Aruba is one of those places that people marvel about. It is a beautiful island that is everything an island is supposed to be. It has something for everyone to do and some of the best beaches you can imagine. I have been there twice and both times left wanting more. Palm Beach is the type of beach that hynoptizes you and makes you forget your problems and work back home. Aruba is in a word, relaxing.
Aruba is a 32 km long island of the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean Sea, 27 km north of the Paraguaná Peninsula, Falcón State, Venezuela. It is in the Realm of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of a European part (The Netherlands) and a Caribbean-American part (Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles). Unlike much of the Caribbean-American region, Aruba has a dry climate and an arid, cactus-strewn landscape. This climate has helped tourism as visitors to the island can reliably expect warm sunny weather. It has a land area of 193 km² and lies outside of the hurricane belt.
Aruba is not cheap, not at all, but it is worth it if you are looking to splurge a bit. The hotels are very expensive but they are also some of the best hotels in the Caribbean. I stayed in the Hyatt Resort which is one of the best hotels I have ever seen. It is right on the beach with an amazing pool and very close to all of the best restaurants in Palm Beach and not far from the center of Oranjestad with all of the bars and shopping.
Aruba isn’t just beaches either, it is a great place to rent a bike and go biking or running around the island. It is slightly mountainous with a lighthouse that illustrates the high point on the island and it is pretty cool to see the view from up there. Aruba also has tremendous restaurants that can fit anyones budget, from fancy seafood places to Wendy’s, they have it all. Hotels in Aruba also have casinos but they are only open until 4am, unfortunately. The bars downtown are some of the best in the Caribbean, with Carlos N’ Charlies being the top bar in town. Of course it also happens to be the place that an American tourist was last seen a year or two ago before she disappeared.
Visiting Aruba gives you a bit of a cultural experience with Venezuelan, Caribbean, American and Dutch influences and with great people and killer beaches, you will not be disappointed. Long perfect days and amazing serene sunsets will rejuvenate you and make you yearn to come back.
I also stayed at the Hyatt. It’s amazing, I went parasailing and just relaxed by the pool bar most of the time. I would go back anytime and highly recommend.