Aruba

Quick Facts:

Location –  

Located only 15 miles north of Venezuela in the warm waters of the southern Caribbean, Aruba is home to many beautiful white-sand beaches. Together with Bonaire and Curaçao, Aruba forms a group referred to as the ABC islands. 

Weather –

The average temperature sits around 82-degrees Fahrenheit during the day. It's location just below the hurricane belt which is unlike many of the Caribbean islands means there is very little rainfall.

Getting around –

The island is 19.6 miles long and 6 miles across making it easy to get around. Taxi Rates are set by the Government and are based on destination rather than mileage traveled and are for the total number of passengers in the car or van. 

Currency –

Aruba’s official currency is the Aruban Florin. There are however a large number of ATM's spread throughout the island and USD are widely accepted.

Language spoken –

The official languages are Dutch and – since 2003 – Papiamento. Papiamento is the predominant language on Aruba. A creole language spoken on Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao. English is commonly spoken in the tourist areas.

Electricity –

Aruba has the same voltage standard as in North America so if you are travelling from Europe a convertor will be needed.

What To Do:

Excursions –

In the interior of the island, you’ll find Arikok National Park, a desert like preserve with a variety of wildlife, cacti and dramatic rock formations. You’ll also find some of Aruba’s most striking views, as the ocean crashes against the rugged shoreline below.

On the northeast coast, along the windward shore, you’ll see the island’s unofficial mascots, the fofoti trees. The constant trade winds have permanently sculpted them into graceful, southwesterly bending forms.

Aruba’s pristine, white-sand beaches and calm, turquoise waters are unlike any others. TripAdvisor.com recently named Eagle Beach one of the top ten beaches in the world.

For more tour options visit your tour operator's website.

Shopping –

Shoppers often visit Aruba for its shops devoted to jewelry, table linens, perfumes, leather goods, designer fashions, electronics, locally made handicrafts, Cuban cigars, Dutch Delft, Dutch Cheeses, and many more superior and favorably priced goods.

There is shopping available right at the larger resorts, or if you want to get more serious you can go into Oranjestad - the shopping capital of Aruba.

Nightlife –

There are many options to please all different kinds of travellers. There are different festivals running throughout the year which you can find out more about on aruba.com. Many bars and clubs can be found in Oranjestad, popular names such as Blue Bar, Senor Frogs and Soprano's Piano Bar are just a few. If you feel like spending the evening at a casino there are many throughout the island you can visit as well.

Golf –

There are multiple golf courses to choose from in Aruba, one of which is located at the Divi Village. If this is something you would like to take advantage of while in Aruba look into which course is closest to your resort and pre-book tee times if possible to avoid disappointment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Favorite Resorts –

Riu Palace Aruba

Riu Palace Las Antillas

Divi Aruba All Inclusive & Divi Village

Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino

Occidental Grand Aruba