Never heard of any online outfits operating there. The caliente has a shop over there but I think thats about. Like Owen i have been to a few of the casinos including the Holiday Inn, cozy and clean but nothing special. BTW Unlike there other Caliente books the Aruba book takes 5% instead of the standard 2%
Aruba
This parched speck of an island off the coast of Venezuela 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 flavorsome double scoop of beach beaus and sun bunnies from North America and Holland, and Latin coastal coasters, nearly all of them on circuit-breaker trips to pep up winter suntans, prop at the poolside bar and try their luck at the casinos.
Although large-scale tourism dominates the island (read: luxury resorts from here to sunset), there are still undeveloped areas on the exposed northern coast, and much of the interior is inhabited by nothing more substantial than goats and contorted divi-divi trees. In this region, the triple whammy of a dry climate, salt-loaded seaspray and relentless trade winds has created a wonderfully surreal landscape with more than a passing resemblance to the images Pathfinder sent back to Earth from Mars.
Area: 75 sq miles (194 sq km)
Population: 68,675
Capital city: Oranjestad (pop 20,500)
Language: Dutch, Papiamento, plus English and Spanish
Religion: Roman Catholic (82%), Protestant, Jewish, Hindu, Muslim
Government: Autonomous state within the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Governor: Olindo Koolman
Prime Minister Henny Eman
GDP: US$1.5 billion
GDP per head: US$22,000
Inflation: 3%
Major industries: Tourism, transshipment facilities, oil refining, offshore banking, phosphates
Major trading partners: USA, EU, The Netherlands, Japan
Facts for the Traveler
Visas: 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.
Health risks: Sunburn
Time: Atlantic Standard Time (GMT/UTC minus 4 hours)
Electricity: 110V, 60Hz
Weights & measures: Imperial, with some metric
Telephone: Country code 297
When to Go
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.
Events
Aruba's Carnival takes place over several weeks prior to Lent (usually in February). It's celebrated with children's parades, masquerades, musical competitions, plenty of dancing and a 'jump-up.' The most intense celebrations take place in Oranjestad. New Year's Day is welcomed with midnight fireworks to ward off evil spirits, while wandering minstrels serenade houses and hotels. There's a Summer Jam at the end of April with a carnival and jazz bands. The Hi-Winds Pro-Am Windsurfing Competition is held at Eagle Beach in June. In late June, there's the harvest festival of Dera Gai - it used to involve the burying of a rooster, but these days a gourd is substituted. Sint Nicolaas Day (5 December) is a Dutch transplant: Sint Nicolaas is a Santa Claus figure who arrives with his un-PC Zwarte Pieten (Black Petes) who help him distribute candy and gifts to children gathered in Oranjestad.
Money & Costs
Currency: Aruban florin (Afl)
Meals
Budget: US$5-10
Mid-range: US$10-25
Top-end: US$25 and upwards
Lodging
Budget: US$80
Mid-range: US$80-200
Top-end: US$200 and upwards
No one comes to Aruba looking for a cheap holiday. Most visitors come to the island on package tours to luxury resorts. At these establishments pre-booked package deals are considerably cheaper than the quoted rates, which for accommodations alone can easily top US$250 a day. If you plan to stay in this kind of comfort and indulge in gambling, shopping and watersports - the three most popular tourist activities - you'd better have a platinum credit card in your wallet. Staying in a moderate hotel and eating in modest restaurants will cost around US$175 per day. Independent budget travelers can squeeze by on around US$100 a day by tracking down inexpensive B&B accommodations and concentrating on the free pleasures offered by the beach.
Aruba has its own currency but the US dollar is widely used. They'll take your greenbacks in even the tiniest local bar, though your change is likely to be in florins. Major credit cards and travelers' checks are accepted at all businesses catering to tourists. Many ATMs accept international debit cards, but not all - some of the most prominent likely-looking autotellers are for locals only. Look out for ABN-AMRO bank ATMs, which will dispense cash in local currency or US dollars.
There's a 7% government tax on hotel rooms. Hotels add a 10-15% service charge, plus other energy surcharges. Restaurant service charges are also in the 10-15% range; there's no need to tip on top of this.
Attractions
Oranjestad
Aruba's bright and breezy pastel-colored capital is on the island's southern leeward coast, just southeast of the main resort area. It has a distinctly Dutch flavor, thanks largely to the modern vogue for fake colonial architecture. Most tourists visit to scour its boutiques and duty-free shops, but it has three small museums worth a peek if you're interested in the island's history. The small Archaeological Museum has worthy exhibits on Aruba's Arawak inhabitants. The Museo Arubano, located in the restored 18th-century Fort Zoutman, does a passable job explaining Aruba's pre-European and colonial eras. And, if you want to see what jingled in the pockets of the oldendays folk, the Numismatic Museum has a vast collection of coinage from over 400 countries, some of which was salvaged from shipwrecks in the region.
Once you're out of the shopping zone, Oranjestad becomes a shabbier, livelier prospect. Local bars, sometimes just holes in the wall, are a good place to prop, watch some sport and drink beer with the locals.
Natural Bridge
Aruba's natural bridge has been formed over millennia by surf eating away at a portion of the rocky northern shore. At 100ft (30m) long and 23ft (7m) tall, it's no major miracle, but it's a pretty decent break from the beach and a good spot to snap photos of your gang when none of you has to be in swimming costume. You can also slurp on very fine fruit shakes at the 'thirst aid' station on the cliff top. Andicuri Beach, a short stroll over the bridge, is a decent boogie-boarding location for competent swimmers.
Arikok National Park
Aruba doesn't have a lot of land to play with, so it's heartening that almost 20 percent of the island has been set aside as the Arikok National Park. It encompasses a significant chunk of the interior and a long stretch of the northern windward coast. The park contains traces of nearly all the significant forces that have impacted on Aruba's history, including Arawak petroglyphs in the Fontein Cave, the remains of Dutch peasant settlements at Masiduri, plantation houses in the Prins Valley and the ruins of an old gold mining operation at Miralamar. The park encompasses 620ft (188m) Mount Jamanota, Aruba's biggest hill. It's worth taking the short but stiff walk to the top if you didn't score a window seat on the flight in and want to get a tip-to-tip perspective.
There's a road running through the park, but you'll appreciate the landscape more by exploring one of the hiking trails. Keep your eyes peeled for the rattle-less Aruban rattlesnake, a local resident and one of the island's indigenous subspecies.
Off the Beaten Track
Guadirikiri Caves & the Tunnel of Love
Hidden away in the outer reaches of Arikok National Park, these two cave complexes are just the place to take your special someone if cocktails and in-room spas just aren't making the play. Even with fresh batteries in your flashlight, the caves are damp, dark and batty enough to ensure you'll want to hold hands at the very least.
Guadirikiri even has a bona fide legend to go along with its spookiness: the headstrong daughter of an Indian chief and her unsuitable suitor are said to have been trapped within the cave and left to perish but, defiant after the end, their love-boosted spirits burst through the roof of the caves and shot up to heaven.
Hooiberg & Casibari
Although modest in size, the strange volcanic formation known as Hooiberg ('haystack') can be seen from most parts of the island. Carved steps lead to the top of this 545ft (165m) conical hill, which offers good (if not quite dizzying) views of the island. The parched scrub and cacti landscape around here is perfect Spaghetti Western country, especially around Casibari, to the north of Hooiberg, where giant-sized diorite boulders have been eroded into bizarre shapes by the trade winds.
Daimari
Appearing oasis-like in the mostly arid countryside is this surprisingly lush pocket of greenery. Daimari comprises a coconut plantation and a ranch where you can hire a nag to carry you to the gorgeous natural pool at Boca Ketu. If equine is not fine, you can rent a dune buggy just a little further along the track and zoom your way along the 4WD track to the pool.
Activities
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.
There's diving and snorkeling on the reef that runs along Aruba's leeward coast. Visibility can often reach 100ft (30m) and there's plenty of marine life, but the diving is not as spectacular as that available off neighboring Bonaire and Curaçao. The WWII-era wrecks of a scuttled German freighter and a tanker, both off the coast of Malmok, are favored dive spots. Snorkeling spots include Boca Grandi, which has good elkhorn coral, Palm Beach and Baby Beach.
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.
History
Aruba, like neighboring Bonaire and Curaçao, was the home of the Arubaes - an Arawak tribe from the South American mainland. The first European to stumble upon Aruba was Alonso de Ojeda, a compatriot of Columbus, who claimed the island for Spain in 1499. The Spanish took little interest in Aruba, apart from shipping some of the Arawaks to work in mines on Hispaniola. Conflict in Europe between Spain and Holland resulted in the Dutch seizing the island in 1636, and the Dutch began to colonize Aruba at the end of the 17th century.
Poor soil and aridity saved the island from plantation economics and the slave trade. Instead the Dutch left the Arawaks to graze livestock on the parched landscape, using the island as a source of meat for other Dutch possessions in the Caribbean. The British arrived in 1805 during the Napoleonic Wars but sailed into the sunset in 1816. Less than a decade later, the first of Aruba's three economic booms took place when gold was discovered near Balashi. A flood of gold-hungry immigrants arrived from Europe and Venezuela, and mining continued right up until 1916.
When the mines became unproductive, Aruba turned to oil refining in a big way. In 1929 the world's largest refinery was built on the southeastern tip of the island. Things hummed along quite swimmingly until the 1940s, when Aruba began to resent playing second fiddle to Curaçao in the federation known as the Netherlands Antilles (then composed of Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao and Suriname). Calls for autonomy increased over the next 40 years, and in 1986 Aruba finally got its way and became an autonomous state within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The new level of independence came close on the heels of a severe economic downturn, prompted largely by the closure of Aruba's oil refinery. Having exhausted the real gold and refined the black gold, the Arubians turned to tourism to bankroll their future. Investment in the island's tourist infrastructure has been little short of phenomenal, and Aruba now boasts more than 6000 hotel rooms and almost a million visitors each year.
The refinery reopened in 1991, but tourism is now very much the mainstay of the island's economy. Despite the economic autonomy enabled by the tourist boom, plans for full independence in 1996 were shelved. The Dutch maintain responsibility for the island's foreign affairs and defense and continue to support Aruba's economy.
Culture
Arubans are gymnastic linguists, many of them speaking four languages: Dutch, English, Spanish and Papiamento, sometimes in the same conversation. Papiamento is a melodious language derived from every culture that has impacted on the region, including traces of Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, French and local Indian languages. It's spoken throughout the Netherlands Antilles but is more Spanish-based on Aruba, an indication of the island's closer ties with the South American mainland. Making an effort to use a few Papiamento words will delight your Aruban hosts. Bon bini (welcome) is the first Papiamento you'll come across. Another word you'll hear is dushi, which means sweet or lovely; women will hear it more than men.
The Arawak heritage is stronger on Aruba than on most Caribbean islands, though the indigenous language and culture did not last long into the 19th century. No full-blooded Indians remain, but the features of the islanders clearly indicate their genetic heritage. The majority of the population is descended from Arawak, Dutch and Spanish ancestors. Arawak petroglyphs can be seen in several parts of the island, including Fontein cave in the Arikok National Park, and an Indian village is still being excavated at Tanki Flip. Artifacts on view in Oranjestad's Archaeological Museum give clues to the customs of daily and ceremonial Arawak life: there are burial urns and a bone spatula thought to have been used as a vomiting stick to prepare men for ceremonies.
Arubans don't shy away from a party, and the music you'll hear on the island reflects this. The most popular styles are lyric-heavy calypso, beat-based soca and merengue and a local blend known as socarengue that's so sexy you'd expect to see hip-replacement specialists standing by to rescue bump'n'grind victims.
Environment
Aruba is a wonky parallelogram measuring 20 miles (32km) long and 6 miles (10km) across with about the same area as Washington, DC. Aruba's location, 19 miles (30km) north of Venezuela and 990 miles (1590km) south of Miami in the balmy Caribbean Sea, is where the DC analogies come tumbling down. The island is scrubby and pretty flat, reaching somewhat pathetically for the sky from 620ft (188m) Mount Jamanota.
Tortured divi-divi trees, always stretching to the west, and cacti, from thumbnail to telephone-pole size, are Aruba's prominent vegetation. Hardy salt-tolerant wildflowers brighten up the arid and stony hills. Introduced flowering plants such as bougainvillea, hibiscus, oleander, frangipani and poinsettia eke out an existence where freshwater is available. Wildlife is restricted to lizards, goats, donkeys and nocturnal casino-crawlers. Birdlife includes the cheeky bananaquit, which will sneak the sugar from your poolside table, the irrepressible chuchubi (a type of mockingbird) and the shy but super-bright troupial, plus seabirds and migratory visitors.
Aruba is warm, dry and soothed by trade winds year round, with daily highs generally between 80-90°F (27-33°C). The hottest months are August and September, the coolest January and February. Rainfall is scant, which accounts for the island's arid landscape. The precious few clouds that pass this way drop their meager load between October and January. Aruba is outside the hurricane belt, so there's no need to worry about a big blow during the June-to-November Caribbean hurricane season.
Getting There & Away
Most visitors arrive on charter flights from the US and Canada, but if you're traveling 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 Curaçao. The airport departure tax is US$20.
There are no scheduled boats between Aruba and Venezuela. If you're doing the deck and dock thing, your cruise ship will dock in Oranjestad.
Getting Around
Aruba's Queen Beatrix Airport is located on the southern coast approximately 4 miles (6km) 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 are international and local car rental agencies; the bigger chains have offices at the airport and luxury hotels. If you want to drop your car off at the airport, insure that the agency you rent from has this facility or you'll be stuck with meeting an agent in the carpark - big hassle. Your home driving license is valid, though you must be at least 21 years old. Drive on the right-hand side of the road, and note that speed limits are signposted in km/h.
There's a frequent bus service between Malmok in the island's northwest and San Nicolas in the southeast. It passes through Oranjestad, 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.
www.lonelyplanet.com
This parched speck of an island off the coast of Venezuela 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 flavorsome double scoop of beach beaus and sun bunnies from North America and Holland, and Latin coastal coasters, nearly all of them on circuit-breaker trips to pep up winter suntans, prop at the poolside bar and try their luck at the casinos.
Although large-scale tourism dominates the island (read: luxury resorts from here to sunset), there are still undeveloped areas on the exposed northern coast, and much of the interior is inhabited by nothing more substantial than goats and contorted divi-divi trees. In this region, the triple whammy of a dry climate, salt-loaded seaspray and relentless trade winds has created a wonderfully surreal landscape with more than a passing resemblance to the images Pathfinder sent back to Earth from Mars.
Area: 75 sq miles (194 sq km)
Population: 68,675
Capital city: Oranjestad (pop 20,500)
Language: Dutch, Papiamento, plus English and Spanish
Religion: Roman Catholic (82%), Protestant, Jewish, Hindu, Muslim
Government: Autonomous state within the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Governor: Olindo Koolman
Prime Minister Henny Eman
GDP: US$1.5 billion
GDP per head: US$22,000
Inflation: 3%
Major industries: Tourism, transshipment facilities, oil refining, offshore banking, phosphates
Major trading partners: USA, EU, The Netherlands, Japan
Facts for the Traveler
Visas: 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.
Health risks: Sunburn
Time: Atlantic Standard Time (GMT/UTC minus 4 hours)
Electricity: 110V, 60Hz
Weights & measures: Imperial, with some metric
Telephone: Country code 297
When to Go
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.
Events
Aruba's Carnival takes place over several weeks prior to Lent (usually in February). It's celebrated with children's parades, masquerades, musical competitions, plenty of dancing and a 'jump-up.' The most intense celebrations take place in Oranjestad. New Year's Day is welcomed with midnight fireworks to ward off evil spirits, while wandering minstrels serenade houses and hotels. There's a Summer Jam at the end of April with a carnival and jazz bands. The Hi-Winds Pro-Am Windsurfing Competition is held at Eagle Beach in June. In late June, there's the harvest festival of Dera Gai - it used to involve the burying of a rooster, but these days a gourd is substituted. Sint Nicolaas Day (5 December) is a Dutch transplant: Sint Nicolaas is a Santa Claus figure who arrives with his un-PC Zwarte Pieten (Black Petes) who help him distribute candy and gifts to children gathered in Oranjestad.
Money & Costs
Currency: Aruban florin (Afl)
Meals
Budget: US$5-10
Mid-range: US$10-25
Top-end: US$25 and upwards
Lodging
Budget: US$80
Mid-range: US$80-200
Top-end: US$200 and upwards
No one comes to Aruba looking for a cheap holiday. Most visitors come to the island on package tours to luxury resorts. At these establishments pre-booked package deals are considerably cheaper than the quoted rates, which for accommodations alone can easily top US$250 a day. If you plan to stay in this kind of comfort and indulge in gambling, shopping and watersports - the three most popular tourist activities - you'd better have a platinum credit card in your wallet. Staying in a moderate hotel and eating in modest restaurants will cost around US$175 per day. Independent budget travelers can squeeze by on around US$100 a day by tracking down inexpensive B&B accommodations and concentrating on the free pleasures offered by the beach.
Aruba has its own currency but the US dollar is widely used. They'll take your greenbacks in even the tiniest local bar, though your change is likely to be in florins. Major credit cards and travelers' checks are accepted at all businesses catering to tourists. Many ATMs accept international debit cards, but not all - some of the most prominent likely-looking autotellers are for locals only. Look out for ABN-AMRO bank ATMs, which will dispense cash in local currency or US dollars.
There's a 7% government tax on hotel rooms. Hotels add a 10-15% service charge, plus other energy surcharges. Restaurant service charges are also in the 10-15% range; there's no need to tip on top of this.
Attractions
Oranjestad
Aruba's bright and breezy pastel-colored capital is on the island's southern leeward coast, just southeast of the main resort area. It has a distinctly Dutch flavor, thanks largely to the modern vogue for fake colonial architecture. Most tourists visit to scour its boutiques and duty-free shops, but it has three small museums worth a peek if you're interested in the island's history. The small Archaeological Museum has worthy exhibits on Aruba's Arawak inhabitants. The Museo Arubano, located in the restored 18th-century Fort Zoutman, does a passable job explaining Aruba's pre-European and colonial eras. And, if you want to see what jingled in the pockets of the oldendays folk, the Numismatic Museum has a vast collection of coinage from over 400 countries, some of which was salvaged from shipwrecks in the region.
Once you're out of the shopping zone, Oranjestad becomes a shabbier, livelier prospect. Local bars, sometimes just holes in the wall, are a good place to prop, watch some sport and drink beer with the locals.
Natural Bridge
Aruba's natural bridge has been formed over millennia by surf eating away at a portion of the rocky northern shore. At 100ft (30m) long and 23ft (7m) tall, it's no major miracle, but it's a pretty decent break from the beach and a good spot to snap photos of your gang when none of you has to be in swimming costume. You can also slurp on very fine fruit shakes at the 'thirst aid' station on the cliff top. Andicuri Beach, a short stroll over the bridge, is a decent boogie-boarding location for competent swimmers.
Arikok National Park
Aruba doesn't have a lot of land to play with, so it's heartening that almost 20 percent of the island has been set aside as the Arikok National Park. It encompasses a significant chunk of the interior and a long stretch of the northern windward coast. The park contains traces of nearly all the significant forces that have impacted on Aruba's history, including Arawak petroglyphs in the Fontein Cave, the remains of Dutch peasant settlements at Masiduri, plantation houses in the Prins Valley and the ruins of an old gold mining operation at Miralamar. The park encompasses 620ft (188m) Mount Jamanota, Aruba's biggest hill. It's worth taking the short but stiff walk to the top if you didn't score a window seat on the flight in and want to get a tip-to-tip perspective.
There's a road running through the park, but you'll appreciate the landscape more by exploring one of the hiking trails. Keep your eyes peeled for the rattle-less Aruban rattlesnake, a local resident and one of the island's indigenous subspecies.
Off the Beaten Track
Guadirikiri Caves & the Tunnel of Love
Hidden away in the outer reaches of Arikok National Park, these two cave complexes are just the place to take your special someone if cocktails and in-room spas just aren't making the play. Even with fresh batteries in your flashlight, the caves are damp, dark and batty enough to ensure you'll want to hold hands at the very least.
Guadirikiri even has a bona fide legend to go along with its spookiness: the headstrong daughter of an Indian chief and her unsuitable suitor are said to have been trapped within the cave and left to perish but, defiant after the end, their love-boosted spirits burst through the roof of the caves and shot up to heaven.
Hooiberg & Casibari
Although modest in size, the strange volcanic formation known as Hooiberg ('haystack') can be seen from most parts of the island. Carved steps lead to the top of this 545ft (165m) conical hill, which offers good (if not quite dizzying) views of the island. The parched scrub and cacti landscape around here is perfect Spaghetti Western country, especially around Casibari, to the north of Hooiberg, where giant-sized diorite boulders have been eroded into bizarre shapes by the trade winds.
Daimari
Appearing oasis-like in the mostly arid countryside is this surprisingly lush pocket of greenery. Daimari comprises a coconut plantation and a ranch where you can hire a nag to carry you to the gorgeous natural pool at Boca Ketu. If equine is not fine, you can rent a dune buggy just a little further along the track and zoom your way along the 4WD track to the pool.
Activities
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.
There's diving and snorkeling on the reef that runs along Aruba's leeward coast. Visibility can often reach 100ft (30m) and there's plenty of marine life, but the diving is not as spectacular as that available off neighboring Bonaire and Curaçao. The WWII-era wrecks of a scuttled German freighter and a tanker, both off the coast of Malmok, are favored dive spots. Snorkeling spots include Boca Grandi, which has good elkhorn coral, Palm Beach and Baby Beach.
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.
History
Aruba, like neighboring Bonaire and Curaçao, was the home of the Arubaes - an Arawak tribe from the South American mainland. The first European to stumble upon Aruba was Alonso de Ojeda, a compatriot of Columbus, who claimed the island for Spain in 1499. The Spanish took little interest in Aruba, apart from shipping some of the Arawaks to work in mines on Hispaniola. Conflict in Europe between Spain and Holland resulted in the Dutch seizing the island in 1636, and the Dutch began to colonize Aruba at the end of the 17th century.
Poor soil and aridity saved the island from plantation economics and the slave trade. Instead the Dutch left the Arawaks to graze livestock on the parched landscape, using the island as a source of meat for other Dutch possessions in the Caribbean. The British arrived in 1805 during the Napoleonic Wars but sailed into the sunset in 1816. Less than a decade later, the first of Aruba's three economic booms took place when gold was discovered near Balashi. A flood of gold-hungry immigrants arrived from Europe and Venezuela, and mining continued right up until 1916.
When the mines became unproductive, Aruba turned to oil refining in a big way. In 1929 the world's largest refinery was built on the southeastern tip of the island. Things hummed along quite swimmingly until the 1940s, when Aruba began to resent playing second fiddle to Curaçao in the federation known as the Netherlands Antilles (then composed of Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao and Suriname). Calls for autonomy increased over the next 40 years, and in 1986 Aruba finally got its way and became an autonomous state within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The new level of independence came close on the heels of a severe economic downturn, prompted largely by the closure of Aruba's oil refinery. Having exhausted the real gold and refined the black gold, the Arubians turned to tourism to bankroll their future. Investment in the island's tourist infrastructure has been little short of phenomenal, and Aruba now boasts more than 6000 hotel rooms and almost a million visitors each year.
The refinery reopened in 1991, but tourism is now very much the mainstay of the island's economy. Despite the economic autonomy enabled by the tourist boom, plans for full independence in 1996 were shelved. The Dutch maintain responsibility for the island's foreign affairs and defense and continue to support Aruba's economy.
Culture
Arubans are gymnastic linguists, many of them speaking four languages: Dutch, English, Spanish and Papiamento, sometimes in the same conversation. Papiamento is a melodious language derived from every culture that has impacted on the region, including traces of Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, French and local Indian languages. It's spoken throughout the Netherlands Antilles but is more Spanish-based on Aruba, an indication of the island's closer ties with the South American mainland. Making an effort to use a few Papiamento words will delight your Aruban hosts. Bon bini (welcome) is the first Papiamento you'll come across. Another word you'll hear is dushi, which means sweet or lovely; women will hear it more than men.
The Arawak heritage is stronger on Aruba than on most Caribbean islands, though the indigenous language and culture did not last long into the 19th century. No full-blooded Indians remain, but the features of the islanders clearly indicate their genetic heritage. The majority of the population is descended from Arawak, Dutch and Spanish ancestors. Arawak petroglyphs can be seen in several parts of the island, including Fontein cave in the Arikok National Park, and an Indian village is still being excavated at Tanki Flip. Artifacts on view in Oranjestad's Archaeological Museum give clues to the customs of daily and ceremonial Arawak life: there are burial urns and a bone spatula thought to have been used as a vomiting stick to prepare men for ceremonies.
Arubans don't shy away from a party, and the music you'll hear on the island reflects this. The most popular styles are lyric-heavy calypso, beat-based soca and merengue and a local blend known as socarengue that's so sexy you'd expect to see hip-replacement specialists standing by to rescue bump'n'grind victims.
Environment
Aruba is a wonky parallelogram measuring 20 miles (32km) long and 6 miles (10km) across with about the same area as Washington, DC. Aruba's location, 19 miles (30km) north of Venezuela and 990 miles (1590km) south of Miami in the balmy Caribbean Sea, is where the DC analogies come tumbling down. The island is scrubby and pretty flat, reaching somewhat pathetically for the sky from 620ft (188m) Mount Jamanota.
Tortured divi-divi trees, always stretching to the west, and cacti, from thumbnail to telephone-pole size, are Aruba's prominent vegetation. Hardy salt-tolerant wildflowers brighten up the arid and stony hills. Introduced flowering plants such as bougainvillea, hibiscus, oleander, frangipani and poinsettia eke out an existence where freshwater is available. Wildlife is restricted to lizards, goats, donkeys and nocturnal casino-crawlers. Birdlife includes the cheeky bananaquit, which will sneak the sugar from your poolside table, the irrepressible chuchubi (a type of mockingbird) and the shy but super-bright troupial, plus seabirds and migratory visitors.
Aruba is warm, dry and soothed by trade winds year round, with daily highs generally between 80-90°F (27-33°C). The hottest months are August and September, the coolest January and February. Rainfall is scant, which accounts for the island's arid landscape. The precious few clouds that pass this way drop their meager load between October and January. Aruba is outside the hurricane belt, so there's no need to worry about a big blow during the June-to-November Caribbean hurricane season.
Getting There & Away
Most visitors arrive on charter flights from the US and Canada, but if you're traveling 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 Curaçao. The airport departure tax is US$20.
There are no scheduled boats between Aruba and Venezuela. If you're doing the deck and dock thing, your cruise ship will dock in Oranjestad.
Getting Around
Aruba's Queen Beatrix Airport is located on the southern coast approximately 4 miles (6km) 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 are international and local car rental agencies; the bigger chains have offices at the airport and luxury hotels. If you want to drop your car off at the airport, insure that the agency you rent from has this facility or you'll be stuck with meeting an agent in the carpark - big hassle. Your home driving license is valid, though you must be at least 21 years old. Drive on the right-hand side of the road, and note that speed limits are signposted in km/h.
There's a frequent bus service between Malmok in the island's northwest and San Nicolas in the southeast. It passes through Oranjestad, 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.
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