Free things to do in Aruba with kids

The beaches (all of them, legally)

No hotel owns an inch of Aruban sand: every beach is public. Eagle Beach is the postcard, wide and calm with the famous leaning fofoti trees. Baby Beach, at the island's southern tip, is a shallow half-moon lagoon where toddlers can wade absurdly far out. In nesting season, roped-off sea turtle nests dot the sand; finding one (and keeping a respectful distance) is a treasure in itself.

The rocks-and-ruins loop

Pack water and do these as one drive. The Casibari and Ayo rock formations are giant boulder piles with marked paths and steps; kids scramble, parents take photos, nobody pays anything. The Bushiribana gold mill ruins look like a small castle on the surf line and come with a real gold-rush story. Alto Vista Chapel, a tiny yellow church alone on a hill, and the California Lighthouse viewpoint round out the loop.

Town freebies

The Oranjestad streetcar is a free ride through the capital's candy-colored center. At the other end of the island, San Nicolas has turned itself into an open-air gallery: dozens of building-sized murals, free to wander, best in the cooler morning. The Aruba Aloe factory tour and the Archaeological Museum in Oranjestad are both free and both air-conditioned, which matters by 2pm.

Animal freebies

The Donkey Sanctuary runs on donations; bring a few dollars and the kids get to help feed rescued donkeys. Iguanas and blue whiptail lizards are everywhere and cost nothing but patience. And at dusk, sharp-eyed families sometimes spot Aruba's little burrowing owl, the shoco, standing sentry by its burrow.

The free treasure hunt on top

Nearly everything on this page is one of Buska's 75 treasures, and the app itself starts free with 12 starter tiles, no ads, no card required. Kids photograph what they find and the trip builds its own scrapbook as you go.