One Day In Aruba on a Cruise - Royal Caribbean Cruise Blog

Day 4 of our Southern Caribbean Cruise was a port day in lovely Aruba.

We did not plan an excursion in advance and decided to DIY a low key day on the island and revisited a yummy foodie spot. 
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Free Shuttle from Aruba Cruise Port

After waking up to this gorgeous water view from our Oceanview cabin (room tour with photos and review here), we were eager to start our day on Aruba.

Conveniently, after exiting the ship's gangway there were shuttle buses waiting to take cruise ship passengers to the main gate. 

The shuttle buses were ​free (hooray!) and had comical names like "Honey Boy" and "Lady Blue".

They were clearly marked with the name of our ship, Symphony of the Seas.

Aruba Cruise Port

​For those with limited mobility, there is plenty of shopping to do in the main port area. 

If you're able to walk a bit more you can check out the "local market".

​At the main intersection walk left, and you'll see the sign for the local market right across from the I ❤︎‬ Aruba sign. 
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Souvenirs in Aruba Cruise Port

There are plenty of classic t shirts, ball caps, and magnets available to purchase in port (pics to come), but there are also some more unique items from local artisans to consider!
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The colorful boho sandals were calling my name, but I restrained because I was afraid they were too flat for my feet. :( 
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Knock Off Ray Ban Sunglasses in Aruba Cruise Port

I got a kick out of this sunglasses display which announces that all of the $25 sunglasses are fake items. lol. 
But hey if you want some D&G, Chanel, or Ray Bans ....  
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Cute paintings and decorative signs for your home.

Cost of Souvenir Hats in Aruba

​Loads of souvenir hats and visors were available. As seen below the prices at this shop ranged from $5-8.

The Paddock

The Paddock is located in walking distance from the port in Oranjestad, Aruba. 
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A popular spot due to it's convenient location and vibe, a bucket of 5 local beers would set you back just $20 and a meal consisting of French bread, chicken salad, and fries ran $10. 
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If you want to leave your mark you can leave a $1 bill on the wall and sign your name and where you're from. 
I do believe this was also a spot where you could catch wifi in Aruba cruise port. 
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Walking Around Oranjestad 

Beyond the ornate, colorful buildings when you first enter the town, we strolled beyond the main strip of stores and toward the far end of the marina. 
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A pair of giant flamingos nuzzling stood between the yachts and the cruise ships in the distance. It looks like Carnival was also in port with us on this day. 
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This was just at the edge of the Renaissance Marketplace in the Aruba cruise port where we found a really cool store. 
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Mopa Mopa Aruba

This store was filled with unique and intricately decorated home decor.

​Have you heard of the Mopa Mopa Tree?
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Much to my surprise, these items are not painted. Rather they are decorated using a centuries old technique of extracting resin from the Mopa Mopa Tree. 
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Inside the store you could ask an associate and read other information to learn about this unique art form. They do accept all major credit cards, so if you don't have enough cash on you for one of these treasures, don't worry. 

I think this is a very cool store to walk around and learn about this unique craft even if you're not in the market for a piece. 
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Murals by Armando Goedgedrag

Absolutely incredible art murals can be seen on the sides of buildings in the Renaissance Marketplace which have been painted by the very talented Armando Goedgedrag. 
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It's very cool to see support for local artists like this and it really adds to the vibrance of Oranjestad, don't you agree?! 

Wilhelmina Park, Oranjestad

​Wilhelmina Park in Oranjestad is a well-manicured park with a nice walkway stroll through. 

Here in this park you will see a statue of Anne Frank. 
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As well as Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands whom the park is named after. She reigned from 1890 until her abdication in 1948. 
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Queen Wilhelmina was the longest raining monarch in Dutch history. Apparently she was also the world's first female billionaire. 

Her park is also full of iguanas!! It's hard to tell from the photo, but they are quite large!
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Mangroves and Beaches

There is a wooden boardwalk from Governors Bay Beach in Oranjestad which allows you to enjoy views of Banyan Trees. 

These cool trees have aerial roots that grow into accessory trunks. Over time a Banyan tree can cover several acres - isn't that insane?!

It was hard to pass up an opportunity to walk down through this banyan tree and onto a beach via this sort of secret path. 
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The beach area here was quite narrow, but felt private. There was no one in sight although it was not that far from the main Governor's Beach area. 
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​When traveling, very often you are rewarded when you're willing to take just a few extra steps. 

Continuing on toward Surfside Beach, we passed some more incredible trees like this Acacia tree. 
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​And I found it fascinating how this tree looked like it was currently caught in a violent windstorm although the weather was calm. :) 

We finally made it to Surfside Beach! 

There were just a few families there.  With plenty of trees to catch some shade from or sit on, I really enjoyed this beach! 

​By the way, all beaches in Aruba are free. :) 

The Pastechi House

There was one last stop we wanted to make before heading back to our cruise ship after this day in Oranjestad.

That stop was The Pastechi House. 
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We visited The Pastechi House on an ABC islands cruise back in 2017 or around there and were thrilled to see it survived through the pandemic, though it was a struggle the owner shared. 

Pastechi House Menu with Prices

Pastechi is an ABC Islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao) version of an empanada and they are tasty!!

We also nabbed ourselves a fresh orange juice which was a tad bit more expensive than in Portugal. 
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​Just outside The Pastechi House was this spectacular rooster ... 
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Even more exciting was the exotic black, white, and orange bird in this palm tree! It appears to be a Venezuelan Troupial!
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Downtown Oranjestad

It was time to make our way back through downtown Oranjestad and to the cruise ship terminal, past the blue horse ... 
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Beyond all the cute buildings ... 

Took one last look at the cutest souvenirs for anyone who loves a cultural touch!
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Probably should have gotten a Where's my Pastechi at!? mug.

It was a cool honor system sort of set up where when the artist wasn't there in person (like the day we were there), you could snap a picture of what you wanted to by, message her on whatsapp and then send the payment to her! 
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I Heart Aruba Sign

Don't forget, you can't leave the island without snapping a pic of the I ‪‪❤︎‬ Aruba sign, can you?
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We got back on board Symphony of the Seas and headed to our room to get ready for dinner - Caribbean Night!
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We returned to a cute little towel animal welcoming us back and I put on the closest thing to a "Caribbean" themed outfit as I had for dinner in the main dining room.  

Outfit: Quince European Linen Long Sleeve Shirt, Etsy Skirt, Nisolo Bag, Melrie Jewelry 

A Taste of the Caribbean Menu

After a lovely day exploring Aruba, we were ready for dinner in the main dining room onboard Symphony of the Seas.  Tap the menu to see what we ordered! 

A Taste of the Caribbean Menu

• A Taste of the Caribbean Dinner Menu
• Wonder of the Seas Review
• Utopia of the Seas Review
• Symphony of the Seas Embarkation Day