What should I pack for Palm Beach?

The single thing most visitors underestimate about Palm Beach is the wind. Aruba sits at 12°N latitude, and the trade winds blow a steady 15-25 knots almost every day of the year. That wind feels wonderful when you're on the sand at 33°C, but it disguises how fast you're burning. SPF 50+ reef-safe sunscreen is non-negotiable. Apply it in your hotel room, not on Palm Beach itself, because the wind will send half of it onto your towel. Worth noting, the glare off the water along the Palm Beach strip is painful by midday, so bring polarized sunglasses with a retainer strap. A lightweight windbreaker earns its luggage space for boat trips toward Spanish Lagoon and for evening walks when the breeze picks up and the temperature drops to around 26°C.

You'll want two pairs of shoes, and one of them needs a real sole. Palm Beach's sand is soft and fine, but step 10 minutes south toward Eagle Beach or north toward the California Lighthouse and the ground shifts to coral rock and cactus scrub. Arikok National Park, which opened in 2000, covers about 18% of the island with trails over exposed volcanic rock and loose limestone. Flip-flops won't survive the hike to the Conchi natural pool. Trail sandals like Chacos or lightweight hiking shoes handle both Arikok's rough terrain and dinner at Barefoot restaurant on Eagle Beach afterward. For snorkeling spots like Malmok Beach and Boca Catalina, a pair of reef shoes matters more than you'd expect. The coral there is sharp enough to slice your feet and end a good afternoon early.

Pack light cotton and linen for Aruba's 27-33°C days. The humidity currently sits around 78%, but the constant trade wind means you dry faster than on a still-air island like Curaçao. Three swimsuits lets you rotate without that damp-suit-from-yesterday feeling. One collared shirt or sundress covers the smart-casual dress code at higher-end spots along J.E. Irausquin Boulevard, but beyond that, Aruba runs casual. You won't need an umbrella here. Aruba averages around 500mm of rain per year, less than Las Vegas, and brief showers come and go, mostly between October and January. Leave the plug adapter at home if you're flying from the US or Canada. Aruba runs 127V on Type A/B outlets, identical to North American plugs. European visitors need a US-style adapter, easily found at Schiphol if you're connecting through Amsterdam.

A few things are cheaper or better to buy after you land at Queen Beatrix International Airport. The supermarkets in Noord, like Super Food Plaza on the road toward Palm Beach, stock Aruba Aloe gel at roughly half the price of US pharmacies. The island has been growing aloe commercially since 1840, and the factory near Hato sells its own line directly. On Aruba, mosquito repellent is likely unnecessary. The desert climate and constant wind mean far fewer mosquitoes than Trinidad or Jamaica. Bring a small tube if you're hiking Arikok at dusk, but you'll probably leave it unopened. Sunscreen, on the other hand, runs $15-20 USD per bottle at Palm Beach hotel shops. Bring your SPF from home and save roughly $10 a bottle.