Aruba Travel Guide | IslaRita Stays - local tips from your hosts

🌴 Explore Aruba — our local guide

Everything below is one tap from your pocket — each place opens straight in Google Maps. The 🚶 near the property spots are in our Ponton neighborhood, minutes from your door. The full guide also lives in our Airbnb guidebook.

🍽️ Eat & drink in the neighborhood

Nikkei Sushi Bar ↗ 🚶 near the property — local favorite for sushi
Mi Boca Dushi Snacks ↗ 🚶 near the property — pastechi, johnny cakes, empanadas — taste Aruba
Tradewinds Coffee Spot Ponton ↗ 🚶 near the property — your morning coffee
Chalo Burger ↗ 🚶 near the property — food-truck court, local crowd
Pizza Italia ↗ 🚶 near the property — great takeaway pizza
Candela Food Trailer ↗ 🚶 near the property — local favorite street food
Subway Ponton ↗ 🚶 near the property — quick bite

🦞 Restaurants worth the drive

Zeerover Savaneta ↗ — THE local seafood institution — fresh off the boat (436 locals recommend)
MooMba Beach Bar ↗ — Aruba's #1 beach bar, Palm Beach
The Village Mall Aruba ↗ — dining, evening shopping and nightlife hub
Reflexions Beach Bar ↗ — beach next to the airport — perfect last stop before your flight

🏖️ Beaches

Eagle Beach ↗ — #3 beach in the Caribbean 2026 — 8 minutes away
Palm Beach ↗ — the lively strip: watersports, dining, nightlife
Baby Beach ↗ — calm shallow lagoon — best for families
Boca Catalina ↗ — quiet bay, superb snorkeling
Tres Trapi ↗ — swim with sea turtles from shore
Mangel Halto ↗ — mangroves + the best shore snorkeling on the island
Arashi Beach ↗ — relaxed white sand by the lighthouse

⛰️ Sights & adventures

Hooiberg ↗ 🚶 near the property — the Haystack — climb it at sunrise, it is practically our backyard
Casibari Rock Formations ↗ — 360° island views from giant boulders
Conchi Natural Pool ↗ — wild swimming hole in Arikok National Park
California Lighthouse ↗ — Aruba's iconic lighthouse with panoramic views
Alto Vista Chapel ↗ — the yellow pilgrims church on the north coast
Bushiribana Gold Mill Ruins ↗ — 19th-century gold ruins on the wild coast
Donkey Sanctuary Aruba ↗ — 130 rescued donkeys — kids love it
Aruba Aloe Factory Museum ↗ — 160 years of aloe — great souvenirs
De Palm Island ↗ — all-inclusive private island day trip
Oranjestad ↗ — the candy-colored capital — 10 minutes away
Renaissance Mall ↗ — luxury shopping downtown

🛒 Daily needs — all walking distance

Hua Run Supercenter ↗ 🚶 near the property — large supermarket
BENU Pharmacy Trupiaal ↗ 🚶 near the property — pharmacy & drugstore
Ponton Laundry ↗ 🚶 near the property — laundry service
Ponton service station ↗ 🚶 near the property — gas + the bus stop to town is across the street

✅ Must-do's — the Aruba checklist

Eagle Beach ↗ — sunset under the fofoti trees — bring our beach chairs
Tres Trapi ↗ — morning swim with sea turtles, right off the steps
Hooiberg ↗ 🚶 near the property — climb the Haystack at sunrise — practically our backyard
Conchi Natural Pool ↗ — wild swim in Arikok National Park (4x4 or tour)
Zeerover Savaneta ↗ — fresh-off-the-boat fish lunch, paid by the kilo
California Lighthouse ↗ — golden-hour island views from the northwest tip
San Nicolas street art ↗ — the colorful murals of Aruba\u2019s art district
Baby Beach ↗ — float in the waist-deep lagoon on the island\u2019s south tip

🌙 Nightlife — bars, clubs & evenings

MooMba Beach Bar ↗ — sundowners in the sand, live music and DJ nights
Bugaloe Beach Bar ↗ — happy hour on the De Palm pier, salsa nights
Gusto Night Club ↗ — Palm Beach\u2019s top club — three dance floors, open late
Hidden Nightclub ↗ — deep house and Latin rhythms, Mon–Sat
Tantra Aruba ↗ — sleek newer lounge-club on the strip
Charlie\u2019s Bar San Nicolas ↗ — legendary since 1941 — walls covered in 80 years of souvenirs
Stellaris Casino ↗ — casino floors at the Marriott until the early hours
The Village Mall Aruba ↗ — open-air dining, bars and evening shopping at Palm Beach
The Palm Beach strip wakes up after 9 PM and is a safe 12-minute drive — taxi back: Carlos +297 592 5421 or Taxi Polong +297 733 4644 (no Uber on the island).

🚨 Good to know — health & emergencies

Huisartsenpraktijk Caobastraat ↗ 🚶 near the property — family doctor, walking distance
Horacio Oduber Hospital ↗ — Aruba's main hospital, ~10 minutes
Anything urgent at the apartment? Call or WhatsApp Graciela, our on-site property assistant: +297 744 5441 — she's minutes away and dispatches help fast. For everything else: +297 745 9265.