Aruba is small enough to see in a week and rich enough that you will not want to. Here is the honest short list: the places worth your daylight, roughly north to south, from people who spend theirs here.
California Lighthouse and Hudishibana
Start high. The California Lighthouse sits over the rocky northwest tip where the desert runs straight into the sea. Go near sunset. The wind is real, the view is bigger than your camera, and the whole island unrolls behind you.
Eagle Beach and the Divi Divi trees
The wide one. Eagle Beach is the postcard: white sand, calm water, and two Divi Divi trees leaning southwest like they are still deciding whether to leave. Bring nothing but time.
Palm Beach, when you want the buzz
Palm Beach is the lively stretch, the one with the shade, the drinks, and the people-watching. Good for a day when you want the island to come to you.
Oranjestad and the Bon Bini sign
The capital is walkable and colorful, all Dutch pastel facades and Papiamento on the shopfronts. "Bon Bini" means welcome, and you will feel it. This is where the island says hello.
San Nicolas street art
Down south, San Nicolas turned its walls into a museum. Enormous murals, deep color, and a slower, realer Aruba than the resort strip. If you like your travel with a pulse, spend a morning here.
Baby Beach
At the far southern tip, Baby Beach is a shallow, protected lagoon, warm and calm enough for anyone. The end of the road and one of the best swims on the island.
Boca Grandi and the wild coast
For the opposite mood: the windward side is raw, windy, and empty. Kitesurfers love Boca Grandi. So do people who want a beach to themselves.
A word before you go
Learn one Papiamento word and use it. Dushi, the island's word for sweet and lovely, will get you a smile every time. Aruba gives more back when you meet it halfway.
We draw every design on these exact spots, from the California Lighthouse to San Nicolas. If a place on this list becomes your favorite, there is probably a tee that remembers it. Browse the Best of Aruba or all the tees.