What to do in Aruba, written by a teenager

Baby Beach was my favorite beach on Aruba. It is a really great beach for children because of its shallow water, but it also has, in my opinion, the best snorkeling available.

It is a small cove, and the water barely gets over 6 feet at the deepest. Most of it is around 3 or 4 feet deep. On the outer edges of the cove, there are tons of fish hidden in the rocks, and you can just float along and watch them. Also, there is one spot where there is a break in the rock, and it opens up into the sea. That is where it gets deep but is also where the best fish are. You see tons of huge angelfish, lots of little black ones whose name I'm not sure of, and a ton of parrotfish, too. I think this is the best beach for beginner snorkelers, but advanced snorkelers will enjoy it too. Also, the fact that you can rent equipment there is a plus.

If I had to rate it out of 10, I would give it an 8--only an 8 because the beach tends to be crowded (not the water--the water is not crowded at all), and you have to pay in order to get beach chairs. Also, the view is marred because there is a factory behind it--see photos. Don't worry; there are no fumes, or they're barely noticeable.

When I visited Aruba, I stayed on Eagle Beach. It is very nice. Pure white sand and calm waters make it great for relaxing with the family. There are no fish to speak of, so there's no snorkeling. Most areas have a lifeguard nearby, which is also nice for families. One of my favorites. I rate it 7 out of 10. I only give it a 7 because I thought it was kind of boring, since my mother would not let us rent any equipment. You can take banana-boat rides, rent inner tubes, and that sort of thing.

Malmok Beach was my favorite beach for snorkeling. It has amazing snorkeling. It is not a beach for lying in the sand, because there is barely any sand to speak of; it is mostly rock. I loved the snorkeling, though. It is one of the beaches where all the snorkeling boats take their tour groups, which says something about it. But if you think that makes it crowded, it doesn't. I would just sit on the very edge of the water and look in, and I saw tons of different types of fish, one foot off the shore. I saw eels and fire coral (that is further out, so don't worry about touching it). It is great for any type of snorkeler. It was my first time snorkeling, and I must admit that at first, the fish scared me. But none were dangerous, and it is so shallow--really nice. It's kind of rocky but perfect otherwise. I give it a 10 out of 10 for snorkeling and a 4 out of 10 for the beach. It's really great for getting in touch with the native Aruban people, because this is one of the beaches they go to. It is off the beaten path, and they go there to have picnics and barbeques. When I went there, there was a whole family camping there.