Aruba has something for everyone, with its white sandy palm tree beaches and bright blue waters it looks like paradise. And combined with its rugged coastline, desert-like landscape, impressive tall cacti, colorful towns and abundance of artistic murals it's also very diverse and worth exploring!
Start September we eagerly explored all the best spots on One Happy Island for the Aruba Tourism Authority in 8 days, together with a professional photographer and videographer!
Get an impression of some of the most authentic, colorful and tropical spots of Aruba in this video filmed by Boyan Ortse, featuring Hanna Thomas, Lieke Pijnappels, Remke Vet and myself.
And see for yourself how diverse this island is, in less than 1,5 minutes:
And next to that Aruba is extremely Instagram-mable. What do I mean by that?
I could have said that it's very photogenic, but as the whole island is stunning in my opinion, I made this distinction based on the many unique elements, colorful buildings and impressive nature settings, that usually work well on Instagram.
This consequently makes Aruba pictures very Instagram-mable.
Of course it all depends on your taste, photo style, target group and the themes you use on this social media platform. But in general these kind of settings look pretty and good in a photo grid, as you can see here:
Most Instagram-mable spots of Aruba
In this blog I'll share some of my favourite things to do on Aruba, all highly Instagram-mable. As always, through many of my own and Bold_SL’s pics, to see for yourself how photogenic these spots are!
1. Oranjestad
The capital of the island is a must for culture and shopping. But also highly photogenic with plenty of colorful buildings, the iconic tram and amazing atmosphere, get an impression in this gallery:
2. Fofoti Trees
But of course the beach with the famous Aruba postcard icons should not be missed either. These signature trees have been featured in many a magazine and advertising campaign and can be found at the beginning of Eagle Beach opposite to the Amsterdam Manor Hotel.
3. San Nicolas murals
In the south you will find this sleepy and somewhat run-down town, transformed into a living art gallery a few years ago during the Aruba Art Fair!
About 50 high-quality murals and artworks from local and international artists are spread over 4 blocks, replacing broken-down buildings in this town, making San Nicolas highly Instagrammable, as you can see in this gallery:
4. Arikok National Park
For a whole different side of the island you should certainly visit this nature area of 7,907 acres on the east side, covering 20% of the island!
With its varied desert-like landscape and rugged coastline it has plenty of photo opportunities, especially if you like beautiful viewpoints, wide nature settings and cacti!
Note that you are required to pay a small fee for the preservation of the park at the entrance. And I can highly recommend booking a guided tour to find all the best and most Instagrammable spots, as we did with Julio, the park’s ranger for 20 years!
Or book a Jeep or ATV tour with a local tour company to explore the more rugged areas of the National Park, which are not accessible by normal car.
5. Arikok NP caves
Besides wildlife and nature Arikok is also home to several cultural heritage sites. Including caves, original Indian rock drawings and unique land formations made from lava, quartz diorite and limestone.
We visited the Quadirikiri and Fontein cave, which were nothing less than spectacular!
6. Sanddunes of the North
Endless desert-like dune views can also be found in the north of Aruba, if you drive past the beaches all the way to the tip of the island. Here it's rugged, pure and no-one around for miles.
Also recommended to follow the Westpunt trail along the sea, to explore more of the rugged north on foot and pass by photogenic spots like this:
7. California Lighthouse
Noord is also the location of the impressive lighthouse. Perfect for sunset views, even more spectacular seen by drone or by climbing the stairs, all the way to the top.
A dinner at the classy Italian restaurant La Trattoria El Faro Blanco here is also highly recommended for the great food and best views!
Photogenic & fun things to do on One Happy Island
8. Pedal kayak trip Spaans Lagoen
A leg pedal kayaking trip is less intense than regular canoe-ing, yet so much fun! We did a tour with Aruba Outdoor Adventures, offering several options from kayaking through the mangroves to a trip on the open sea including snorkeling at Spaans Lagoen.
At Spaans Lagoen you will find some of the most spectacular turquoise waters you have ever seen, making it highly Instagram-mable.
Snorkeling over the coral reefs also provides great photo opportunities if you bring your GoPro, Dome or underwater camera!
9. Catamaran snorkeling trip
For even more views of the coastline and to get the best shots from the water, a catamaran trip is a must! We did a half-day trip with De Palm Tours on a spacious 70 foot long and 40 foot wide boat.
This trip included 3 snorkeling stops along the north and west coast of the island, an open bar and great lunch. So nice to see the island from a different perspective and perfect to discover some of the best snorkeling spots, like the Antilla Shipwrek!
For more beach tips, and other authentic and fun things to do on One Happy Island you can find more inspiration and personal experiences in my earlier Aruba blogs:
And when you're going to Aruba don't forget to check my Aruba guide + practical map.
Or go to my Caribbean page for even more tropical inspiration, foodie hotspots, Instagrammable things to do, the most beautiful beaches and unique accommodations on Aruba and the Dominican Republic, all based on my own experiences.
The big advantage of Aruba is that the weather's consistently good throughout the year! Being located outside the Hurricane Belt it gets less rainfall than most islands and almost guarantees sunny weather. Therefore Aruba is perfect for a winter sun trip from November - February as well.
To find the best accommodations on Aruba get inspired by this 4 unique Aruba accommodations blog or check this Aruba hotel page or region page, to filter according to your needs.
And don't hesitate to find me on social media to connect and ask my anything about Aruba, via the buttons at the bottom of this page.
