Long Islanders share tips for an unforgettable vacation in Aruba

When Cara McGill went to Aruba for the first time in 1979, there were only a few hotels and restaurants, most of the roads weren’t paved and the airport was a lone room cooled by a fan.

“Aruba was desolate; no one knew about it,” said McGill, who was 9 years old when her father won a room at the new Sheraton hotel in a raffle. They knew nothing about the country, said McGill, but her father loved to travel so they made the trip. “It really felt like we were in a foreign country,” she said.

The Northport resident has been back to Aruba every year since (sometimes more than once), drawn by the perfect weather and the great beaches. She calls it “my happy place.” But the calm, quiet environment she first found so appealing is no more, said McGill, who has witnessed firsthand the island’s transformation from a sleepy desert oasis to a major vacation destination.

Tourism thrives in the Southern Caribbean nation, with 1.5 million overnight visitors in 2024, according to aruba.com, and nearly 900,00 more who came by cruise ship (arubaports.com). Only 18 miles north of Venezuela, the Dutch island is clear of the hurricane belt with an average temperature of about 82 degrees, making it a reliable travel destination year-round.

“Aruba is not a pretty island,” said McGill. The beaches are great, but inland “it’s a desert. It can be very hot,’’ she said, though the constant trade winds cool things off. None of that stops McGill from her annual visits — she and her family are lured not only by the consistent weather and great beaches, but also by the authenticity of the culture. “It’s different from any other Caribbean island,” she said.

ARUBA’S ALLURE: WEATHER, BEACHES AND CULTURE

Dawn Guidone is another longtime Aruba fan — she first went there on her honeymoon in 1996. She and her husband Michael received a week in a timeshare as a wedding gift and found the island almost flawless. “The people were nice, the weather was great, the beaches are beautiful, and we heard it was very safe,” said the Hicksville resident. “It was everything you could ask for.”

Since then, they’ve been back almost every year, usually going the last week of July for their anniversary. They now own two timeshares at the Playa Linda Beach Resort in Palm Beach (where they first stayed), purchasing the first one in 2007 and the second a couple of years later. “We love having both units so we can have friends and family,” she said.

A babymoon brought Kristen Rodrigues to Aruba for the first time in 2013, lured to the island mainly because she and her husband Tiago were traveling in October when hurricanes often strike the Caribbean. “Aruba is the only Caribbean island that’s never been hit with a hurricane, so it’s usually a safe place to go during that time frame,” said Rodrigues, who lives in Coram.

On their first trip, they stayed at the Westin (now the Riu Palace), one of the many high-rise hotels on Palm Beach. It was near everything, said Rodrigues, who was especially taken with all the shopping. “And the weather was perfect,” she said. “It is a little windy so you never get hot, which for a pregnant person is ideal.”

A few years later, they returned for a day while on a cruise, taking a tour that visited several bars and an aloe factory. Their most recent trip was this past March — another babymoon, this time with their 11-year-old son Mason along. It was a different experience, said Rodrigues, noting that “there’s so much for a family to do.” This time, they stayed at the Renaissance Wind Creek in Oranjestad (the island’s capital), where a highlight was the hotel’s private Flamingo Island. Reached on a short boat ride, the island is stocked with a flock of the colorful birds it’s named for.

Most people who fall in love with Aruba respond by starting to plan their next trip the day they get home. Alanna O’Connor took things a lot further — she made a career of it, creating a website and becoming a travel agent. “I only book trips to Aruba,” she said. It all started several years ago when O’Connor and her boyfriend were in Mexico and a fellow traveler convinced them that they should try Aruba next. He couldn’t say enough about it, “the weather, the beaches, the safety,” said O’Connor, who was living in Chicago at the time.

Two months later, they booked a trip, staying in an Airbnb and renting a car to explore the island. “The amount of research I did for our first trip was crazy,” she said. “That’s why I created ArubaVacationTips.org,” she said. The website is a “one-stop shopping” for tourists, with information on everything from hotels, beaches, activities and restaurants to tourist requirements and information on navigating the airport. “People follow me who’ve been going to Aruba for 20 years and they still learn things from the site,” said O’Connor, who last year spent nearly six months in Aruba. (U.S. citizens are allowed to stay up to 180 days, but may get flagged by immigration and required to submit proof of income and travel insurance.) 

INSIDER TIPS: NAVIGATING THE ISLAND

The most important decision first-time travelers to Aruba must make is where to stay. The island has 13 timeshare and vacation ownership properties, according to aruba.com, and those units, with one or two bedrooms and at least a small kitchen, are perfect for families (as are Airbnb rentals). High-rise hotels line the strip along Palm Beach, known for its bustle with many restaurants and casinos within walking distance. Smaller hotels can be found across from Eagle Beach, where things tend to be quieter. The St. Regis recently opened a luxury resort on Palm Beach (on the island’s north side) and in June, a branch of the adults-only resort Secrets debuts near the very popular Baby Beach, on the southern side.

It’s not necessary to rent a car if you stay in one of the major timeshares or hotels, said O’Connor, but she encourages travelers to get one for at least a couple of days to indulge in her favorite activity — beach hopping. For those who want a little more action, ATVs or jeeps can be rented for all-terrain exploring, or go hiking in Arikok National Park. Animal lovers should schedule tours of Philip’s Animal Gardens in Noord or the Donkey Sanctuary in Santa Cruz.

On the water, boats offer snorkeling and diving trips, or more leisurely sunset cruises. Parasailing (a boat tows riders harnessed to a parachute-like canopy) is popular. “It looks scarier than it is,” said Guidone. “Once you get up there, it’s pretty cool. It was very peaceful and quiet.”

When McGill first came to Aruba, she found restaurants limited, and the service even more so. Now, the restaurant scene is hopping, from casual beach shacks to high-end special occasion spots. Flying Fishbone in Savaneta, with tables on the beach (and some in the water), tops many travelers’ lists. Reservations for Fish Bone and other hot restaurants like Madame Janette and Gianni’s should be made as soon as you book your flights.

Rodrigues said one of the best meals she’s ever had in Aruba was at the L.G. Smith’s Steak & Chop House at the Renaissance. Guidone is fond of Eduardo’s Beach Shack at the Playa Linda, where you’ll often find long lines of customers waiting for smoothies and acai bowls. The Guidones almost always go to Wilhelmina in Oranjestad for their anniversary, and this year they splurged on the tasting menu at the 17-seat 2 Fools And A Bull in Noord.

Getting off the beaten path is a must for McGill, who doesn’t think much of tourists who never leave their resorts. “To really go to Aruba,” she said, you have to go “where the locals go,” places with authentic Aruban food.

One of her favorites is Zeerover in Savaneta, where you eat at picnic tables on the dock and the menu lists the basics: fish, shrimp, fries. “They just bring you a bucket of shrimp and a beer,” she said. “That’s it.”

“It’s not just about the food,” said McGill. “I’ve been all over the world, but the best part of Aruba is the culture. I feel like I’m in a different world.”