Aruba Attractions

You have to get out of the sun sometime. When you do, the renovated archeology museum, reopened in downtown Oranjestad in November 2008, proves to be a good choice. Set in a cluster of homes occupied by the Ecury family from 1870 to 1997, the museum's interactive exhibits showcase one of the largest collections of historic Amerindian artifacts in the Caribbean. By showcasing a maloca (an ancestral long house), a native hut, rock drawings, ceramic pots, tools and other artifacts, the museum offers tourists a glimpse of Amerindian culture. (Tell your kids the place is air-conditioned.)

Arikok National Park consists of and preserves about 20 percent of Aruba's land. On a visit there, kids experience Aruba's natural, desert-like geography -- something that's nearly impossible to do in the heavily landscaped resort region. The park is home to many types of cacti (the tall ones are "candlestick" cacti), as well as sand dunes and caves. When we visited, days after the new visitor center opened in July 2009, rangers were still developing programs that included a new video that details the park's flora and fauna. The park also has hiking trails on which ranger-guided hikes are planned. You can even check out a snake pit that displays Aruban rattlesnakes. The Visitor Center's cafe sells water, soda and snacks.

A new road, part of the park's renovation, means you no longer need four-wheel drive to visit the two caves. The Fontein cave gains fame for its centuries-old rock drawings by Caquetio Indians of the Arawak tribe. Sadly, graffiti mars the cave walls there and in Guadirikiri cave, known for its two chambers, the second of which has an opening through which sunlight streams in. Yes, harmless bats hang from the ceiling in both caves. (We wore hats.) If you need to pick one cave, we recommend Fontein.

Most of Aruba's hotels line two stretches of beach on the island's southwestern coast. We prefer Palm Beach, home to the island's high-rise properties, because it fronts directly onto the sand. Also, the burgeoning strip of cafes and shops that begin one block inland from the hotels provides good people-watching and easy access to restaurants, including some cheap eats and snacks. On Eagle Beach, you must cross a sometimes-busy road to reach the shore from many of the properties.

Baby Beach in Seroe Colorado, on the southeastern tip of Aruba, is a 75-minute drive from the Palm Beach area but only about 30 minutes from Arikok National Park. Forget about the view of the oil refinery, and go there if you have little kids. A breakwater keeps the surf calm, and the water remains shallow for a long stretch.

Owned and operated by De Palm Tours, one of Aruba's biggest tour operators, De Palm is a private island that packs several adventures into one sandy islet just a seven-minute ferry ride off the coast of Aruba. Admission includes swimming, snorkeling and splashing down the water slides. For additional fees, you can try SeaTrek or Snuba, varieties of underwater viewing that don't require formal scuba training. Some families like the one-stop setting that offers several activities; others won't, since the island can be crowded -- especially when cruise ships are in port.

Scuba-loving families can explore more than 20 dive sites, including eight wrecks. The 400-foot-long German freighter Antilla, one of the largest sunken ships in the Caribbean, lures with its many compartments, sponges, tropical fish and lobsters. A good beginning dive is Pedernales, an oil tanker that was torpedoed during World War II by a German submarine. It lies about a mile off Palm Beach. Lobsters, groupers and rainbow-colored fish swim around the wreck.

Snorkelers can ogle crabs, octopi and lobsters that frequent the outer side of the breakwater at Baby Beach. For a taste of scuba without the course work or heavy gear, try snuba, a combination of snorkeling and scuba. You go below, breathing through an air hose that's tethered to a raft that floats above you. De Palm Tours offers outings for ages 8 and older.

Several tour companies offer guided jeep tours of Aruba's rugged northeast coast, a landscape of rocky shores and fast-breaking surf. The bouncy wind-in-your-hair jeep ride pleases 'tweens and teens, probably more so than the sights do. Things you'll see along the way include the Chapel of Alto Vista -- a one-room Catholic church, originally built in 1750, whose present structure dates to 1952 -- as well as at the ruins of the Bushiribana gold mine. When my daughter was a teenager, she raved about this jeep ride. Although bus tours offer air-conditioned trips to the same area, these are generally longer and not as much fun.

Big, feathery and fast, ostriches impress kids. At the Ostrich Farm, you and your children learn about these supersized birds, see baby chicks at the nursery and even hold ostrich eggs. The highlight for us was feeding the long-necked flock. Bring your cameras. The farm also has a restaurant, but your kids might object to your ordering the ostrich burger. Traditional items are available.