Aruba Vacation Guide

Introduction

Aruba is the smallest island in the Leeward group of the Dutch Caribbean islands, which also include Bonaire and Curacao. They are popularly known as the ABCs. As the westernmost island of the group, Aruba is the final link in the long Antillean chain, lying 20km (12.5 miles) off the Venezuelan coast. The island is 30km (19.6 miles) long and 9km (6 miles) across at its widest and has a flat landscape dominated by Jamanota Mountain (188m/617ft). The west and southwest coast, known as Palm Beach, boasts 11km (7 miles) of palm-fringed powder-white sands while, in complete contrast, the east coast has a desolate, windswept shoreline of jagged rocks carved into peculiar shapes by the pounding surf.

This parched speck of an island has guaranteed sunshine and is blessed with beaches that make you say 'ahhh'. Tourism is the big business here and it's served in a double scoop of Latin coastal coasters and sun bunnies from North America and Holland.

Full country name: Aruba
Area: 75 sq km
Population: 68,675
Capital City: Oranjestad
Language: Dutch, Papiamento, English, Spanish; Castilian
Religion: Roman Catholic (82%), Protestant, Jewish, Hindu, Muslim
Government: autonomous state within the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Time Zone: GMT/UTC -4 (Atlantic Standard Time)
Dialling Code: 297
Electricity: 127V ,60Hz
Currency: Aruba Florin or Guilder (AFl)

We constantly update vacation deals and flights + hotel packages for Aruba and the Caribbean. You can also check out some of the best hotels and resorts in Aruba with exciting attractions like golf, casino, scuba diving and other water sports. Popular hotels & resorts in Aruba are Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort and Marriott Aruba Resort & Stellaris Casino.

Aruba is no stickler for visas. US and Canadian citizens can visit with proof of citizenship, such as a photo ID and a birth certificate. Most other nationalities require just a passport. A roundtrip or onward ticket is required of all visitors.
More Information About Visa Requirements

Most visitors arrive on charter flights from the US and Canada, but if you're travelling independently, American Airlines and Aruba Airlines have flights between the island and New York and Miami. KLM has flights from Amsterdam, while a number of South American carriers offer connections to Venezuela and Colombia. Air Aruba also has frequent inter-island flights to Bonaire and Curacao. From Oranjestad to London is 11 hours 40 minutes (including a connection, normally in Amsterdam), to Los Angeles is 10 hours and to New York is four hours.

Aruba's Queen Beatrix Airport is located on the southern coast approximately 6km (4mi) southeast of Oranjestad. Plenty of taxis are available for trips to the city or the resort area. You'll need a car to explore the interior or northern windward coast There's a frequent bus service between Malmok in the island's northwest and San Nicolas in the southeast. It passes through Oranjestad and the hotel beach strip, and runs right by the airport. This service and other local buses depart from Oranjestad's funky pastel bus station next to Royal Plaza. Taxis hang around the larger hotels and popular tourist spots. They're unmetered, but rates are regulated by the government and are calculated using a zone system. Since drivers are required to carry a rate card, you should be able to establish the exact fare beforehand. Taxis can also be hired hourly for sightseeing tours.

The peak tourist season is between mid-December and mid-April, but this has more to do with the weather in North America and Europe than it does with the weather on Aruba. It's therefore best to visit outside this period, when you can expect room rates to be almost halved.

Aruba has the best beaches in the Dutch Caribbean and arguably some of the finest in the region, especially if you don't mind lounging in the shadow of large hotels. The island's most popular beaches are along the developed stretch of the reef-protected leeward coast, northeast of Oranjestad. They include the resort areas of Druif Beach, Palm Beach and Eagle Beach. Less crowded beaches include Arasji Beach, on the island's northwestern tip; the cove at Baby Beach, at the island's southeastern extremity; and undeveloped Boca Grandi, one of the few places to swim on the exposed northern coast.

Aruba has fantastic windsurfing, thanks to consistently strong trade winds. The favored spot for experienced surfers is Fisherman's Hut, just north of Palm Beach. Malmok, just a little further north, is a good place to find your windsurfing wings while Boca Grandi and Bachelor's Beach in the southeast are popular with those wanting a little more elbow room. There's plenty of windsurfing gear for hire. Good swimmers can try boogie-boarding at Andicuri on the central northern coast.

Yachts offer coastal cruises with snorkeling and swimming stops and are also available for private charter. If you're interested in deep-sea fishing, you can catch bonito, kingfish and marlin. Naturalist-led hiking tours can be arranged through the Aruba Tourism Authority, and there are horses for rent at Daimari in the island's north.

Golf - Tierra del Sols par-71 championship 18-hole course was designed by the Robert Trent Jones II Group, renowned for protecting the natural ecology of their sites. The course is located on the northwestern tip of the island, near the California Lighthouse and affords magnificent views. A 9-hole course is located at the Aruba Golf Club.

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