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Shopping in Aruba
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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.
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.
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.
Electricity 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.
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 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. 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.
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.
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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