Vacations in Aruba

Aruba has one of the highest rates of repeat visitors in the Caribbean which can only express the island’s popularity and great facilities. The climate is sunny all the time and the Arubans are famous for their hospitality and friendship.

Accommodation

There are plenty of places to stay in Aruba, ranging from cheap inns to luxury resorts and pretty much anything in between. Inns, villas, apartments, luxury resorts are available for any budget. You’ll generally find them listed as “high rise”, “low rise” and other accommodation.

The resorts generally offer all inclusive packages but you can also stay in apartments and cater for yourself.

Aruba is preferred by couples wanting to get married in a romantic setting. Most of the resorts offer such packages ranging from organizing the wedding all-inclusive honeymoon packages.

If you book via a travel agent, make sure to ask if there aren’t any special offers available. Most of the resorts have such offers year round and mostly during the low-season.

>>more information on Hotels and Resorts in Aruba

Things to do

Some of the best beaches in Aruba include: Baby Beach – got its name because it’s not more than 5 feet deep at any point – , San Nicolaas Beach, Eagle Beach – often recognized as one of the best ten beaches in the world – , Hadikurari Beach, Palm Beach and Malmok Beach.

Apart from enjoying the Caribbean sun, snorkeling is one of the activities any tourists should try. The water surrounding Aruba is crystal clear and you can easily see 5 feet down. Almost every resort offers the possibility to book a snorkeling trip right off the shore. The fish are really nicely colored and are not shy at all. Nice snorkeling spots can be found 10 min off Palm Beach. If you like shallow water, go to the other side of the island, and right off Baby Beach there is a nice snorkeling spot with colorful fish and clear water.

If you prefer to explore shipwrecks, Boca Catalina and the Antilla Shipwreck are two of the snorkel tours which are worth your time (and money).

Other water sports that can be enjoyed here include: windsurfing, parasailing, deep-sea fishing. There are also two gold courses, a tennis center, several bowling alleys and several horseback riding trails.

If you want to explore the nature, visit the Natural Bridge at Boca Adicuri. In total there are 7 natural bridges in Aruba but the biggest and most popular of them collapsed in 2005. On the way to the Natural Bridge you can stop by the Bushiribban Gold Mill and Smelting Station. Climb the ruins to get a lovely view of the coastline.

On a cool and clear day, climb the 1000-plus steps of the Haystack – a 500 feet mountain right in the center of the island – and you can even get a nice view of the coast of Venezuela to the south!

Among the interesting things to do in Aruba is taking a tour of the Aruba Aloe Factory where you can learn a little about aloe farming, production and uses.