Aruba

Situated only 20 miles north of Venezuela, Aruba has unwaveringly sunny skies, warm temperatures and cooling breezes, along with some of the best beaches in the Caribbean. The west coast boasts gentle waters, high-rise and low-rise resort areas, two golf courses, the cosmopolitan city of Oranjestad, and paved highways all the way down to San Nicolas. The northeast coast whipped by the wind is quite another matter. Here unique natural phenomena including rock formations, underground caves and natural bridges. The Arikok National Park is a natural preserve that covers one-fifth of Aruba with a wealth of flora and fauna, rugged desert interior, unforgiving terrain, hiking trails and historical sites such as gold mill ruins and old plantations.



Cruise ships arrive at the Port of Oranjestad. The three modern terminals have tourist information booths, phones, ATM’s and a handful of shops. The terminals can accommodate three megaships and two smaller ships; one of the three terminals is a container berth a short walk from the main terminal. From the pier, it is a 5 minute walk to the shopping districts of downtown Oranjestad and a 10 minute drive to the beaches.

You will need transportation to get to most of the beaches. Taxis will be lined up at the dock to take you wherever you want to go. Fares are fixed, and each driver will have a copy of the official rate schedule. There is daily bus service that offers round trips between the beach hotels and the port. Or if you prefer, all the major car rental companies have offices in Aruba and accept valid U.S. or Canadian driver’s licenses.

Sparkling white sandy beaches ring around the island. Cooled by constant trade winds, they include wide shaded expanses, secluded coves, and lively sunbathing and water sports meccas. All beaches are open to the public. While those on Aruba’s wild windward coast do afford tranquility and magnificent views, swimming here is not recommended due to strong undertow and crashing waves.



On the hotel side, across from the Talk of the Town Resort right in Oranjestad, are the calm waters of Surfside Beach. Going north is Eagle Beach, a popular public beach just past the low-rise resort area. Fringing the high-rise hotel strip is Palm Beach, dotted by water sports concessions, piers, restaurants, shops and world-class hotels. Hadicurari Beach (Fisherman’s Huts) is a rocky strip out past the Marriott Resort, very popular with windsurfer and kite surfers. Between the Holiday Inn and Marriott Resorts is Moomba Beach, an open-air restaurant/bar right on the beach offering lounge rentals. Malmok Beach is a narrow sandy stretch opposite sprawling homes; its shallow clear waters make it a popular snorkeling spot. A section called Boca Catalina is a small, secluded bay. Further north is Arashi Beach, perfect for snorkeling.



Because the island is part of the Netherlands, Dutch goods such as Delft porcelain, chocolate and cheese are especially good buys. Items from Indonesia, another former Dutch colony, are reasonably prices also. Skin and hair care products that are made from locally produced aloe are also popular and practical. If you are looking for big ticket items, shops have the usual variety of watches, cameras, gold and diamond jewelry, Cuban cigars, premium liquor, porcelain, perfumes, designer shoes, bags and clothing.

Some top rated, can’t miss shore excursions:

Island Bike Adventure: Explore Aruba’s wild northeast coast by mountain bike. Biking about 10 miles, you will visit the Baby Natural Bridge, which was cut by the sea and wind, the Bushiribana Gold Mine, the Alto Vista Chapel and the California Lighthouse.

Arikok National Park Hike & Beach: Travel about 30 minutes by bus to Aruba’s east end, where a park ranger will lead you on a hike through the desert like environment … full of divi-divi trees, iguanas, cacti, and if you can spot them, wild donkeys. Post hike, you can cool off with a swim or go snorkeling at Baby Beach.

Off-Road Land Rover Adventure: Take off into Aruba’s back country in an SUV, with you behind the wheel and in radio contact with your guide. You will visit attractions such as the Baby Natural Bridge, an ostrich farm, and the Bushiribana Gold Mine.

Atlantis Submarine Adventure: Cruise 148 feet below the sea in a submarine. During the gentle decent, you will pass by scuba divers, coral reefs, shipwrecks, and hundreds of curious sergeant majors, damselfish, parrotfish and angelfish.

In addition to the tours above, cruise lines typically offer about a dozen snorkeling, diving, sailing and other water oriented tours.

For some culture, head over to one of the town’s small museums which are only open on weekdays. There is the Archaeological Museum of Aruba, whose exhibits highlight the island’s Amerindian heritage. Fort Zoutman was erected in 1796 to defend against pirates. Since 1992 the complex has housed the Museo Historico Arubano, which displays island history from the colonial period until present. The small Numismatic Museum of Aruba has meticulous homemade exhibits telling the history of the world through coins.

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