We normally don’t do a lot of leisure shopping while on the island, but there are a few destinations…note that many of the smaller shops, not on the main drags are closed on Sundays, and almost all shops close by 6pm every evening. The exception to that would be the malls near the high rise hotels which really only comes alive in the late afternoon. There is a bowling alley there and usually some events in the evenings.
Downtown & High Rise Hotels
You will find a lot of the same duty free jewelry and electronics shops down town. It can be a fun morning though to go downtown, take the trolley and poke around a bit. Shopping after lunch is just hot in our experience and no fun!
Diamonds International is a good all purpose jewelry store, with the largest selection of John Hardy jewelry on the island. In the shopping plaza across from the Paddock bar, you will find Little Switzerland, etc (Royal Plaza) and there is a nice little store that sells shells and pottery on the top level tucked away in a corner which is worth a visit.
You can also take a stroll down the high rise strip and there are a number of small local shops along there and in the strip malls that line the hotels. And there is one larger mall that has a few shops and restaurants in it that are interesting. Paseo Herencia mall also has a lot of evening events that would be fun for the kids. Check the local papers.
Home decor
Most of non-Divi furniture and knick knacks in the penthouse we bought at Home and Nature, which is near the airport. If you have a car and are so inclined, here are the directions. Head towards the airport and when you are almost there, take a left at “PriceSmart” which is a big warehouse store. Go about 1/4 mile down the road and Home and Nature is on the left in a green building. You can spend a good hour poking around this dusty warehouse/shop and find something small to take home – their shipments are from Indonesia. Prices are in Florins. Closed on Sundays.
Art
The paintings we have are by local artists named Elvis Tromp and Elisa Lejuez. There is an orange book in the living room that has Elisa’s work in it. Her studio is in her home and you can visit it. She also has a line of scarves and clothing based on her paintings which is sold locally at T.H. Palm on the high rise hotel strip and at Eva Boutique at the Renaissance and Studio Italia at the Hyatt. http://www.elisalejuez.com
Flea Markets and souvenirs
On Saturdays and Sundays there is a “tourist” flea market close to the Divi, on the way to town near the Certified MegaMall located in a parking lot facing the main street. It has good deals on T shirts, sun dresses, bags, etc… You can walk there from the Divi if you don’t mind a bit of a stroll. And on the harborfront and all over downtown you will find the usual tourist souvenir shops.
Nicer Aruba souvenirs and clothing can be found at the Lazy Lizard around the island – there is a small one in the new shopping mall next to Alhambra casino and a larger one next to Hard Rock Café on the high rise strip. Also check out the T.H. Palm and the Juggling Fish (in the Costa Linda resort on the high rise strip).