How to Visit Aruba on a Budget and the Best Way to See the Island!
Aruba is an incredible island! The water is some of the clearest, bluest water I have visited, but it also is a safe, fun island to explore! Like all of the Caribbean islands, you can certainly spend a lot of money visiting Aruba. However, it is very doable to visit Aruba on a budget!
Here is how you can save some money and visit Aruba without breaking the bank!
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Where to stay in Aruba
Hint: visiting Aruba on a budget does not include staying in an all-inclusive resort 😬. One of the reasons we chose to go to Aruba was for the affordability of accommodations; I was actually surprised by how many accommodations were available within our budget!
- All down even the popular western coast of Aruba you can find affordable small villas or apartments for less than $1,000 for 5 nights (in February of 2024, we spent $575 for 5 nights of accommodations in Aruba).
Low Budget: Apartments and villas
You can stay inland for a very affordable price in Aruba. As I mentioned, just behind the beachfront properties down the west coast of Aruba, there are loads of affordable small villas or apartments. Even getting one or two streets off of the beach, you can find accommodations that are cute, clean and still in walking distance of the beach.
Know, that if you get too far from the beach, you’ll likely need to rent a car and use it to get to the beach and grocery store, etc.
A great place to stay, in my humble opinion, is the Dancing Iguanas apartment. It is a small accommodation with 3 rooms available; the Blue, Yellow and Green Iguanas!
- Each come with queen size beds, their own restroom and access to a small outdoor kitchen where you have a designated spot in the refrigerator for groceries and a coffee maker!
- It is in the PERFECT location to walk to the Super Food grocery store, Eagle Beach plus several restaurants!
- As a bonus, the owner is SOO friendly and super helpful in answering any questions you may have!
- It is perfect for a traveling pair or couple! We paid $575 dollars for 5 nights (total, not per person) in February 2024.
Mid Budget: Hotels
If you aren’t into the idea of staying in a small apartment and want to stay in a hotel without spending loads of money on an all-inclusive resort, there are several low-rise hotel options that aren’t outrageously priced.
Eagle Beach has several low-rise hotel options that are on or near the beach. This is a really great “mid-budget’ option that keeps you close to the beach, in walking distance of a lot of restaurants and yet has the “resort-type” feel with pools and bars available.
- Eagle Aruba Resort is about $250 per night (~$1,375 for 5 nights)
- Has a good pool with a swim-up bar, games, outdoor grill, hot tub, a casino and other entertainment available.
- Some rooms are further from the beach than others and will require a bit more walking
- Amsterdam Manor Beach Resort is around $280 a night (~$1,400 for 5 nights)
- JUST across from Eagle Beach (like a 0.5 minute walk)
- Has an outdoor pool, home to Horizon’s Beach Bar that has a great happy hour, and also is associated with Passions on the Beach, a restaurant and bar that serves breakfast, lunch and then has dinner on the beach (although its a bit pricey 😅)
These prices are approximate and depend on what time of year you go. But in comparison, the Hyatt Regency is $600 a night, the Holiday Inn is $440 a night, and the Hilton is $574 a night for the same time period as above. So our 5 nights in Aruba were less than one night at the Hyatt Regency 🙂
How to get around Aruba on a Budget
Staying near Eagle Beach or Palm Beach, you will be able to walk to a lot of restaurants for free. Palm Beach is about 1.8 miles from Eagle Beach, so you are able to either walk to it or take an electric scooter via Bird or Green for a relatively low price either way. Aside from walking, Aruba has a good bus system, taxi system or you can rent a car.
Public Transportation in Aruba
Aruba has frequently running buses that will get you to the grocery store, most of the beaches, the capital of Oranjestad, Noord and to/from most of the hotels along the west coast of Aruba.
- This is a great way to get around the island unless you want to explore some of the landmarks on the eastern coast of Aruba or visit Arikok National Park. To do these, you will have to take a guided tour or rent a car.
- Bus rides are about $2.60 USD one way, $5 USD round-trip or you can get a day pass for $10 USD.
Click here for the official Aruba Bus schedule and map.
Taxis in Aruba
Taxis are not super affordable and definitely not the cheapest way to get around Aruba. Aruba has set taxi rates depending on where you are going rather than having meters. For example, it is a flat rate of $28USD to get to Eagle Beach area from the airport.
- Taxi rates can be found here.
Where to rent a car for an affordable Price
If you are visiting Aruba during peak season, book your cars in advance! Also, beware of booking through a third-party.
- We thought we booked a car through Expedia a few days before the trip, but after we taxied to the car rental agency that told us they didn’t have any vehicles available (though we got a confirmation that we had a car via Expedia). So, to avoid this, book early and, ideally, book through a local car rental agency.
A popular one in Aruba is More4less (not an affiliate link), which offers both cars and Jeep wranglers. It is located off the airport grounds, but provides free shuttles to the car lot.
Saving on Food and Drinks
Drinks aren’t cheap in Aruba. I would say they’re comparable to the US, though. So, if you are looking to visit Aruba on a budget you will have to keep an eye on drink prices! Food is as expensive as you want it to be. Meaning, there are affordable restaurants, but there are also expensive ones; how much you spend on food will be up to you.
- A great way to save on food and drinks is to visit Super Food on your first day to grab snacks, bread and your choice of sandwich filler to save on lunch on your beach days! They also have a liquor store if you want to buy your own drinks to minimize costs.
- Super Food is a GIANT Dutch/American grocery store full of everything you can ever need, including fresh fruits, breads, Dutch pastries, etc.
Aruba also does Happy Hour well! Between 4 and 6, you can find LOADS of beachside bars with happy hours that include a wide variety of drinks.
- A great option is Horizon’s at Amsterdam Manor, located just across from Eagle Beach which has happy hour from 5:30pm to 6:30pm and from 9:00pm to 10:00pm where drinks are 50% off.
- If you want happy hour while watching planes fly in, Surfside Beach Bar and Reflexions are great options.
- Both have a front row view of the planes landing at the nearby airport!
- Surfside Beach Bar has a closer view of the planes, however, Reflexions includes more drinks on their happy hour menu.
For a great list of happy hours, click here!
How to Save on Activities in Aruba
If you are looking to visit Aruba on a budget, you are going to have to try to minimize your guided excursions. Like any Caribbean island, they aren’t cheap. My recommendation is to pick your favorite one or two and then take advantage of Aruba’s natural, free beauty!
Free or Affordable Things to do in Aruba
A great perk of Aruba is that it has a lot of natural beauty and accessibility, which means you can do and see a lot without spending a lot! Here are some great free or affordable things to do in Aruba:
- Visit the beaches
- Aruba is known for its BLUE water and soft, white sand beaches. Lucky for you, it is free to visit them as well. Just know, if you want to have a chair and umbrella, you will have to purchase those.
- Eagle Beach, Palm Beach and Baby Beach are among the most popular (because they are simply stunning), but keep an eye out for other beaches as you explore Aruba!
- Aruba Aloe Factory and Museum
- Aruba is known for its aloe vera. At the factory and museum, you can take a tour to learn about and see how the aloe is grown, processed and packaged with a free tour.
- Alto Vista Chapel
- See the beautiful Alto Vista Chapel, which is free to enter.
- California Lighthouse
- On the northern end of Aruba, you can visit the California Lighthouse for free. In addition to the cute lighthouse, you will also get a great 360 degree view of the blue waters and sand dunes down below.
- The Natural Bridge
- Though the large natural bridge collapsed, a smaller one still stands on the east coast of Aruba. Free to see.
- Bushiribana Gold Mill Ruins
- Near the natural bridge, you can also see the ruins of an old gold mill. After gold was discovered in Aruba, it was a HOT commodity for a while and you can still see remnants of where gold was mined and milled throughout the island.
- Arikok National Park
- Arikok National Park takes up nearly 20% of the Aruba island. Though it costs $20 per person to visit, there is a lot to see within the park including the Fontein Cave, Quadirikiri Cave and Boca Prins Beach
- Conchi Natural Pools
- The Conchi Natural Pools are within the Arikok National Park. Therefore, if you plan to visit Arikok National Park, the pools are technically free 😜
- I highly recommend visiting the natural pools, so if you are on the fence about spending the money to enter Arikok National Park, it is WORTH the price to go see the natural pools!
- Click here for everything you need to know about hiking to the Conchi Natural Pool!
The best way to See the Island of Aruba
So, whats the best way to see the island and have a perfect trip to Aruba?! In my humble opinion, its not staying in an all-inclusive resort. Once you venture away from your resort, you’ll realize there are LOADs of restaurants and things to do/see on the island, and you may not get your money’s worth of your all-inclusive stay.
SO, here is the best way to experience the island of Aruba:
- Stay somewhere in walking distance of Eagle Beach or Palm Beach
- This will allow you to explore both beaches for two days by walking or by electric scooter
- Then, rent a car for at least two days in order to explore Arikok National Park, the east coast of Aruba and the incredible Baby Beach
- This will save you money on the rental car (that you don’t need in the Palm Beach/Eagle Beach area) and will allow you to see the island without having to do (expensive) guided tours!
Visiting Aruba on a Budget Recap!
Aruba is an incredible island and so safe to explore! I was told that 60% of Aruba visitors are returning visitors and I can 100% see why! It is an island that can fulfill every bit of your “relaxation” and your “exploration” vacation needs!
For a great way to spend 4.5 days doing just that, relaxing and exploring, click here!
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