Not to miss

Oranjestad

Aruba's bright, breezy, pastel-coloured capital is on the island's southern leeward coast, southeast of the main resort area. It has a distinctly Dutch flavour, thanks to the modern vogue for fake colonial architecture. It has some good shopping options and three small but interesting museums.

The small Archaeological Museum has worthy exhibits on Aruba's Arawak inhabitants. The Museo Arubano, located in the restored 18th-century Fort Zoutman, does a passable job explaining Aruba's pre-European and colonial eras. And, if you want to see what jingled in the pockets of the oldendays folk, the Numismatic Museum has a vast collection of coinage from over 400 countries, some of which was salvaged from shipwrecks in the region.

Once you're out of the shopping zone, Oranjestad becomes a shabbier, livelier prospect. Local bars, sometimes just holes in the wall, are a good place to prop, watch some sport and drink beer with the locals.

Daimari

Appearing oasis-like in the mostly arid countryside is Daimari, a surprisingly lush pocket of greenery comprising of a coconut plantation and a ranch where you can hire a nag to get to the gorgeous natural pool at Boca Ketu. Rental dune buggies are also available for a splashier form of transport.

Arikok National Wildlife Park

This National Park covers almost 20% of Aruba, mostly its rugged and dry interior. The best way to explore the divi divi trees, aloe and iguanas that populate the park, is on foot from a well-worn hiking trail. The park is always open, and there is a good lunch cafe on the northeast coast.

For a bit of soft-adventure spelunking, head to the Guadirikiri Caves. Often filled with harmless bats, the caves' eerie sunlight patterns and pirates' lair history help visitors get in touch with their swashbuckling side. It's recommended you bring a flashlight; if you can't bring one they are available for hire at the entrance to the caves.

California Lighthouse

This lighthouse is named after the nearby off-shore wreck, the California, the ship infamous for not responding to an SOS from the Titanic. The grounds around it offer beautiful views of Aruba's western coastline and the beach and ocean below are good for dune and sea surfing.

Aruba Numismatic Museum

The Aruba Numismatic Museum doesn't just have displays of Aruba's unusual currency past and present (at one time a coin shortage forced locals to cut up coins like pies), but it also has over 40,000 items used as money worldwide from the 3rd century BC to the present.