Short
Description The perfect weather and world famous white sand beaches make Aruba the ideal destination for beach lovers and water sports enthusiasts. Numerous casinos, great shopping and many restaurants are the island's other attractions.
Destination
Highlights White Sand Beaches Clear Blue Waters Many Casinos Great International Dining Duty Free Shopping
Local
Weather Average temperature in Aruba in the summer is 85 degrees and in the winter 81. The island has no hurricane season.
Other
Destinations
Description Aruba lies at the heart of the southern Caribbean, about two-and-a-half hours by air from Miami, Florida and 15 miles north of Venezuela. The island is 19.6 miles long, and six miles across at its widest point, with a total area of 70 square miles. Aruba is outside the hurricane belt and the island boasts year-round great weather, cooling trade winds and friendly people. The perfect weather and world famous white sand beaches make Aruba ideal for surfing enthusiasts and sun lovers. It is one of the Caribbean's most beautiful shorelines with its magnificent Eagle and Palm Beaches reaching for seven miles along the coast. In the vicinity of the Palm Beach are the high rise hotels and casinos. Eagle Beach comes right off the main road and has many parking spaces and shaded picnic areas. Apart from these there are several other magnificent beaches, ideal for inexperienced swimmers or children and home of some gorgeous coral heads. Snorkeling, sailing, wind surfing, deep-sea fishing, playing tennis, dining in the many restaurants and gambling in the numerous casinos are just a few of the many ways you can spend your vacation in Aruba. Shopping on the island is plenty fun especially in Oranjestad the historical Dutch capital city where the tall multicolored houses of Wilheminastraat combine carved wooded doors and traditional Dutch tiles with airy open galleries and sloping, Aruban-style roofs. This is the place to shop or to browse in the marketplace for Aruban art and local handicrafts. If you prefer shopping centers, then walk over to the waterfront strip and visit the Seaport Market Place, the Seaport Village Mall or Port of Call Marketplace.
Local Information The official currency of Aruba is the Aruban Florin, which is divided into 100 cents. U.S. dollars are widely accepted in Aruba, and banks may exchange other foreign currency.
Dutch is the official language of Aruba due to the fact that Aruba is a Dutch colony. However, the people there speak, write and read English, Spanish, Dutch and Papiamento fluently.
Electricity in Aruba is 110 A.C. and cars drive on the right. You will need to show a driver's license to rent a car.
Airport
Information To get to Aruba you would fly into Queen Beatrix International Airport (AUA). This popular destination is serviced by American Airlines, KLM, Continental, Delta, TWA, United Airlines, US Airways as well as several charter companies. Each traveller is required to pay departure tax of US $34.25 at the airport upon leaving the island.
Entry
Requirements Effective December 31, 2006, the U.S. Department of State and Homeland Security requires all travelers to and from the Americas, the Caribbean, and Bermuda to have a passport or other accepted document that establishes the bearer's identity and nationality. This information should be used only as a guideline and non-U.S. citizens should contact the airline they are traveling on, or their local consulate regarding the specific entry requirements that apply to their nationality.
