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Aruba

A Caribbean Vacation on Aruba

Aruba is one of the three ABC Islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao which lie in the southern Caribbean just 15 miles off the coast of Venezuela. Aruba is particularly popular with vacation home owners and has some of the best Caribbean luxury villas available on a weekly or monthly basis. Offering spacious accommodation to US standards and often including a private pool and sun terrace, a luxury villa on Aruba makes a great base for a family vacation. The island certainly lives up to its slogan “One Happy Island”.

Aruba is easy to get to with the Queen Beatrix International Airport receiving many flights from the US daily. US and British residents are not required to apply for a visa, although most other nationalities will require one.

Aruba has been under Dutch administration with a local Governor since 1636. The official language is Dutch, although Papiamento, English and Spanish are also widely spoken. The capital, Orangestad, has some beautiful historic architecture which is distinctly Dutch in style with ornate gables and facades. It is also the home of the upscale Renaissance Mall which attracts Caribbean cruise ships passengers with its designer boutiques.

Aruba is unusually flat and arid. The desert landscape which runs down to the island’s beautiful sandy beaches is not typically Caribbean. The island’s low-lying, sheltered position means it receives far less rainfall than other more lush Caribbean Islands and it enjoys plenty of sunshine all year round. It also lies outside the hurricane belt.

Indigenous plant life on Aruba includes the divi-divi tree, Arubian aloe and the Caribbean cacti. The Arikok National Park is a major eco-tourism attraction. Other places to visit during your Caribbean vacation include the California Lighthouse, the Ayo Rock formation, the Boca Catalina and Antilla shipwrecks which are ideal for snorkeling, and the “Hooiberg” or Haystack Mountain which at 500 feet has great views from the top!