Are you thinking about a summer vacation that offers sun, sand, entertainment, and great food? Well Aruba may be the place for you.
Aruba, the smallest of the ABC Islands, is also one of its most popular tourist destinations. And, why not? With gorgeous, white sand beaches, aquamarine waters, world-class resorts and hotels, not to mention a daily average of 82 degrees, it's hard to imagine Aruba not being popular.
Approximately four and a half hours from New York, you can wing your way to a tropical paradise and hit the beach upon arrival. Many people prefer to just sit on the many wonderful beaches and just relax, but for those of you wanting to see the sites, Aruba has much to see and do.
Top Things to Do in Aruba:
Hit the Beaches:
If you want to sit on powdery white sand and worship the sun, or swim in calm, clear waters, the beaches you want to head off to are:
Palm Beach
Eagle Beach
Druif Beach
Baby Beach
Rodgers Beach
Just FYI, and "Travel and Leisure" magazine named Eagle Beach one of the "10 Best Beaches in the World." this stretch of powdery soft white sand This public beach offers plenty of parking and shady picnic areas. Swimming is wonderful here and local hotels can set you up with equipment for water sports or other beach activities.
If you want to go windsurfing, you must head on over to Hadikurari on the Northwest Coast. Hadikurari is the site of the annual Hi-Winds Pro-Am Windsurfing Competition.
Go Fishing:
The waters off Aruba are a fisherman's (and woman's) paradise. You can find many of the charter fishing boats operating out of Seaport Marina in Oranjestad. The waters are temperate, so you can find an abundance of Atlantic game fish, such as wahoo, shark, sailfish, white and blue marlin, barracuda, kingfish, amberjack, and blackfin and yellowfin tuna.
Go Scuba Diving:
What makes scuba diving so great in Aruba? Shipwrecks. In fact, Aruba offers some of the best shipwreck diving in the entire Caribbean.
The Antilla wreck is the largest, measuring 400-feet in length. Formerly a German freighter, The Antilla sunk in 1945 during World War II, and currently rests in about 55" of water off Eagle Beach. Since it is so popular, of course, it can get a little crowded, but well worth the visit. Nearby you'll find other noteworthy wrecks, including the Pedernalis, and the Jane C wreck.
Check Out a Casino:
Popular casinos include:
Casablanca Casino
JE Irausquin Blvd 77
Aruba Resort, Spa & Casino
Palm Beach, Aruba
Alhambra Casino
JE Irausquin Blvd 47
Oranjestad, Aruba
Copa Cabana Casino
JE Irausquin Blvd 85
Hyatt Regency Aruba
Palm Beach, Aruba
Stellaris Casino
LG Smith Blvd 101
Aruba Marriott Resort
Palm Beach, Aruba
Excelsior Casino
JE Irausquin Blvd 230
Holiday Inn SunSpree Aruba Resort
Palm Beach, Aruba
See Nature Up Close:
Arikok National Park Taking up approximately 20% of Aruba, Arikok National Park is a desert-like ecological preserve on Aruba's northeastern coast, with hiking trails for easy access. Be on the lookout for iguanas, as well as ruins of long-ago gold mining and ancient Arawak drawings. Aruba's highest peak, is also in the park.
Guadirikiri Cave An underground cave with sunlight that filters through two inner chambers. You will find bats, hundreds actually, but they're harmless. If you're so inclined, take your sweetheart to the nearby tunnel of Love caves. Of course, you don't have to be with someone romantically to enter the cave; it's just called Tunnel of Love due to its heart-shaped entrance. You can rent helmets and flashlights at the entrances to both the Guadirikiri and Tunnel of Love caves.
The Butterfly Farm The Butterfly Far, located in Orangestad, is a sanctuary for hundreds of varieties of butterflies. You'll also find landscaped gardens and exotic flowers. What's nice is that once you pay your admission, you can return as much as you want.
Ostrich Farm Also in Oranjestad is the Ostrich Farm, where you can hand-feed an ostrich and learn abut this large bird. There is a restaurant, the Savanna Lodge Bar & Restaurant, which serves African-Caribbean fusion cuisine. And yes, they do serve ostrich.
Horseback Tours:
One of the best tours of Aruba is on horseback with Rancho Notorius, Aruba's leading horseback touring company. They offer many different tours, visiting beaches, natural pools and the Arikok National Wildlife Park. Free hotel pickup and refreshments are included. They can be reached at 297-586-0508.
Eat:
There are so many fabulous restaurants on Aruba, where to start?
For seafood:
Brisas Del Mar
Savaneta 222-A
Savaneta, Aruba
The Flying Fishbone
Savaneta 344
Savaneta, Aruba
For Cuban:
Cuba's Cookin'
Wilhelminastraat 27
Oranjestad, Aruba
For Jamaican:
Jamaica Me Krazy
LG Smith Blvd 150
Certified Mega Mall
Oranjestad, Aruba
French-Fusion:
Screaming Eagle Restaurant - Lounge
J.E. Irausquin Blvd. 228
Eagle Beach, Aruba
For those wondering what the scuba diving is really like in Aruba, we've included this YouTube video of a dive of the Antilla shipwreck.
Synonyms: ruba, rAuba, Arruba, Arooba, Auba, Aurba, Arba, Arbua, Arua, Aruab, and Arub are typos for "Aruba."