Aruba is one of the safest destinations in the Caribbean and is arguably safer than many parts of the USA, Canada or Europe. There aren’t any ‘bad neighboohoods’ in Aruba that need to be avoided.
The population of Aruba is very consicous that the island’s economy depends heavily on tourism and will come down hard on any activity that can damage Aruba’s image as a safe and hospitable destination.
Crime
Petty crime is rare but does exist on Aruba. You should take normal pre-cautions to not leave valuables unattended at the beach or in plain sight in your car.
The murder rate in Aruba is approximately 1.9 per 100,000 inhabitants, compare that to a rate of 5.8 in the United States.
Police are present all over the island and can be reached by dialling 100.
Scams
Scams are also rare in Aruba. You won’t get pestered on the beach or in tourist areas. We’ve heard of tourists being short-changed by an unscrupulous cashier but we have never experienced it ourselves. Most taxi drivers are honest and will even go out of their way to return items left in their cabs. Taxi fares are regulated by the government and there are no ride sharing companies operating in Aruba.
Natural Disaters
Aruba is outside of the hurricane belt. Aruba has never been hit directly by a hurricane. There hasn’t been a strong earthquake in Aruba since 1921.
Sharks
There has never been a shark attack at an Aruba beach. The only documented shark attack near Aruba took place far from this island when a Venezuelan fisherman fell into the sea.
Critters
There are very few creatures that might bite you. There is one species of rattle snake on Aruba but it is very rare and only found in the natural park. Mosquitos can be a nuisance and there have been cases of Dengue fever reported in Aruba.
Disease
The Center for Disease has no specific warning for Aruba. No immunizations are required when travelling to Aruba unless you are coming from certain South American countries. Travellers that originate in many South American countries will need a yellow fever vaccine to enter Aruba.
Stray Dogs
Stray dogs are common in Aruba despite government and NGO efforts to control them. Most of these dogs are friendly or too shy to approach humans. Stray dogs should be approached with caution.
Traffic Accidents
Because Aruba is so safe, we always encourage our guests to rent a car and explore the island. However, traffic accidents, especially fender-benders, are very common. In 2024, there were 5,677 traffic accidents on the island. As a comparision, we come from a city in Canada with a population about 10X that of Aruba and our city had about 18,000 traffic accidents in 2024. Anecdotally, we would say most of the accidents are caused by distracted drivers using their cell phones while driving. Drive defensively.
Emergency Services
Aruba has Police / Fire and Ambulance services that can be reached by calling 100 (Police) or 911 (Fire and Ambulance). Hospitals in Aruba provide excellent care.
