A newly published travel feature is putting Aruba’s food, culture, adventure and nightlife in the spotlight. In a September 11 report for SHEEN Magazine, writer Alex Jackson recapped a Labor Day girls’ trip that deliberately went beyond a resort-only vacation.
The firsthand itinerary combines a Palm Beach stay with local restaurants, watersports, a visit to San Nicolas and time on the water. It offers a current visitor’s view of how a long weekend in Aruba can mix relaxation with experiences across the island.
A Palm Beach base with room to explore
Jackson’s group stayed at Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort in Palm Beach. The article describes the area as a convenient base for restaurants, shopping and nightlife, while emphasizing that renting a car made it easier to explore beyond the main hotel district.
That approach mirrors a useful theme for Aruba visitors: choose a comfortable base, but leave time to discover different neighbourhoods and communities. Aruba News has more ideas in its existing girls’ trip guide.
Aruba’s dining scene leads the itinerary
Food was a major part of the weekend. The SHEEN feature highlights breakfast and lunch at Waffle Beach House, an eight-course dinner at Infini by Urvin Croes, lunch at Che Bar Aruba, and a Belgian-inspired meal at Le Avenue Aruba.
The writer also singles out Glory Bar & Restaurant as a more local and affordable stop recommended by the group’s kitesurfing instructor. Together, the selections show the range available to visitors, from casual daytime dining to a structured tasting-menu experience.
Kitesurfing, San Nicolas and time on the water
The group tried kitesurfing at Armando’s Kite Shack, an experience Jackson describes as a memorable step outside her comfort zone. A boat outing added another perspective on Aruba, while nightlife at South Beach Aruba rounded out the weekend.
A visit to San Nicolas brought art and Afro-Caribbean culture into the itinerary. The group explored murals and museums and spent time learning about a side of the island that can be missed when travellers remain near the resort area. Readers can learn more in Aruba News’ guide to San Nicolas art, culture and street murals.
A long weekend built around variety
The feature’s central takeaway is that an Aruba girls’ trip does not have to choose between luxury, culture, food and adventure. Jackson’s group combined all four, using a rental car and a flexible schedule to move from Palm Beach to San Nicolas and from tasting menus to watersports.
For Aruba, the coverage is another example of how visitors increasingly share experiences beyond the beach. Restaurants, neighbourhoods, cultural attractions and local recommendations all helped shape the story of the trip.
Source: SHEEN Magazine, “How We Spent Labor Day Weekend in Aruba”, published September 11, 2026. The experiences and opinions summarized above are those reported by the writer.
