There are so many beautiful places to snorkel in Aruba! Anywhere you can walk in safely, slap on some goggles, and stick your face in the water is going to be cool. But if you want to narrow it down to the three best places to snorkel in Aruba, this is what I recommend.

1. Baby Beach

Baby Beach is the ideal white sandy beach with the perfect water to wade out into without dealing with waves or deep, dark water. It’s also nice that it has a restaurant and food truck right there on the beach!

Snorkeling here is a lot of fun and easy for newbies, families, or nervous swimmers to experience. Head out into the water and go left under the rope. There, you will find a flurry of fish of all sizes and colors. Don’t worry if they get close to you – a lot of people feed the fish here, so they’re very friendly and not scared of you. And, no, they don’t bite.

If you want to feed the fish, stop at a store on the way to the beach and grab some frozen peas and carrots. The peas and carrots float, and the fish love them! It makes for some great GoPro footage, too!

Baby Beach snorkeling in Aruba
Baby Beach snorkeling in Aruba
Baby Beach snorkeling in Aruba
Baby Beach snorkeling in Aruba

2. Boca Catalina Beach

Boca Catalina Beach is not really a beach. Well, maybe further down it is, but not in the main section that I linked. The ground is rocky and sharp with coral, so you don’t want to walk barefoot here. However, we heard that there were turtles here because they liked to eat the grass on the ocean floor. It’s a public area with rocky steps leading down into the water, or you can jump in.

I have snorkeled with turtles before in Curacao, and one thing I learned was that you have to get there early in the morning before the swimmers and boats push them into deeper water. The same proved true in Aruba. I recommend trying to get in the water around 7:30 AM. It will be chilly, but you will be so distracted by everything around you that you won’t even notice the temperature! If you have a wetsuit, this is a good time to wear it.

Make sure you have a good snorkel and mask so you don’t have to tread much water because you’re fidgeting with your mask. The turtles can still be a far way out, so if you’re a nervous swimmer or not a strong swimmer, I would advise skipping this venture or wearing a life jacket.

It’s possible that you’ll see turtles closer to shore, especially in the early morning, so it’s worth a shot even if you don’t intend to swim far out. There’s always fish to see, too.

I have snorkeled here multiple times every year, and each time has been super exciting. We have seen plenty of turtles and fish, but also eels, starfish, an eagle ray, and a barracuda. The eagle ray is a life highlight for me because it was so incredible.

Boca Catalina Beach snorkeling in Aruba
Boca Catalina Beach snorkeling in Aruba
Boca Catalina Beach snorkeling in Aruba
Boca Catalina Beach snorkeling in Aruba
Boca Catalina Beach snorkeling in Aruba

3. Natural Pool

Please make seeing the Natural Pool a priority when planning a trip to Aruba. It’s a little unorthodox in how you have to get there, but it’s an incredible journey and so worth it! You have to rent a jeep or take an excursion to get there, and be prepared—it’s an adventure and not for the faint of heart. Also, you have to stop at the visitor center at Arikok National Park and pay $20 per person to enter the park. Children under 17 are free. That includes your entire time in the park, so after you visit the Natural Pool and drive back the way you came, turn left to continue into the park. Then you can explore the beaches, cliffs, and caves.

Only 4×4 vehicles can drive on the bumpy, off-road path that leads to the pool. The drive is incredible because it’s like you’re on another planet, high up overlooking the ocean and the entire island. There’s a parking lot at the pool and steps that lead down to it. It’s not a far walk at all. Everything I had read online made it sound like it was a long trek in the sun, but it was just one staircase away!

The pool changes based on the tide, so be very careful either way. The rocks are slippery, and the tide may blast over them and into the pool. They usually have a guide there to help you in and out or to let you know if it’s closed because the tide is too strong. When in the pool, use your snorkel and goggles and explore! The fish are really cool, and it’s fun because they’re not too big, so you can head to the side and relax if you need to. Get there early — around 9 to 10 AM — because more people show up as the day goes on and it gets busy.

Once you’re done, reapply your sunscreen and continue on through the park. If you aren’t sunned or beached out by the time you leave the park on the other side, Baby Beach is right up the road, and you can stop for more sun, sea, and snacks.

Since there are so many great places to snorkel, here’s a bonus: it’s one of my favorites!

Natural Pool snorkeling in Aruba
Natural Pool snorkeling in Aruba
Natural Pool snorkeling in Aruba
Natural Pool snorkeling in Aruba
Natural Pool snorkeling in Aruba
Natural Pool snorkeling in Aruba

Seabobs

On one of the last days of one of our trips, a few friends and I decided to do a Seabob tour, and it was, in a word – a blast! It’s this device that you hold onto, and it pretty much pulls you through the water. It’s a guided tour, which is cool because you can see and do more things there. We did the tour mainly because we were interested in seeing the Antilla shipwreck. To start, you get time to get a feel for your device and get comfortable before cruising out into the ocean, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll be diving 10 feet down and then shooting back up out of the water like a dolphin.

It took a while to zoom out to the shipwreck, but the journey was so fun! Since you’re not expending any energy, you can hold your breath for longer and cruise underwater for a long time.

The shipwreck was so eerie and cool at the same time. It was massive — way bigger than I thought it would be — and it looked like it had turned into a fish hotel. Fish of all shapes, sizes, and colors were swimming around and through the ship!

The only downside was that there were some jellyfish that stung us a few times by the wreck. You can’t see them, so it is always a surprise when one gets you.

Otherwise, it was still amazing to dive underwater, fly through the ocean, and visit the Antilla shipwreck. We were in the water for approximately an hour and a half, and we didn’t want to get out when it was over. If we had more time in Aruba, we would’ve gone back and done it again!

Renting a Seabob was a great way to experience the ocean without having to swim or worry about a snorkel. You only need goggles. It’s perfect for people who are not strong swimmers but still want to experience the ocean.

Baby Beach, Boca Catalina, and the Natural Pool are the best places to snorkel in Aruba, in my opinion. If you’re looking for an easy and fun excursion in the ocean, I recommend renting Seabobs.

Feel free to shoot me an email if you have questions!