Aruba [1] is a Caribbean island 15 miles north of the coast of Venezuela. The island is an autonomous dependency of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is 19.6 miles (30 kilometers) long and 6 miles (9 kilometers) across, at its widest point, with an area of approximately 70 square miles (184 square kilometers). This flat, riverless island is renowned for its white sand beaches. Its tropical climate is moderated by constant trade winds from the Atlantic Ocean. The temperature is almost constant at about 27 degrees Celsius (81 degrees Fahrenheit).
Regions From the tourist point of view, Aruba can be considered to be divided into the southeast and northwest coasts. The southeast has the white sand beaches, turquoise seas, and warm waters. The northwest coast, exposed to the Atlantic, has a few white sand beaches, rough seas with treacherous currents and rocky coastline. Cities
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UnderstandClimateThe climate is tropical marine, with little seasonal temperature variation. Because of its location south in the Caribbean there is very strong sun, but a constant light breeze keeps the temperature pleasant. (These persistent winds out of the east shape the island's distinctive, lop-sided divi-divi trees.) The weather is almost always dry, with most rain showers coming at night and lasting only a little while. It lies outside the zone usually affected by hurricanes. LandcapeThe island is flat with a few hills, arid with mostly desert vegetation and neglible natural resources other than white sandy beaches. Highest point: Mount Jamanota (188 meters). HistoryDiscovered and claimed for Spain in 1499, Aruba was acquired by the Dutch in 1636. The island's economy has been dominated by three main industries. A 19th century gold rush was followed by prosperity brought on by the opening in 1924 of an oil refinery. The last decades of the 20th century saw a boom in the tourism industry. Aruba seceeded from the Netherlands Antilles (Bonaire and Curacao, the ABC-Islands)in 1986 and became a separate, autonomous member of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Movement toward full independence was halted at Aruba's request in 1990. Tourism is the mainstay of the small, open Aruban economy, with offshore banking and oil refining and storage also important. The rapid growth of the tourism sector over the last decade has resulted in a substantial expansion of other activities. Construction has boomed, with hotel capacity five times the 1985 level. ElectricityOfficially 120V 60Hz, which is identical to the U.S. and Canadian standard. Outlets are North American grounded outlets, identical to standard U.S. and Canadian wall outlets. Occasionally non-grounded outlets may be found, which do not accept the third, round pin present on grounded plugs, and require an adapter. Older North American outlets may not be polarized (with one slot wider than the other). To remedy this, the wider vertical blade on a polarized plug may be filed down to match the width of the other. Otherwise, adapters are available which accept a polarized plug and adapt it for use with a non-polarized outlet. Get inBy planeAruba no longer has a national airline. American Airlines is a popular carrier that schedules flights from the gateways of New York, Boston, Miami and San Juan. Other major carriers from the US include United (Chicago, Washington/Dulles), US Airways (Philadelphia, Charlotte), Continental(Newark,Houston) and Delta(Atlanta). Beginning September 15, 2006, JetBlue Airways will begin daily nonstop lowfare flights between Aruba and New York/JFK airport. Air 2000 flies charter flights from the UK, and KLM flights to Amsterdam connect to most of the rest of Europe. Avianca and Aires connect Aruba to Colombia. By boatGet aroundCabs are available at the airport and at hotels. You can also rent a car or jeep at the Queen Beatrix airport or through the hotel concierge. Additionally there is a bus system called "Arubus." Because Aruba is small consider not renting a car until you know what you want to do. Many activities are central to the resort area of the island and are within walking distance. Renting cars/jeeps are easy and many rental companies provide pickup service from area hotels. Driving in ArubaThe most important thing to remember is that there are no turns on red. Also, there are several roundabouts, which can be frustrating to some drivers but are quickly gotten used to. Aruba uses international road signs, which generally have no words or obvious relation to their meaning. Happily tourist maps usually contain quick references to these road signs if you are unfamiliar. The major road is LG Smith Blvd, on which people usually drive at about 40 mph, though that is a very rough guideline. Because the island is so small, everything of interest is close to everything else of interest, and it takes special talent to get lost - if you don't know where you're going, you can basically just keep driving, and statistically speaking you are likely to end up where you need to go eventually. TalkLanguages spoken are Dutch (official), Papiamento, (a creole of Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch origin), Spanish, and English (widely spoken). BuyAbove all, it appears that Arubans are very aware that their economy is completely dependent on tourism - so Arubans are polite to tourists, and even street vendors don't generally seek to rip off their customers (though as in all traveling, don't let advice like this lull you into a sense of complacency). This may be helped by the fact that Aruba is a relatively expensive place to go to, so it tends to attract the reasonably well-off. Oranjestad is filled with nearly identical shops and stalls selling souvenirs. Ironically, many of these souvenirs are imported from the United States, only to be purchased by Americans and brought back to America. Some shops carry cutesy little statuettes that depict acts of sexual intercourse among stylized, cartoony animals, so keep an eye out if you opposed to your children seeing that sort of thing. Also in Oranjestad is the Renaissance Mall, which contains various American and European major apparel brands (i.e. Tommy Hilfiger, Polo Ralph Lauren, Gucci) at essentially the same prices as in the United States. American dollars are accepted virtually everywhere at a decent exchange rate - if you are coming from the United States there is no need to change money into the local currency, the Aruban florin. The current exchange rate (as of May 2006) given in shops is about 1.75 florins to the dollar. Because the island is a Dutch dependency, one would assume that Dutch currency is also easy to spend. Groceries and other supplies are all imported from elsewhere, so prices tend to be high. Ling & Sons Grocery is the closest to the resort area, is not badly priced, had high quality produce and meat and possibly one of the least known to tourists. Two other major supermarkets are Super Food (LG Smith Blvd) and Kong Hing (various locations). EatStoba di Bestia Chiquito - a hearty goat meat and vegetable stew Keshi Yena - chicken or seafood with Dutch cheese RestaurantsIguana Joe's (http://www.iguanajoesaruba.com) - located in downtown Oranjestad. One of a few restaurants to offer authentic Aruban dishes. Many chain restaurants, both fast food and upscale, from the United States are present in Aruba (i.e. Texas de Brazil, Wendy's, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut). The upscale restaurants vary in quality as there are a limited number of them and they have a steady stream of tourist customers, as they advertise in pamphlets available in the hotels. The fast food places are essentially no different than their American counterparts. An excellent (though a bit pricey) restaurant is Madame Janette (http://madamejanette.arubahost.com/), which combines European and Aruban influences to create dishes that taste wonderful. Attentive service and a dining area that is completely outside are extra plusses. The restaurant does not advertise and it's located away from LG Smith Blvd (the main road in Aruba), but it's worth the trip. DrinkSleep
LearnWorkStay safeAruba is generally a very safe place at any time of day or night. Contrary to the sensational media circus surrounding the disappearance of Natalee Holloway in 2005, that was an isolated incident and completely unrepresentative of the island; it could have happened anywhere. However, it would probably be wise to stay away from the area surrounding the Valero refinery on the southeast part of the island at night (in the words of a Valero employee, "you will get some undesirables down there at night"). There is generally no reason for a tourist to go there at all anyway, so this likely will not be an issue. Stay healthyThe running water in Aruba is absolutely safe to drink; the island's desalination plant is the second largest in the world. RespectNature is very cherished by the Aruban people. 18% of their island is dedicated to the Arikok National Park [8]. Contact
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