Aruba Overview
 

Aruba has Beaches, shopping, casinos, water sports, restaurants, high-energy nightlife and very friendly people are Aruba's foremost attractions. If you enjoy good beaches, gambling and quality shopping, Aruba is for you.

Aruba is a good choice for people who like comfortable high-rise hotels, glitzy Las Vegas-style casinos and beautiful white-sand beaches.
 

There is an abundance of things to do - sunbathing, world-class windsurfing and waterskiing by day and discos, cabarets, dinner shows and high-stakes gambling at night.
 

The island of Aruba is modern and highly developed, with a desert-like landscape of cacti and wind-bent divi-divi trees.

Although Aruba, the western-most Leeward Island, was acquired by the Dutch in the 17th century, it's no longer officially a member of the Netherlands Antilles group. Since 1986, it has been considered a separate entity within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Nonetheless, its proximity to Bonaire and Curacao, the other traditional members of the Dutch Antilles, leads many people to lump them all together.
Actually, all three islands have been as much influenced by Venezuela (only 15 mi/24 km away from Aruba) as by the Netherlands.

The area and its Arawak inhabitants were discovered by the Spaniards in 1499 but only the mainland was developed. The Dutch claimed Aruba in 1634 but no European settlers arrived until 1754.

Gold was found in 1824, an oil refinery was built in 1924. Tourists began arriving in the 1960s, and their numbers have nearly doubled in the past seven years. Its now one of the most popular destinations in the Caribbean.

More than two dozen resort hotels now dot the beaches, particularly on the north-western side of the island at Palm Beach. There has been a moratorium on new hotel construction for some time.

The islanders are very friendly, and almost everyone speaks English, Spanish and Dutch, as well as Papiamento (a mixture of African, Dutch, English, Portuguese, Indian and Spanish idioms).
 

When to go to Aruba
 

Aruba's temperatures vary little year round and the humidity is very low. The average day temperatures are in the 70s-80s F/23-32 C, with nights in the 60s-70s F/15-27 C. It's rainy November-February but the rain seldom lasts longer than half an hour.
The coolest months are January and February, and the hottest are August and September. The island is outside the hurricane belt so its one of the best islands to visit during July-October, when the rest of the Caribbean is threatened,

Aruba is one of the Leeward islands, which means trade winds blow fairly steadily from the north-east (the breezes can be refreshing, but you'll have to hang on to your hat at the beach).

There is no need to buy bottled water in Aruba. The island's tap water is pure and refreshing, distilled in the world's second largest saltwater desalination plant.
Oil is refined on the island's south-west coast and a by-product of this process is abundant pure drinking water and electricity.
 

Electricity
Power failure is rare and the island has adopted the North American voltage standard of 110 A.C. (60 cycles), the same as in the United States and Canada.

Aruba has a tremendous variety of restaurants, including Asian, Indonesian, Dutch, French and Italian. Excellent local food can be found at many of Aruba's cafes. Island staples are meat and seafood and a variety of vegetables and fruits.
 

Try to hear a band that plays the tumba, a musical form indigenous to the Netherlands Antilles. It's related to the rumba and has a distinctive Latin sound.
More than 300 bird species can be spied on Aruba, including the orange trupiaal, the prikichi parrot and the yellow-bellied barika geel.

Although the island is dry & barren, you will find some beautiful palm trees on beaches and surrounding hotels, thanks to intensive landscaping.
 

U.S. citizens form the single largest group of visitors to Aruba. The second largest contingent is from nearby Venezuela.
 

Aruba Carnival, highlighted by a Grand Parade, is held the Sunday before Lent. Costumes, dances, music and culture are on display during the festivity. Some compete to become the Carnival's Prince and his aide, Pancho. Selected on the basis of their ability to tell the best jokes, the Prince and Pancho lead many parades.
Aruba's annual Jazz and Latin Music Festival is held in June.
Aruba is considered a major drug trans-shipment point because of its proximity to South America. Penalties for possession, use and dealing in drugs are stiff.
Public Holidays: 1 Jan (New Year's Day), 25 Jan (Commemoration Birthday of G. F. Croes), Carnival Monday, 18 Mar (Aruba Flag Day), Good Friday, Easter Monday, 30 Apr (Queen's Birthday), 1 May (Labor Day), Ascension, 25 Dec (Christmas Day) and 26 Dec (Boxing Day).
 

Aruba attractions - see Aruba Tours

Because the island is only 19miles/30km long and 6miles/10km wide, logistics present no problem when planning an itinerary. You can see all the sights in two days, using Oranjestad as a base.
 

ORANJESTAD
 

The beaches of Aruba are among the best in the Caribbean. You'll find the calmest water and the biggest crowds on the west side of the island near the major resorts.
Beaches on the east side have fewer people but trade winds can be very strong, particularly in the afternoon.
 

Shopping in Aruba -see our shopping section 
 

Shopping Hours: Mon-Sat 8 am -6 pm. Some shopkeepers close for an hour or so around noon for lunch. Some shops are open on Sundays and holidays if cruise ships are in port.

Though Aruba is not a duty-free port, the duty on most items is so low that shoppers often find discounts on all sorts of high-quality goods.
 

Popular items are Dutch products, including Delft ceramics, wooden shoes and fine cheeses and chocolates; good value in designer leather goods; Madeira embroidery; Indonesian crafts; and wood carvings, linens, crystal and perfumes from both South America and Europe.
 

You'll also see aloe, grown and processed locally, in every conceivable form, from soap to skin toners.
 

If there are boats from Venezuela or other islands in port, be sure to stroll along the harbor, just off the square, to see displays of produce and freshly caught fish and to take in a bit of local color.
Aruba has some locally made handicrafts.

The most popular island in the Dutch Caribbean, Aruba draws droves of honeymooners and sun worshippers to its sandy shores. This small, 20-mile long island dances to salsa, dines on red snapper, gambles in glitzy casinos, and surfs and sunbathes year-round. Aruba's past unfolds in the Dutch architecture of its bustling capital, Oranjestad, and on a hike past the abandoned gold mines in Arikok National Park. Platinum-blonde sandy beaches line its west coast, but the east coast is rugged, with craggy limestone cliffs, sand dunes, and crashing breakers.

Things to Do in Aruba

Some of Aruba's best white sugary stretches are found on the western and southern shores, including Palm Beach and Eagle Beach. For something secluded, head for the shallow, half-moon cove of Baby Beach, where the locals go. Slip through the heart-shaped entrance of the Tunnel of Love cave system in Arikok National Park, picnic on a boat, then dive with parrot fish around rusting wrecks. East of Oranjestad, trek around the mysterious Ayo and Casibari rock formations and see the wind-swept Divi-divi trees.

Aruba Nightlife and Entertainment

At night, the air is filled with the infectious sounds of salsa, reggaeton, meringue, and the island's own Tumba in Oranjestad. Down an Aruban Sunset cocktail at Mambo Jambo, one of the island's liveliest clubs, or don heels for a waltz at Bon Bini Festival every Tuesday at Fort Zoutman. Play a game of Caribbean stud poker at one of its casinos. Remember: Locals love to dress up and don't appreciate beachwear in the clubs.

Aruba Restaurants and Dining

Dining in Aruba is nothing short of indulgencs and romance. Its proximity to South America brings escabeche and Spanish spices. Stewed green papaya is a specialty, as is crispy-yet-soft corn bread. Fresh seafood is abundant, especially in the comfortable confines of Old Fisherman, an island institution. Whether you dine at a beachside bar in Palm Beach, or an opulent antique house in Oranjestad, you are guaranteed to stagger back to your hotel room sated and happy.

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