And rightly so. Eagle Beach (see below) is voted consistently among the best beaches in the Caribbean. The island has a well developed tourism infrastructure: good hotels, a huge range of restaurants and plenty of activities for when you decide to leave your lounger.
As a small island, Aruba is relatively crime-free; the service is excellent
and it’s almost universally English-speaking. The weather is reliably good: there is no rainy season, and it lies outside the hurricane belt, making it an ideal destination at any time of year.
Situated in the southern Caribbean, Aruba was settled by the Dutch to protect the approaches to Curaçao, their trading hub in the region. For
years it was used as a farm and a ranch to raise horses. (You will see brightly painted equine sculptures in the streets of the capital Oranjestad.)
The best beach in the Caribbean, no rainy season, encircled by reefs and with 250 restaurants – why this Dutch delight is the island of your dreams
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Truly tropical
Take a hike or go bird watching in Arikok National Park
Coast along
Powder-white sands at Manchebo beach; try your hand at wakeboarding
For more information about your new number one Caribbean destination, visit aruba.com
British travellers finally discover the secrets of
Encircled by reefs, Aruba is blessed with glorious white coral sand that merges into the turquoise sea. The protected west coast is the heartland of tourism. At Palm Beach large, brand-named hotels offer a dizzying array of restaurants, bars and floor shows, as well as water sports and activity programmes.
However, Eagle Beach in the southwest has a completely different feel. Here the buildings have a maximum of four storeys: hotels tend to be smaller with a lower-key ambience, and they are widely touted as more suitable for European visitors.
First impressions of Aruba are different from elsewhere in the Caribbean. There is less hurly burly as you emerge from the airport, and mercifully fewer potholes en route to your hotel. The wi-fi is reliable and menus
are often accessed via QR codes. The Arubans also pride themselves
on their time-keeping.
The island is easy to explore. Beyond the coastal fringe, hikes and bicycle rides take you into the cunucu, a landscape of low-lying bush and boulders in Arikok National Park, where 30ft candelabra cacti strike poses. The north tapers into another low-key area of small hotels and villas.
At Malmok, snorkellers roam the reefs, seeing parrotfish, angelfish, sergeant majors and grunts, while above them fluorescent kites race against the cerulean sky. If you hear an unexpected language, it will be Papiamento (see below) – audibly rooted in Spanish but impossible to pin into meaning.
A west-facing beach guarantees a sunset, and you will be drawn to the bars and hotels to see the sun slide beneath the horizon in a pink and golden flourish.
Next up is dinner. With some 250 restaurants the choice is huge, from Aruban cafés and Italian trattorias to steakhouses and old country estate houses where you dine on a terrace under ancient trees. Foodies will love the creative cuisine, with chefs using the local catch and tropical vegetables in inventive ways.
Now is the perfect time to get Aruba-ready. The new British Airways direct flights make it much easier to get there, allowing it to finally claim its rightful place on our favourite Caribbean islands list.
The heartland of Aruba’s high-rise hotels, on the west coast. Beach bars and restaurants flank two miles of sand which merges gradually into the sea. There’s full-on water action: trampolines and bouncy water toys, paddleboarding, pedalos, sailing dinghies and some motorised sports including banana boats and jet skis.
Beaches of your dreams
‘Chefs use the local catch and tropical vegetables in inventive ways’
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Americans have long known the pleasures of Aruba, but for British travellers this Dutch island close to Latin America has languished on the wishlist of Caribbean destinations.
That’s not because it can’t match its larger rivals for beauty, food and beaches – it can – but until now there has not been a direct flight from the UK. But with a year-round scheduled flight departing twice weekly from London Gatwick, the island is poised to join our roster of “first visits” to the Caribbean.
Hot spot
New direct flights from Gatwick mean you can fly and flop or make
it an active break
Papiamento, an extraordinary tangle of European influences, is the language of Aruba. The root of Papiamento is Afro-Portuguese creole, which mixes consonants from Dutch (also an official language on the island), vowels from Portuguese (brought by early traders), and English (from the influx of eastern Caribbean islanders who came to work in the oil industry).
Aruban Papiamento is also audibly influenced by the Spanish of nearby Latin America, and among other islanders is renowned for having a singsong tone. Nearby Bonaire and Curaçao speak Papiamentu, which sounds slightly different.
Pick up some Papiamento
‘First impressions of Aruba are different from elsewhere in the Caribbean’
Eagle Beach
Eagle Beach
Backed by low-rise hotels in the southwest; regularly voted No 1 beach in the Caribbean for its superb coralline sand, stretching 40m down to the turquoise sea. Some lovely undeveloped sections to walk and sunbathe. Elsewhere, some non-motorised watersports and hotels with bars and restaurants.
Malmok Beach
A limestone-backed section of shoreline on the west coast; cuts in the coral make miniature bays with a crystal, shallow sea and sandy floor dotted with small reefs swarming with tropical fish, offering excellent snorkelling. It can get crowded when catamaran cruises drop their swimmers.
Palm Beach
Hadicurari Beach
Also called Fisherman’s Huts, it’s the site of the best windsurfing and kitesurfing on an island that specialises in the sports. Between Palm Beach and Malmok Beach on the west coast, with excellent sand, superb blue sea, a couple of beach bars and kite rentals. The shallow water makes it popular with families.
Baby Beach
Set in a very pretty half-moon cove at the southeastern tip of the island, named for its beautifully sheltered, very shallow water that’s perfect for toddlers. It is a weekend escape for Aruban families, with two beach bars. For more seclusion, visit nearby Rodger’s Beach.
Arashi Beach
Close to the northern tip of the island, near the lighthouse, Arashi Beach is quite remote, so people base themselves there for the day. Great coral sand, protected shallow sea for swimming and thatched parasols for shelter against the fearsome sun. Also there’s a beach bar for drinks and food.
HADICURARI BEACH
PALM BEACH
MALMOK BEACH
aRASHI BEACH
BABY BEACH
Oranjestad
caribbean SEA
caribbean SEA
Where to sink your toes in
Where to sink your toes in
British travellers finally discover the secrests of
Hidden gem
Boca Prins is a secluded beach nestled in Arikok National Park
Aruba
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watching the sunset down at Mhares Sea Club, a chic and relaxing enclave overlooking the Bay of Palma.
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