option 5 of 10 — guaranteed sunshine
Aruba
Palm Beach & Eagle Beach
One happy island — powder-white sand, calm water, and guaranteed sunshine.
Estimated Cost
$3,800 – $4,800
Length
7 Days / 6 Nights
Getting There
~5.5 hrs from Minneapolis (MSP → AUA, seasonal direct or 1 stop)
Best Time to Go
Year-round (outside the hurricane belt)
The Trip
Aruba sits outside the hurricane belt with 82° and sunshine essentially every day of the year. Eagle Beach's famous divi-divi trees, snorkeling over a WWII shipwreck, a wild desert national park on the windward coast, and dinners on the sand.
The Real Budget
For both of us, flights from Minneapolis included. Prices are realistic planning estimates — exact fares move with the season.
| Item | Details | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Round-trip flights | MSP → Aruba, 2 travelers | $1,100 |
| Beachfront hotel | 6 nights at Eagle Beach (~$240/night) | $1,440 |
| Getting around | Airport transfers + local bus + 1-day car | $100 |
| Food & drinks | Beach bars, fresh catch dinners (~$110/day) | $770 |
| Snorkel sail | Catamaran to the Antilla wreck & reefs, for two | $150 |
| Arikok National Park day | UTV/jeep tour to the Natural Pool, for two | $180 |
| Sunset dinner on the beach | Toes-in-the-sand anniversary table | $120 |
| Souvenirs & wiggle room | Aloe everything | $150 |
| Estimated total for two | $4,010 | |
| Comfortably under our $5,000 budget — $990 of breathing room for spontaneous ice cream. | ||
Where We'd Stay
Real places, checked against the budget — tap any of them to look around.
Eagle Beach
Amsterdam Manor Beach Resort
Dutch-colonial boutique across from the sand
Facing the famous divi-divi trees of Eagle Beach; home to the toes-in-the-sand Passions restaurant.
Visit their site ↗Eagle Beach
Manchebo Beach Resort & Spa
Low-rise beachfront wellness resort
On the widest, quietest stretch of Eagle Beach — yoga pavilion, spa, and sunset views.
Visit their site ↗Our Week, Day by Day
Day 1Bon bini — welcome to Aruba
Land midday, check in steps from Eagle Beach, and spend the afternoon under a palapa with the calmest, clearest water in the Caribbean. Sunset stroll past the divi-divi trees.
Moment of the day: That first ridiculous view of Eagle Beach
Day 2Palm Beach & the easy life
Morning swim, then wander up the coast to Palm Beach's piers and beach bars. Long lunch over the water, afternoon nap, dinner at a beachfront grill.
Moment of the day: Lunch on a pier over turquoise water
Day 3Snorkel the Antilla shipwreck
Catamaran sail to the Antilla — a 400-foot WWII wreck resting in shallow, clear water — plus a reef stop and an open-bar sail home.
Moment of the day: Floating over a shipwreck, holding hands
Day 4Wild side: Arikok National Park
UTV adventure across Aruba's desert interior — cactus fields, crashing windward coast, the Natural Pool for a swim inside a ring of volcanic rock.
Moment of the day: A swim in the Natural Pool
Day 5Lighthouse & lazy afternoon
Morning at the California Lighthouse with views over the whole island, then back to the beach for an afternoon of nothing at all. Casino stroll or night market in the evening.
Moment of the day: The whole island at our feet from the lighthouse
Day 6Baby Beach & the anniversary dinner
Drive to the island's southern tip for Baby Beach's shallow half-moon lagoon, then the finale: a private table on the sand at sunset, feet in the water, candles on the table.
Moment of the day: Dinner ON the beach — actually on it
Day 7One happy departure
Sunrise beach walk, last swim, one more fresh smoothie — then the flight home with sand still in our shoes.
Moment of the day: Promising the divi-divi trees we'll be back
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Destination photography via Wikimedia Commons — photo credits.