Just offshore from Oranjestad, a chain of small reef islands breaks the surface of the Caribbean close to the cruise terminal. These tiny islets — some barely more than sandbanks with a few scrubby trees — protect the inner harbour from ocean swells and create calm, sheltered water close to the city. Several snorkelling and diving operators run trips to the reef systems around them.
The shipwrecks near these islands are among the most accessible dive sites in Aruba. Several vessels were deliberately sunk off the coast to create artificial reefs, and the marine life that has colonised them is now well-established. Day boat trips from the Oranjestad waterfront are the usual way to reach them.