aruba Weather, Hurricanes, and the Trade Winds — What to Actually Expect
Aruba sits outside the hurricane belt, gets 20 inches of rain a year, and runs a constant breeze. What that means for your trip, month by month.
Read it →May 29, 2026 · 8 min read
The Honest Guide to Aruba with Kids
Which Aruba resorts actually deliver for kids, beaches matched to ages, what to skip with toddlers, and how to eat out without the meltdown.
Read it →May 27, 2026 · 8 min read
What an Aruba Trip Actually Costs in 2026
Real numbers for a week in Aruba: flights, hotels by tier, food, activities, and the sneaky costs nobody budgets for.
Read it →May 24, 2026 · 8 min read
Every Aruba Snorkeling Spot, Ranked
Aruba's shore snorkeling spots ranked honestly — Tres Trapi, Baby Beach, Malmok, Mangel Halto — plus when a boat trip actually beats wading in.
Read it →May 22, 2026 · 8 min read
Where to Stay in Aruba: Palm Beach vs Eagle Beach vs Everywhere Else
High-rises, low-rises, downtown, or the quiet south? Where you sleep shapes the whole trip — here's how Aruba's areas actually differ.
Read it →May 19, 2026 · 8 min read
Best Time to Visit Aruba: April–May and September–November (Fewer Crowds, Lower Rates)
Verdict: April–May and September–November — same 82°F sun, 20–40% lower hotel rates, and no spring-break crowds. Month-by-month prices, crowds, and when to book.
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