Aruba

Destination Description

Fifteen miles off the Venezuelan coast, Aruba draws visitors year-round thanks to its consistently sunny weather, low humidity, and constant tradewinds that sculpt its divi-divi trees. Colorful marine life and coral reefs mesmerize divers while jewelry stores in Oranjestad, the capital, have the same effect on shoppers. After dark, the action shifts to the lively nightclub scene and hotel casinos, with their Vegas-style shows.

Windmills, lighthouses, twisted Divi Divi trees. Aruba’s unique charm stems from its Dutch influence. Only 15 miles north of Venezuela, Aruba is one of the southernmost islands of the Caribbean. Cooling tradewinds generally keep the temperature a perfect 82º under beautiful sunny skies year-round. When the sun goes down, a whole different side of Aruba comes to life. Glitzy casinos offer the best of classic American and European gaming.

Aruba is one of the few islands outside of the hurricane belt! Aruba is a very upscale island with the lowest crime rate in the Caribbean. Aruba has great beaches, a wide variety of restaurants, casinos, and nightlife. The constant trade winds keep Aruba cool even during the summer.

Activities and attractions

SCUBA and snorkeling – Diving in Aruba is famous for the spectacular shipwrecks and interesting coral formations that dominate Aruba’s underwater realm. This includes the 400 foot Antilla wreck — the largest wreck in the Caribbean.
Most of Aruba’s dive sites lie along the protected western and southern coasts, a short distance from the hotels on Palm Beach. Aruba’s waters are rich in exotic marine life, including stingrays, moray eels, manta rays, barracudas and yellow tail. A large, shallow sand plateau surrounds Aruba making boat travel the most convenient method of reaching the off-shore reefs. Interesting coral formations are found from shallow water depths of 20 to 100 feet, with little or no current and flat surface conditions. Over twenty more dive sites are shared by the dive operators on the island.

Golf – Aruba has only one championship golf course, and it’s beauty, with 18 holes overlooking Aruba’s northwest coast. Designed by Robert Trent Jones II, Tierra del Sol is a splash of green in the desert countryside – a Palm-Springs-in-the-Caribbean experience. Wind is major obstacle on this par-71, 6,811-yard course. But, the constant breeze also makes play comfortably cool most of the time. A few water hazards add a bit more challenge, but the fairways are wide and planted in lush, well-groomed Bermuda grass.

ATV or Jeep tour – explore Aruba’s rugged interior. Enjoy the beauty of the natural cactus and desert landscape.

Dining – Aruba has one of the most vibrant dining scenes in the Caribbean. Enjoy the freshest seafood and cuisine from all over the world. The majority of the restaurants are located in Oranjestad, a short 10 minute taxi from the Palm Beach resorts.

Shopping – No sales tax. Now, those are sweet words to adventurous shoppers. Aruba has the advantage of being a low-tax-free member of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which makes it a fairly good place to buy European luxuries, jewelry, and perfume. Designated duty-free shops are located at the departure terminal of the airport. Dutch treats are, of course, plentiful and well priced; high quality original art, one-of-a-kind fashions, and handmade articles produced by local artisans make sensible souvenirs of your trip.