Aruba with a toddler: what works, what to skip

The two toddler beaches

Baby Beach earned its name: a sheltered half-moon lagoon at the southern tip where the water stays knee-deep a long way out. Mornings are calmest. Bring water shoes for the few rocky patches, and shade, because there is little natural cover. Eagle Beach is the other winner: huge, flat, soft, with gentle water and room to nap under a rented palapa.

The attractions that actually land under five

The Butterfly Farm might be the single best toddler attraction on the island: a netted garden where butterflies land on shoulders and hats, with guides who are wonderful with small kids. The Donkey Sanctuary lets little ones help feed gentle rescued donkeys. The Ostrich Farm is a short guided visit with an animal so absurdly big that two-year-olds talk about it for weeks. And a Dutch pancake the size of a wheel solves at least one dinner.

The logistics that make it easy

Nothing is far: the whole tourist half of the island fits inside a 20-minute drive, so car naps actually work as naps. Tap water is safe everywhere, US plugs fit, US dollars are accepted, and pharmacies are well stocked. The constant trade wind is the one trap: it makes the sun feel gentle while it burns. Rash guards, hats, and stubborn reapplication are the whole game.

What to skip until they are bigger

Skip the Natural Pool (a bouncing 4x4 ride and slippery rock), the caves, and the north coast generally; the currents there are no place for small children. None of it goes anywhere; it will still be here for the trip when they are eight.

A note on Buska with a toddler

Honestly: Buska's youngest tier, Li'l Explorers, is designed for ages 4 to 7. Under four, the game becomes a parent holding the phone while a small person points at a lizard, which, it turns out, is still a pretty good game. The photos still land in the family album, and the keepsake book at the end does not care who pressed the button.