| What | When | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Pagara (strings of firecrackers) | Daytime on December 31 | Lit by local businesses and families, sometimes with live music |
| Dande | December 31 | Groups travel to homes and communities singing New Year blessings |
| Midnight countdown | Midnight | Many people listen to the radio countdown |
| Fireworks | Midnight | Visible island-wide, from north to south |
| Taxi surcharge | December 24 to January 1 | $5 extra per taxi |
The fireworks
At midnight, fireworks light up the sky from every direction, according to the tourism board, so the best viewing place is any open view rather than one square. The tourism board advises choosing a safe, elevated spot with a wide view, such as a hotel balcony, a rooftop or a designated viewpoint, and not stopping along roads or in unsafe areas. That makes the hotel the simplest place to watch from: pick one with an upper-floor balcony or rooftop terrace in the hotel box (see Palm Beach for the high-rise strip and Eagle Beach for the low-rise side).
Pagara and Dande
Pagara is the lighting of long strings of firecrackers in the daytime by local businesses and families. The tourism board asks visitors to watch from a respectful distance. Dande is a New Year's tradition in which groups travel from home to home and community to community singing blessings and wishes for the year ahead, accompanied by the tambu, wiri and raspa instruments.
Getting around that night
Taxi fares are fixed by the government and carry a $5 surcharge from December 24 to January 1 and between 11 pm and 7 am on any night (Visit Aruba, read 6 November 2026). A ride from Palm Beach to Eagle Beach is $16 before the surcharge. Buses are cheap, at $2.60, but the schedule that evening is not published, so plan the way back by taxi. See how to get around Aruba.
What is closed on January 1
The Donkey Sanctuary is closed on January 1 and the Aruba Ostrich Farm is also closed on that day (their own sites, read 7 November 2026). The lighthouse and the museums do not publish holiday hours; confirm with them. Shops, gas stations and supermarkets on Aruba's national holidays may close early or all day, according to the tourism board's page for the March 18 holiday, so stock up before December 31 if you rent an apartment. See the Donkey Sanctuary.
Weather and timing
December averages about 1.0 inch (25 mm) of rain and about 28 °C; the short rainy season runs October to December with brief showers (aruba.com weather page, read 6 November 2026). The month in detail is in Aruba in December, and Carnival starts to build in January, with the Torch Parade on January 9, 2027 (see Aruba in January).
A simple plan for December 31
- Morning: a sail or a beach morning on Eagle or Palm Beach.
- Afternoon: watch the Pagara from a respectful distance.
- Evening: dinner at your hotel or a restaurant on the Palm Beach strip, then a balcony or rooftop at midnight.
- January 1: a slow day; remember the Donkey Sanctuary and the ostrich farm are closed.
Typical mistakes
- Looking for a single fireworks site: the fireworks are visible island-wide.
- Standing on the road to watch: the tourism board advises against stopping along roads.
- Forgetting the $5 taxi surcharge between December 24 and January 1.
- Counting on a visit to the Donkey Sanctuary on January 1.
FAQ
Where are the fireworks in Aruba on New Year's Eve?
At midnight they are visible island-wide, from north to south; a hotel balcony or rooftop is a good vantage point.
What is Pagara?
Strings of firecrackers lit in the daytime on December 31 by local businesses and families.
What is Dande?
A tradition in which groups go from house to house singing blessings for the new year.
Is it more expensive to take a taxi on New Year's Eve?
Yes, by $5, because the surcharge applies from December 24 to January 1.
Aruba Authority editorial team, 7 November 2026.
