Especially for first-time visitors, there are a few things I would like to share. Please use the links in this article to get locations in Google Maps.
Grocery shopping
The best supermarkets for fresh food are SuperFood and Ling&Sons. Ling&Sons is usually less crowdy than SuperFood. The closest shop is called Ting Wei. They sell bags of ice there which might come in handy if you would like to take to the cooler to the beach. If you arrive earlier than the check-in time a good use of time could be to get your grocery shopping done before arrival.
Restaurants
For a healthy lunch make your way to Eduardo’s Beach shack or the nearby Eduardo’s Hideaway with has a more extended menu than the Beach Shack. The Garden Fresh Cafe in the palm beach restaurant area is also a good option. More south on the Island you’ll find the classic spot for fresh shrimp and fried fish. Its name Zeerovers in Dutch literally means the robbers of the sea. It’s fair in price as you buy your fish by the pound. Another fish place closer to home is Hadicurari, it’s great for both lunch and dinner.
Next to Hadicuari, you’ll find Moomba beach bar and restaurant. Sunday nights are famous here as they play live music.
Snorkeling
Aruba’s most popular snorkeling spot is just a 3-minute drive from your holiday home. Beaches Tres Trapi and Boca Catalina give access to the best access to see both turtles and many weird-shaped colorful fishes.
For turtles, it’s best to enter from Tres Trapi and to go early morning before the boats come out. Usually, you need to swim out a little to see turtles, and swimming with crossing boats can be dangerous. For fish, you can stay closer to shore as they like to swim around the rocks closer to shore.
Aruba’s second snorkeling spot is at Mangel Halto south of Aruba. Although many tours are offered snorkeling can be done perfectly on your own. Tours can also be fun as you have an experience on the boat and often offer an open bar. For info about tours please contact your host.
Snorkeling gear
If you choose to go snorkeling by yourself it’s recommended to bring your own gear from home. Renting could be the same price as buying it at home. New gear has the disadvantage that the goggles get foggy easily. If you have a chance prepare your goggles by drowning them in dish soap and by leaving them in the sun for someday. You can repeat this process multiple times to remove the filter present on most new goggles.