What should I pack for Aruba?

Reef shoes are the item most Aruba visitors wish they'd packed. Eagle Beach has soft powdery sand, but wade into the water at Arashi or Malmok and you're stepping on sharp coral and sea-urchin territory. Baby Beach on the southern tip is one of the few spots with a sandy lagoon floor, knee-deep for about 100 meters out. Everywhere else, a $20 pair of rubber-soled water shoes saves your feet. Aruba sits at 12°N latitude, where the UV index reaches 11+ by mid-morning most of the year. Pack SPF 50 reef-safe sunscreen. The reefs sit close to shore along the entire west coast, and some snorkeling operators check bottles before they let you in the water. The trade winds blow a steady 20-30 km/h nearly every day, so bring a fitted cap or a hat with a chin strap.

Pack for 27-32°C heat cut by that persistent wind. Quick-dry fabrics beat cotton in 80%+ humidity, where a damp cotton shirt stays clammy against your skin all day. Three or four lightweight shirts, two swimsuits (one is always drying on the balcony rail), and board shorts that double as walking shorts cover most days. No restaurant on the island requires a jacket or tie. Screaming Eagle on the Eagle Beach low-rise strip is about as dressy as it gets, and it's open-air. Bring one light windbreaker for evening boat trips to sites like the Antilla wreck. Salt spray feels cold against bare arms once the sun dips. Closed-toe shoes matter for Arikok National Park, where the ground is loose diorite and waist-high kadushi cacti crowd the trail.

US travelers can leave the plug adapter at home. Aruba runs on 127V/60Hz with Type A and B outlets, the same plug shape as North America. European visitors need a US-style adapter, available at hotel front desks but cheaper packed from home. Bring a portable charger for days in Arikok National Park, where cell signal drops along the northeast coast and near the natural bridge. Your phone's GPS tends to be the only reliable navigation since the park's trail signage is sparse past the visitor center. You won't need beach towels, since every resort on Palm Beach and Eagle Beach hands them out at the pool. You also won't need bottled water, since the island's desalination plant has supplied Aruba since the 1930s. The tap water tastes slightly mineral but is safe, a surprise for visitors expecting the Caribbean's usual boil-water situation.

A few things cost less in Oranjestad than in your suitcase. The Aruba Aloe factory store near Hato sells pure gel and after-sun relief for $8-12, roughly half of US pharmacy prices. The greenhouse there smells like fresh-cut aloe and rubbing alcohol, and the 15-minute tour is free. Cheap polarized sunglasses at shops along L.G. Smith Boulevard run 10-18 AWG, about $6-10 at the current rate. Ling & Sons supermarket stocks reef shoes for around $15 if you forgot yours. The one thing you will not find at a fair price on the island is high-SPF reef-safe sunscreen. Resort gift shops along J.E. Irausquin Boulevard charge $25-35 for a small tube, roughly 3x US retail.