UPDATED FEB 2020. Recently I had been going through a bit of a rough patch. I pushed through as far as I could, but things just kept piling up. Â Eventually, the stress caught up to me and I knew I needed to take a break. The destination was Aruba and the schedule was a whole lot of nothing. I was craving somewhere warm, sunny and by the ocean to relax and refresh. I didn’t go there with the plans of working or blogging anything about the trip. But, I ended up finding the best bed and breakfast in Aruba that is family run and offers an amazing, authentic experience.
The Best Bed And Breakfast In Aruba For An Off The Beaten Path Experience
Disclaimer
There are affiliate links included in this post. This means at no extra cost to you, I earn a commission if you book through the link.
My choice for where to stay in Aruba
I usually use Booking.com for my travels because you can find a lot of good deals there, especially for last-minute trips.
For this trip, while I was scrolling through what was available, I found Serene By The Sea.
It is away from the touristy areas, quiet, family-run, included breakfast and is right on the water. In other words, it ticked all the boxes for what I was looking for.
This is an amazing bed and breakfast in Aruba and right on the edge of the water
The rooms
I’d describe the rooms as basic comfort.
The spacious room had a comfortable bed, fast WiFi, bathroom, wardrobe, fridge/freezer, TV and it was right by the water.
It was not super glamorous but it had almost everything you would need for your trip and was certainly a comfortable place to stay.
The only thing it was missing, in my opinion, was shampoo and conditioner in the room. It wasn’t a huge issue for me since I just swam in the ocean every day and that was my island style effort of washing my hair, but for the price you pay for the room, I feel as though the shampoo and conditioner should have been included.
My only other tip is that the walls are super thin. It’s not a complaint – just something to keep in mind if you’re like my neighbors and want to get your freak on.
Just think of the person in the room next to you ‘aight.
The food
I don’t know what the best way to start a day is, but having a freshly prepared breakfast by the edge of the ocean has to be up there with the best.
And that’s what you can do at Serene By The Sea.
Each morning, Chef will whip up an omelet for you which you can munch on along with some fruit, toast, sweets and/or granola.
Keep an eye out on the water as you’re eating breakfast too, because there are a few turtles that live in the area in front of the hotel. I liked that each morning you could eat breakfast and watch their little heads pop up to say hi (or just to breathe but I like to think they were saying hi!)
Where to eat nearby
The hotel is located next to the popular restaurant The Flying Fishbone. If you prefer a fancy experience, it would be a great option to try.
Since it is quite popular, you will need to make a reservation.
Each night it was packed, especially at sunset, because the outdoor seating at the restaurant has a beautiful sunset view, as does the hotel.
If you are more into a local ‘eating with your hands’ type experience, I can definitely recommend Zeerovers which is also near the hotel, just a couple of doors down.
An incredible feast at Zeerovers
It’s much cheaper than the Flying Fishbone and not a fancy type of experience.
Here you can get a bucket of shrimp, fish, and fries for about $20 (depends on how much you get really but it’s not too expensive) and sit on a table by the water and dig in.
It’s a real local treasure. Bring cash because they don’t accept card payments.
Another food recommendation I have is to have dinner at the hotel. I did this on my last night there and got an awesome surf and turf, that came with a giant lobster tail as well as a bottle of wine and dessert.
Sunsets in Aruba are pure magic
The staff aka your new friends
Serene By The Sea is a family-run hotel and the family that run it are nothing short of amazing.
They were happy to help with anything I needed, from asking for directions to advice for things to do on the island.
They had a way of not only welcoming you to the hotel but into the family in a way. While you stay there, of course, you are a guest, but it feels more like you are a family friend.
If you stay here, don’t be shy.
Make sure you stop to have a chat with the family when they are free. Also, make sure to tell them I miss them.
Another cool thing is that since it is a small hotel, it allows an opportunity to meet other guests. Of course, if you want your space you can have that.
But, if you want to get to know each other, it’s very easy to do so over breakfast or while chilling out.
I am grateful to say that I made some new friends while I was staying there. It was so rewarding and fun getting to know them.
The location
I’ve mentioned that it’s right on the water so that is your backyard while you stay here. You can snorkel out to the nearby island or up and down the coast.
I saw turtles, a barracuda, a giant lobster and lots of fish. If you kayak, you can follow the coast down to the popular Mangel Halto beach or the quieter but equally beautiful Santo Largo beach.
At the hotel, they have lounge chairs, snorkel masks, water shoes, kayaks, and a paddle boat you can use for no extra charge.
There’s also a relaxing hammock area for lounging and it’s a great spot to start and end the day.
Aruba travel tip
A taxi from the airport is a set price of $32.
You can catch buses for only about $2, but it is a little out of the way.
It’s much more convenient to rent a car if you stay here. Driving around the island is fairly laid back and easy.
For more information:
Book your visit at Serene By The Sea
Visit the Serene By The Sea website or Facebook page
If you found it useful, return the favor by sharing it or following me on Instagram!
No Comments