Part of the Dutch “ABC” islands, Aruba ranks among the most U.S.-friendly spots in the Caribbean, with widespread use of the English language and American hotels, restaurant chains, and brand names in its boutiques.
FAMILY FRIENDLY
When it comes to the traditional Caribbean vacation—breezy beaches, swaying palm trees, soaking up the sun as the kids splash in the sea—Aruba’s Palm Beach is the ideal spot. This is the island’s most famous beach, and it’s easy to see why with resort after high-rise resort lining the shore and offering a wide selection of activities to please every member of the family. At the Holiday Inn SunSpree Resort Aruba, kids stay and eat free as they enjoy watersports like banana boat rides or take part in supervised activities at the KidSpree Vacation Club. At the Hotel RIU Palace Aruba, kids have a swimming pool all to themselves, while the Occidental Grand Aruba offers a resort-within-a-resort atmosphere called The Royal Club, with the spacious accommodations and personalized service that families need on vacation. And those are just a few of the big names along this beach, ranging from Hyatt to Radisson to Westin, all offering a different set of services to appeal to any family. And what’s more, once they’ve arrived at their Palm Beach hotel, families have a whole village of resorts to explore, from dining to watersports to casinos (after the kids have gone to bed, of course).
GIRLS’ AND GUYS’ GETAWAYS
Aruba’s capital of Oranjestad is best known as a cruise port, with thousands of visitors pouring out of cruise ships nearly every day. But visitors who stick around after the cruise leaves the port will discover a different and highly desirable, side to the city—one that seems tailor-made for groups of friends or couples traveling together. Despite the fact that many of its visitors have left by nightfall—or perhaps because of it—Oranjestad has cultivated an active nightlife scene. For dinner, look to chic spots like L.G. Smith’s Steak and Chop, part of the Renaissance Aruba complex close to the port, where hearty meals are served in a lounge-style setting. If you’re craving something a little more local, you have plenty of seafood restaurants to choose from as well. Driftwood specializes in rustic Aruban cuisine including seafood soup with fi sh, shrimp and scallops; garlic-sauteed wahoo; and, of course, surf and turf, while Le Petit Cafe lets you cook your own seafood on hot stone right at your table. After dinner, fun-seekers have plenty of options. Head to one of Oranjestad’s casinos, where avid gamblers and mere dabblers sit side by side in an attempt to win big at slot machines, blackjack, roulette, Caribbean stud poker and more. The Renaissance alone offers two separate casinos: a standard facility located by the hotel marina and a ritzier version in its main hotel building, right next to its theater. Speaking of theaters, Vegas-style shows are another way visitors to Oranjestad pass the night away. These over-the-top showcases of feathers, sequins, song and dance (in roughly that order) make for an entertaining hour or two between dinner, gambling and making appearances within the city’s healthy bar and club scene. From beachside happy hours to live DJ sets at clubs into the wee hours, there’s a venue for every level of partier here. To fi nd the hottest spots on any particular night, pick up one of the free listings at just about any resort on the island. Staying out late will be easier with the knowledge that Aruba has plenty of pampering to offer the morning after. Facilities like the Larimar Spa at the Radisson Aruba resort in Palm Beach offers body treatments, facials and even a signature massage incorporating two of Aruba’s most famous products: rum and aloe vera. In fact, there’s aloe vera available all across Aruba to soothe whatever ails you, thanks to the Aruba Aloe Vera Museum & Factory. A tour of the museum tells the story of the aloe plant’s introduction to the island in the 1840s, and its infl uence of the island’s health, commerce, and even art and architecture. The factory also sells Aruba Aloe’s line of skincare products—a real boon for anyone who’s spent too much time in the sun.
SPORTING CHANCES
They fl y through the air with the greatest of ease…. No, we’re not talking about Aruba’s local circus troupe. The windsurfers and kitesurfers of Aruba are acrobats in their own right, though, performing twists, turns, flips and more over the ocean waves. The very same constant trade winds that keep you cool as you stroll down the beach, are one of the island’s biggest commodities for these ocean adventurers, who flock to Aruba’s shores for tournaments like the 10-day Hi-Winds Amateur World Challenge every June. Wanna-be wave riders, have no fear: Aruba’s beaches offer a diverse range of wave levels, with soft breezes and calm waters on its south shore perfect for learning the ropes (and the board, and the sails) before graduating to destinations in the north and southeast, where winds can reach as high as 15 knots and the waves give the pros the opportunity to showcase their best moves. If you’re more of an undersea explorer than a high-fl ying daredevil, book an excursion to any of the island’s dozens of dive sites. Many of these sites are wrecks turned reefs, like the famous Antilla, a German freighter scuttled in 1940 when the Germans invaded Holland during World War II. Though the sheer scale of The Antilla is sure to impress— at 400 ft., it’s one of the largest wrecks in the Caribbean—other sites offer plentiful undersea life as well. At Arashi Airplane—an ideal dive for beginners—divers will see parrotfi sh, angelfi sh and even spotted eels in the reef surrounding the plane wreck. And Star Gerren, Aruba’s newest wreck site, has only been sitting on the ocean fl oor since 2000, but it’s already home to schools of tropical fi sh like blue tang, yellowtail snapper and yellow goatfi sh. Back on land, travelers can spice up their sightseeing plans by traveling from place to place via ATV, all-terrain Jeep or “tom car.” These rugged vehicles are the perfect way to bounce across Aruba’s sandy desert, where bumpy, unpaved roads are often unfit for traditional vehicles. Starting at the California Lighthouse, the tours visit sites like the ruins of an abandoned gold mine and Natural Bridge, a former stone arch created by the erosion of ocean waves crashing into the coast. In 2005, erosion fi nally won the battle and the arch collapsed. But there’s a descendant of Natural Bridge in the works just a few steps away, a smaller natural archway that’s sure to grow to the size of the original.
GO NATURAL
The sites are beautiful and captivating, but a big part of the allure of atrip through Aruba’s sandy dunes is the natural environment itself. You’d never expect to find a desert on a lush Caribbean island, but that’s exactly what Aruba offers undulating sandy hills complete with cacti and aloe plants. The environment is unique to Aruba alone, and for many nature lovers, the chance to see it is a once-in-a-lifetime event. If you’re looking for something a little less touristy, make the trip to Arikok National Park, a protected area of the island that receives little visitation from tourists or locals. Here, the island’s foundation changes, with lava, quartz and limestone supporting a lush array of plants and animals you won’t find anywhere else on the island. Many of Aruba’s indigenous species of bird, snake and lizard call Arikok their home, including plenty that exist on Aruba alone. And there’s a bit of history here as well. Thanks to Arikok’s spring of fresh water, European colonists settled here fi rst. Today, explorers can walk among the remains of their settlements.
FAMILY FRIENDLY
When it comes to the traditional Caribbean vacation—breezy beaches, swaying palm trees, soaking up the sun as the kids splash in the sea—Aruba’s Palm Beach is the ideal spot. This is the island’s most famous beach, and it’s easy to see why with resort after high-rise resort lining the shore and offering a wide selection of activities to please every member of the family. At the Holiday Inn SunSpree Resort Aruba, kids stay and eat free as they enjoy watersports like banana boat rides or take part in supervised activities at the KidSpree Vacation Club. At the Hotel RIU Palace Aruba, kids have a swimming pool all to themselves, while the Occidental Grand Aruba offers a resort-within-a-resort atmosphere called The Royal Club, with the spacious accommodations and personalized service that families need on vacation. And those are just a few of the big names along this beach, ranging from Hyatt to Radisson to Westin, all offering a different set of services to appeal to any family. And what’s more, once they’ve arrived at their Palm Beach hotel, families have a whole village of resorts to explore, from dining to watersports to casinos (after the kids have gone to bed, of course).
GIRLS’ AND GUYS’ GETAWAYS
Aruba’s capital of Oranjestad is best known as a cruise port, with thousands of visitors pouring out of cruise ships nearly every day. But visitors who stick around after the cruise leaves the port will discover a different and highly desirable, side to the city—one that seems tailor-made for groups of friends or couples traveling together. Despite the fact that many of its visitors have left by nightfall—or perhaps because of it—Oranjestad has cultivated an active nightlife scene. For dinner, look to chic spots like L.G. Smith’s Steak and Chop, part of the Renaissance Aruba complex close to the port, where hearty meals are served in a lounge-style setting. If you’re craving something a little more local, you have plenty of seafood restaurants to choose from as well. Driftwood specializes in rustic Aruban cuisine including seafood soup with fi sh, shrimp and scallops; garlic-sauteed wahoo; and, of course, surf and turf, while Le Petit Cafe lets you cook your own seafood on hot stone right at your table. After dinner, fun-seekers have plenty of options. Head to one of Oranjestad’s casinos, where avid gamblers and mere dabblers sit side by side in an attempt to win big at slot machines, blackjack, roulette, Caribbean stud poker and more. The Renaissance alone offers two separate casinos: a standard facility located by the hotel marina and a ritzier version in its main hotel building, right next to its theater. Speaking of theaters, Vegas-style shows are another way visitors to Oranjestad pass the night away. These over-the-top showcases of feathers, sequins, song and dance (in roughly that order) make for an entertaining hour or two between dinner, gambling and making appearances within the city’s healthy bar and club scene. From beachside happy hours to live DJ sets at clubs into the wee hours, there’s a venue for every level of partier here. To fi nd the hottest spots on any particular night, pick up one of the free listings at just about any resort on the island. Staying out late will be easier with the knowledge that Aruba has plenty of pampering to offer the morning after. Facilities like the Larimar Spa at the Radisson Aruba resort in Palm Beach offers body treatments, facials and even a signature massage incorporating two of Aruba’s most famous products: rum and aloe vera. In fact, there’s aloe vera available all across Aruba to soothe whatever ails you, thanks to the Aruba Aloe Vera Museum & Factory. A tour of the museum tells the story of the aloe plant’s introduction to the island in the 1840s, and its infl uence of the island’s health, commerce, and even art and architecture. The factory also sells Aruba Aloe’s line of skincare products—a real boon for anyone who’s spent too much time in the sun.
SPORTING CHANCES
They fl y through the air with the greatest of ease…. No, we’re not talking about Aruba’s local circus troupe. The windsurfers and kitesurfers of Aruba are acrobats in their own right, though, performing twists, turns, flips and more over the ocean waves. The very same constant trade winds that keep you cool as you stroll down the beach, are one of the island’s biggest commodities for these ocean adventurers, who flock to Aruba’s shores for tournaments like the 10-day Hi-Winds Amateur World Challenge every June. Wanna-be wave riders, have no fear: Aruba’s beaches offer a diverse range of wave levels, with soft breezes and calm waters on its south shore perfect for learning the ropes (and the board, and the sails) before graduating to destinations in the north and southeast, where winds can reach as high as 15 knots and the waves give the pros the opportunity to showcase their best moves. If you’re more of an undersea explorer than a high-fl ying daredevil, book an excursion to any of the island’s dozens of dive sites. Many of these sites are wrecks turned reefs, like the famous Antilla, a German freighter scuttled in 1940 when the Germans invaded Holland during World War II. Though the sheer scale of The Antilla is sure to impress— at 400 ft., it’s one of the largest wrecks in the Caribbean—other sites offer plentiful undersea life as well. At Arashi Airplane—an ideal dive for beginners—divers will see parrotfi sh, angelfi sh and even spotted eels in the reef surrounding the plane wreck. And Star Gerren, Aruba’s newest wreck site, has only been sitting on the ocean fl oor since 2000, but it’s already home to schools of tropical fi sh like blue tang, yellowtail snapper and yellow goatfi sh. Back on land, travelers can spice up their sightseeing plans by traveling from place to place via ATV, all-terrain Jeep or “tom car.” These rugged vehicles are the perfect way to bounce across Aruba’s sandy desert, where bumpy, unpaved roads are often unfit for traditional vehicles. Starting at the California Lighthouse, the tours visit sites like the ruins of an abandoned gold mine and Natural Bridge, a former stone arch created by the erosion of ocean waves crashing into the coast. In 2005, erosion fi nally won the battle and the arch collapsed. But there’s a descendant of Natural Bridge in the works just a few steps away, a smaller natural archway that’s sure to grow to the size of the original.
GO NATURAL
The sites are beautiful and captivating, but a big part of the allure of atrip through Aruba’s sandy dunes is the natural environment itself. You’d never expect to find a desert on a lush Caribbean island, but that’s exactly what Aruba offers undulating sandy hills complete with cacti and aloe plants. The environment is unique to Aruba alone, and for many nature lovers, the chance to see it is a once-in-a-lifetime event. If you’re looking for something a little less touristy, make the trip to Arikok National Park, a protected area of the island that receives little visitation from tourists or locals. Here, the island’s foundation changes, with lava, quartz and limestone supporting a lush array of plants and animals you won’t find anywhere else on the island. Many of Aruba’s indigenous species of bird, snake and lizard call Arikok their home, including plenty that exist on Aruba alone. And there’s a bit of history here as well. Thanks to Arikok’s spring of fresh water, European colonists settled here fi rst. Today, explorers can walk among the remains of their settlements.
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