Aruba · 2 PLACES TO EXPLORE

A little more
of Oranjestad.

Find places to visit in Oranjestad. See what catches your eye, then save a few favorites for your trip.

Oranjestad · AW

Druif Beach

There is a particular kind of quiet that Aruba reserves for its smaller beaches, and Druif Beach is where you find it. A 300-metre arc of soft ivory sand on the island's low-rise west coast, it sits just south of the famous Eagle Beach and shares the same gentle, crystal-clear Caribbean water without the crowds or the buzz of motorised water sports. Pelicans cluster on wooden poles offshore like feathered sentinels. Palapas dot the sand. The Divi resort complex fronts the beach, but the shoreline itself is public, and visitors who are not hotel guests are welcome to spread a towel and sink into the easy rhythm of this stretch. What makes Druif worth the short trip from Oranjestad is the contrast it offers. The island's busier beaches have their own appeal, but here the water is calm enough for families and nervous swimmers, the sand stretches far enough for long barefoot walks that connect all the way to Eagle Beach, and the late-afternoon light turns the whole western horizon into a sunset stage. Couples, solo readers with a cold drink, families with small children — this beach suits anyone who would rather trade a water-ski wake for the sound of gentle waves.

Archaeological museum

Oranjestad · AW

National Archaeological Museum Aruba

Tucked into a cluster of restored Dutch colonial houses in downtown Oranjestad, the National Archaeological Museum Aruba (NAMA / MANA) tells the story most visitors never expect from a sun-and-sea island: a human history stretching back more than 5,000 years. Its halls trace the lives of Aruba's first peoples, from the nomadic Pre-Ceramic canoe travellers who reached these shores long before pottery, to the Caquetío farmers who built villages around the island's fresh-water gullies. Far from a dusty case of potsherds, the museum is a lively, hands-on introduction to Aruba's deep roots. With a collection of over 10,000 artifacts in stone, shell, bone, pottery and glass, thematic galleries recreate home life, sacred art and the long-distance exchanges that once linked this small island to Europe, Mexico and central South America. It's the place to understand the petroglyphs and ancient sites you may later encounter out in the landscape.

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Aruba · 2 PLACES TO EXPLORE

A little more
of Oranjestad.

Find places to visit in Oranjestad. See what catches your eye, then save a few favorites for your trip.

Tourist attraction

Oranjestad · AW

Druif Beach

There is a particular kind of quiet that Aruba reserves for its smaller beaches, and Druif Beach is where you find it. A 300-metre arc of soft ivory sand on the island's low-rise west coast, it sits just south of the famous Eagle Beach and shares the same gentle, crystal-clear Caribbean water without the crowds or the buzz of motorised water sports. Pelicans cluster on wooden poles offshore like feathered sentinels. Palapas dot the sand. The Divi resort complex fronts the beach, but the shoreline itself is public, and visitors who are not hotel guests are welcome to spread a towel and sink into the easy rhythm of this stretch. What makes Druif worth the short trip from Oranjestad is the contrast it offers. The island's busier beaches have their own appeal, but here the water is calm enough for families and nervous swimmers, the sand stretches far enough for long barefoot walks that connect all the way to Eagle Beach, and the late-afternoon light turns the whole western horizon into a sunset stage. Couples, solo readers with a cold drink, families with small children — this beach suits anyone who would rather trade a water-ski wake for the sound of gentle waves.

Archaeological museum

Oranjestad · AW

National Archaeological Museum Aruba

Tucked into a cluster of restored Dutch colonial houses in downtown Oranjestad, the National Archaeological Museum Aruba (NAMA / MANA) tells the story most visitors never expect from a sun-and-sea island: a human history stretching back more than 5,000 years. Its halls trace the lives of Aruba's first peoples, from the nomadic Pre-Ceramic canoe travellers who reached these shores long before pottery, to the Caquetío farmers who built villages around the island's fresh-water gullies. Far from a dusty case of potsherds, the museum is a lively, hands-on introduction to Aruba's deep roots. With a collection of over 10,000 artifacts in stone, shell, bone, pottery and glass, thematic galleries recreate home life, sacred art and the long-distance exchanges that once linked this small island to Europe, Mexico and central South America. It's the place to understand the petroglyphs and ancient sites you may later encounter out in the landscape.