Destinations / Aruba

OVERVIEW
Aruba is widely regarded as the Honeymoon Capital of the Caribbean and the country aggressively markets itself as such. Posh resorts bordering silky white-sand strands along its west coast provide respite for stressed newlyweds and hopping nightlife, casinos and nightclubs go Euro-style into the wee hours. Capital Oranjsted is at once cosmopolitan and quaint. Its array international dining options is as good as any in the Caribbean and duty-free shopping abounds. But perhaps the most precious of the island's treasures is its people, a mixture of more than 40 nationalities, including Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, African, English and French. This polyglot has yielded Papiamento, the colorful local language that's more widely spoken than English or Dutch.

Aruba's beaches are inspiring - long, wide, flat and powdery soft. Among it's best known are Eagle Beach, where aquamarine waters lap the pancake-smooth shore, and Palm Beach, a seemingly endless sweep curving around lagooon-like waters. Palm is action-packed and sometimes crowded. On the island's eastern tip, Baby Beach is a placid, semicircular strand that borders a flat bay. It's a great place for young children - hence the name.

Dutch-gabled and pastel-pretty, Aruba's capital, Oranjestad (called "Playa" by the locals), glistens like the yellow bricks on the way to Oz - and is just as fanciful. The streets are lined with shops peddling liquor, jewelry, electronics, crystal, china, perfumes and designer fashions. Although there is duty here, it's very low and there is no sales sales tax, so prices are competitve with duty-free destinations. As one would expect, the best deals on this Dutch island are on products from the Netherlands, such as Delft pottery and that country's tasty cheeses.

The island's real soul can be found in the kunucu, or countryside, a stark and arid landscape punctuated by giant cacti, spewing blowholes, upended boulders, massive dunes and, along the coasts, crashing waves. Most of this area is part of the Arikok national Park. Aruba's signature attraction is the Natural Bridge, an archway sculpted out of coral rock by centuries of wind and sea pounding on the windward coast. On the northern coast, there are two caves, Guadirikiri and Fontein, both decorated with petroglyphs by Amerindians centuries ago and bearing inscriptions. Also in the north, the California Lighthouse, although closed now, makes and interesting visit for the huge boulders and stark landscape that surround it. You can climb to the top of the massive boulders at Ayo and Casibari for sweeping views of the countryside. Or climb the 562 steps to the top of 541-foot-tall Hooiberg for an impressive view of Oranjestad. On the south coast, San Nicolas, the remains of Aruba's oldest village and a bustling port during the oil boom, is now a tourist attraction with interesting kiosks and the famous Charlie's Bar.

With trade winds blowing at a reliable 15 knots and flat, shallow waters, Aruba is a windsurfing mecca, hosting top international events such as the annual Aruba Hi-Winds Pro-Am Windsurfing Competition. A windsurfer's haven, Fisherman's Hut is gathering place, alive with board-sailors catching big air. The surrounding seas also draw snorkelers and scuba divers with visibility near 100 feet and shipwrecks littering the coasts.

Those who resist the call of the wild can tour one of the three museums on the island, including the Historical Museum in the restored 18th-century Fort Zoutman, one of the oldest buildings on the island. They can sample the Indonesian multi-dish meal called rijsttafel, or try their luck at one of the dozen or so glitzy casinos with their cabaret shows.

GEOGRAPHY

Topography: Not your typical Caribbean island, 70-square-mile Aruba has more in common with the American Southwest than it does most other islands. Tall cactus, dry soil and massive rock formations are typical of the interior. The constant trade winds make the northeast windward coast a rugged border of rock and waves while the leeward south and west coasts have miles of world-class beaches and calm water.

Climate: Aruba averages less than 20 inches of rain per year - occurring mainly from October through December - making it one of the driest destinations in the Caribbean. The year-round average daytime temperature is 82? F with very little fluctuation between summer and winter. But the island's consistent tradewinds which, over the years, have bent the local divi-divi trees over at 45-degree angles, keep it pleasant at all times.

HISTORY
The Spanish laid claim to Aruba in 1499 when explorer Alonso de Ojeda sighted it, but did not settle the island, considering it inztil (useless). In 1513, the Spanish shipped off the resident Arawak males to work the salt mines on Hispaniola. They began ranching on the island, introducing horses, donkeys, sheep, dogs, goats, pigs, cats and chickens.

The first permanent European settlement was not established until the Dutch took over in 1636. The English and Dutch fought over Aruba from 1792 to 1816, with the Dutch ultimately triumphing. In 1824, gold was discovered on the island, and in 1840, aloe became a major cash crop. By the early 1900s, Aruba was the largest exporter of aloe vera in the world, producing over 90 percent of the world's supply and earning the spiky plant a permanent place on the Aruban coat of arms.

In 1929, what was to become the world's largest oil refinery opened on Aruba, bringing unprecedented prosperity. During World War II, 25 percent of the oil and 18 percent of the aviation gas used in the Allied effort was refined in Aruba. But in 1985, the oil boom went bust, devastating the economy until tourism took its place.

In 1954, Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao were made equal self-governing partners in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Unfortunately, this meant that all of Aruba's revenues had to be processed through Curacao. It took more than three decades for Aruba to be granted autonomy in 1986.

WEBSITE :

www.aruba.com

TOURIST INFORMATION :

800-TO-ARUBA

AREA SIZE :

19.6 miles long, and 6 miles across at its widest point, 70 sq miles.

TAXES :

The airport departure tax is $37 for US-bound flights and $33.50 for international flights, but the price is usually included in your ticket purchase. 11% service charge on room rates in addition to the 6% government room tax on all accommodations. The service charge on food and beverages is 10% to 15% in lieu of gratuities at the hotels.

TIME :

Atlantic Standard Time

DOCUMENTS :

Visas are NOT required for citizens of the US and Canada. US citizens can enter with either a passport or official State issued birth certificate with a raised seal AND a government issued (State or Federal) photo i.d.