“Beaches from paradise. Jacuzzi-warm seas. And a designer shopping scene to rival Milan. This sun-soaked Dutch isle doesn’t do anything by halves.”
“Aruba, Jamaica, ooo I wanna take you to Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama...” So go the words to Kokomo, the song from the 80’s classic, Cocktail. It’s the film that had men reaching for a Hawaiian shirt and a shaker in the hope of capturing some of that Tom Cruise magic. Now, it’s not for nothing the Beach Boys kicked off their chart-topping homage to the Caribbean with a nod to Aruba. It’s everything a tropical island should be. Think blindingly-white beaches. Gently swaying palms. And ridiculously blue seas. It’s the kind of place where coconut-scented sun-cream and umbrella-clad cocktails are de rigueur. Despite its mellow holiday vibe, Aruba somehow managed to slip below the British tourist radar, with holidaymakers favouring other Caribbean heavyweights instead. But not the Americans. They’ve been coming here for years. And where Americans go, top-notch service, luxury hotels and glam stores follow. And that’s certainly true of Aruba. Take the main resort, Palm Beach, for example. Here, lavish hotels and casinos hug the sands. And over in Oranjestad, glitzy over-sized shopping malls call the capital home. But you’d be wrong to think Aruba’s just an extension of Florida. It’s part of a trio of islands known as the ABCs – Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao. Together with Holland, they make up the Kingdom of the Netherlands so the island’s got a strong Dutch influence. A stroll around the Daniel Leo square reveals rows of gabled houses straight out of Amsterdam. There’s even a windmill on the island, shipped over from Holland. All that’s missing is the little mouse with clogs on. Looking at Aruba, it’s fitting the title track from Cocktail name-checks this island, because that’s exactly what Aruba is – a cocktail of Dutch, American and Caribbean influences shaken up and served to perfection.
Forget Trafalgar Square on New Year’s Eve. Forget Hogmanay along Edinburgh’s Princes Street. Head to Oranjestard instead. Aruba’s capital throws a New Year’s bash like no other. The celebrations are really something – there’s a huge firework display and minstrels walk the streets, crooning under windows. Not long afterwards you’ve got the Aruba Carnival. Held in February or March, it’s a month-long celebration with events day and night.
Top 10 Things to See and Do
No prizes for guessing how this place got its name. A curtain of palms polka-dots this sandy sweep on the northwest coast. And as beaches go, Palm Beach is top of the tree. Think blindingly white sand so soft you could talc a baby’s bottom with it. Supermodel palms that erupt in a firework display of fronds. And crystal clear waters in a symphony of turquoise and aquamarine. If it all sounds a bit OTT, that’s because it is. When Mother Nature was dishing out the wow factor quotient, she gave Palm Beach a double helping. With a shoreline like this, it’s no wonder Palm Beach has grown to become Aruba’s premier holiday resort. Not only has it got the looks, but it’s got the personality to go with it. It’s busy. It’s buzzy. And it’s got plenty to do. Jet-skis and banana boats come courtesy of the watersports rentals that line the shore. And at one end of the beach, there’s a rush-thatched jetty called Palm Pier that’s loaded with restaurants and bars. The other great thing about this place is nearly all the hotels sit right on the sands. Behind the wall of palms, glittering high-rise hotels jostle for space along the beach. Most of them back onto the J E Irausquin Boulevard where you’ll find plenty in the way of restaurants, shops and bars. Not that you need to leave the comfort of your hotel though. Most of them are mini-resorts with casinos, a la carte restaurants and boutiques all on site. Sands and glam hotels aside, you’ll also find De Olde Molen here. An authentic Dutch windmill, it was uprooted lock, stock and sails over from Holland. For more in the way of culture, full-on shopping and a bigger dining scene, you’ll need to head to the capital, Oranjestad, which is about a 10-minute drive from Palm Beach.
If Palm Beach is the larger-than-life extrovert, then Eagle Beach is the relaxed wallflower. Sitting pretty on the northwest coast, this sandy little number is a lot quieter than its bubbly neighbour. The two actually merge together, with Eagle Beach catching the tail end of the high-rise hotels. However, generally speaking, the properties along this stretch fall into the luxury low-level camp. One thing Eagle Beach has in common with Palm Beach, though, is stellar sands. We’re talking whiter than white, duvet-soft grains that squeak beneath your feet. Glittering turquoise seas perfect for swimming. And glossy palm trees swaying gently in the breeze. All with the added bonus of the occasional divi-divi - like overgrown bonsais, these wind-sculpted trees have become Aruban trademarks. You probably get the picture, Eagle Beach is the kind of place you can quite easily disappear off the radar and melt into a world of your own. And if you really want to de-stress, pad down to seriously sleepy Druif Beach at the southern tip of Eagle Beach. That’s not to say there’s nothing going in these parts, though. A swish casino and 9-hole golf course call Eagle Beach home. Plus, it’s only about five to ten minutes away from Oranjestad by car so you can hit the malls, sights and restaurants of the capital.
“Aruba, Jamaica, ooo I wanna take you to Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama...” So go the words to Kokomo, the song from the 80’s classic, Cocktail. It’s the film that had men reaching for a Hawaiian shirt and a shaker in the hope of capturing some of that Tom Cruise magic. Now, it’s not for nothing the Beach Boys kicked off their chart-topping homage to the Caribbean with a nod to Aruba. It’s everything a tropical island should be. Think blindingly-white beaches. Gently swaying palms. And ridiculously blue seas. It’s the kind of place where coconut-scented sun-cream and umbrella-clad cocktails are de rigueur. Despite its mellow holiday vibe, Aruba somehow managed to slip below the British tourist radar, with holidaymakers favouring other Caribbean heavyweights instead. But not the Americans. They’ve been coming here for years. And where Americans go, top-notch service, luxury hotels and glam stores follow. And that’s certainly true of Aruba. Take the main resort, Palm Beach, for example. Here, lavish hotels and casinos hug the sands. And over in Oranjestad, glitzy over-sized shopping malls call the capital home. But you’d be wrong to think Aruba’s just an extension of Florida. It’s part of a trio of islands known as the ABCs – Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao. Together with Holland, they make up the Kingdom of the Netherlands so the island’s got a strong Dutch influence. A stroll around the Daniel Leo square reveals rows of gabled houses straight out of Amsterdam. There’s even a windmill on the island, shipped over from Holland. All that’s missing is the little mouse with clogs on. Looking at Aruba, it’s fitting the title track from Cocktail name-checks this island, because that’s exactly what Aruba is – a cocktail of Dutch, American and Caribbean influences shaken up and served to perfection.
Weather
Sitting pretty just above Venezuela, Aruba enjoys a typically Caribbean climate – hot sunny days give way to warm balmy evenings. Average temperatures in these parts hover around the 28°C mark but cooling trade winds and low humidity means you never swelter. What you get here is a nice, dry heat. Just be sure to slap on lots of suncream as it can be deceptively hot. Unlike some of its Caribbean siblings, Aruba sits outside the Caribbean’s hurricane belt so you can holiday here any season without the worry of storms.Beaches
Aruba bagged the best of the ABCs’ beaches. We’re talking Caribbean classics where talcumy sands and bright turquoise seas come as standard. Most of them fringe the west coast, the leader of the pack being Palm Beach. This ice-white beauty fronts the island’s high-rise hotels and, as the name suggests, is edged by a curtain of glossy palms. Sailing boats, jet-skis and banana boats line up along its shoreline, and at one end you’ve got Palm Pier, a rush-thatched jetty packed with restaurants and snack bars. Eagle Beach is another of Aruba’s big-hitters. Less developed than neighbouring Palm Beach, it serves up sand-and-sea with a side-order of peace and quiet. Another noteworthy sweep is Arashi Beach. Tucked on Aruba’s northwest tip, near the California Lighthouse, it’s really popular with the locals and is a good spot for body boarding. Not far away you’ve got Mamlok Beach. The glamour puss of the bunch, it’s backed by flash Miami-style villas and is a great place for windsurfing. Plus there’s a wreck of a sunken freighter here, so it’s a top scuba haunt, too. Down south, meanwhile, the aptly-named Baby Beach is a good place to head if you’ve got the kids in tow. Cue calm waters perfect for paddling and soft sands spot on for children’s construction work. It’s a completely different kettle of fish over on the windward east coast. The cliffs here have been carved out by the sea into blowholes and inlets so when heavy swells roll in, pounding spray is thrown up into the air. Along this wild and isolated stretch, you’ll find a clutch of near-deserted beaches like Boca Grandi and Andicuri. The latter of which has been the setting for many a photo shoot – its black pebbles provide a striking natural backdrop. The supermodel of Aruba’s beaches, however, is Renaissance Island. Only accessible by speedboat, this almond-shaped sliver belongs to the Renaissance Hotel. And it’s outrageously gorgeous. Think duvet-soft sands, aquamarine lagoons and nodding palms. There are even pink flamingos strutting their stuff along the shore. In fact, Renaissance Island’s so mesmerising, it’s the official screensaver on our computers here at Thomson.Shopping
Oranjestad is Aruba’s shopping bull’s eye. We’re talking designer boutiques, glam shopping malls and high-class jewellers. But while the capital’s residents are generally well-heeled, they’re not exactly dripping in diamonds - so why all the shopping hoopla? Every few days, colossal cruise liners dock here and hordes of splurge-happy passengers come ashore. And the citizens of Oranjestad lay on a shopping extravaganza to help visitors give their credit cards a workout. And what with Aruba being duty-free, that’s easily done. Well, technically speaking, only the airport departure lounge is duty-free but Aruba’s hijacked the phrase to describe the big discounts on offer. Duty-low is perhaps a better description. A good place to exorcise those shopping demons is along Caya G F Betico Croes and the streets that run off it. This is the capital’s main shopping drag and you’ll find everything from clothes to camcorders here. Not far away, on Lloyd G Smith Boulevard, there’s the kitsch Royal Plaza Mall. You can’t miss it. All bubblegum-pink gables, it looks as though it’s been airlifted over from New Orleans – all that’s missing is a barbershop quartet fresh out of Dixieland. Close by, you’ve got the Renaissance Mall. Tucked below the Renaissance Hotel, this one’s home to luxury stores like Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Ralph Lauren. And just across the street you’ve got the more family-friendly Renaissance Marketplace, where you can break for a Haagen-Dazs pit stop. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Other retail temples include the Port of Call Marketplace, Aventura Mall, the Holland Aruba Mall, the Sun Plaza and the Atrium Mall. You get the picture – this place isn’t short on shops. It’s all about glitz, glamour and big bucks. On the subject of which, take American dollars with you currency-wise as they’re accepted everywhere.Food & Drink
Most hotels in Aruba offer Full Board or All Inclusive packages, so dining tends to be quite hotel-centric. After decades of catering for a predominantly American market, hoteliers certainly know how to lay on an impressive spread. Portions are supersized and the level of choice is staggering. At breakfast time, cooking stations knock out leaning towers of waffles and pancakes. Come the evening, they’re sizzling with steaks and fish. Most places also offer something in the way of a la carte dining. Don’t be surprised to find a Japanese sushi bar, an Italian trattoria, an American steakhouse and a Mexican cantina all in the same complex. Of course, the age-old maxim comes into play here - the higher up the star rating you go, the better it gets. If you do want a break from your hotel though, some properties have meal exchange programmes with other hotels. Of course you can always hit the streets of Oranjestad and Palm Beach for a bite to eat. The resorts’ restaurant scenes sit firmly at the cosmopolitan end of the spectrum, lining up French bistros, Chinese restaurants, Italian pizzerias and, of course, Dutch eateries. If you want to go native, check out the Aruban haunts where you can tuck into favourites like ‘sopito’ - fish and coconut soup flavoured with salt pork – ‘ayacas’ – banana leaves stuffed with maize and meat – and ‘keshi yena’ – baked meat, chicken or fish stuffed with edam cheese. The most famous dish, however, is called ‘stoba’. This succulent lamb stew is slow-cooked and served with crispy banana fritters. On the drinks front, Aruba turns to the motherland and serves up a medley of Dutch beers like Pilsner, Heineken and Grolsch. And from neighbouring Curacao, orange liqueur makes a regular appearance on most cocktail menus.- Smith’s, Oranjestad Part of the Renaissance Hotel, this ultra-modern steakhouse could’ve been airlifted from New York. Blue mood lighting and minimalist white décor provide the perfect setting for melt-in-the-mouth fillet mignon and chateaubriand.
- Tomato Charlie’s, Palm Beach This old-school American-style diner sits just behind the Hotel Occidental. Set up back in 1957, it’s something of an Aruban institution and serves up top-notch breakfasts and does a roaring trade in pizzas, too.
- Chez Mathilde, Oranjestad Close to the Renaissance Hotel, this elegant eatery is housed in an old 19th-century building. Make no bones about it, eating here is expensive - but it’s worth it. The bouillabaisse alone contains more than a dozen different types of seafood. The menu also features tender rack of lamb, brie-topped veal and lightly peppered red snapper.
- De Olde Molen, Palm Beach Just across the road from the Wyndham Hotel, stands this, one of Aruba’s most iconic sights. An authentic old Dutch windmill, it was given to the people of Aruba by the Queen of Holland. These days it’s a restaurant and serves up international fare.
- The Old Cunucu House, Palm Beach Originally a private house in the 1920s, this establishment has managed to retain its traditional décor – plaster-coated walls and simple tiled floors. The chef here rustles up local Aruban specialities like coconut fried shrimp and baked swordfish.
Nightlife
After sundown, Aruba comes over all Las Vegas. Along with its flashy hotels and shopping malls, the island does a mean line in casinos. And it’s real Casino Royale stuff. Dice career down craps tables. Roulette wheels spin in a whir of black and red. And an avalanche of clinking coins spew from one-armed bandits. In true James Bond style, put on your best poker face, throw down a chip or two and pray that Lady Luck is smiling on you. You’ll find the majority of casinos in the hotels along the Palm Beach strip. Aruba’s one and only 24-hour gambling den – the Crystal Casino - is tucked in Oranjestad at the Renaissance Hotel. This also happens to be home to one of the swankiest show lounges on the island. The revues staged here are out of this world. Think maraca-shaking beauties sashaying in time to Latin beats. Feathery headdresses and sequin-spangled outfits straight out of the Rio carnival. And snake-hipped dancers all the way from Cuba. It’s a similar story at most of the big hotels where high-octane spectaculars are usually staged nightly. Casinos and cabarets aside, Aruba offers up a decent bar and disco scene, too. Head to Palm Beach or downtown Oranjestad for the best in cocktails and glitterballs. Of course, you can always sidestep this giddy circus in favour of a more traditional Caribbean experience. Palm-thatched beach hangouts along Palm and Eagle Beach provide the perfect setting to enjoy a star-filled evening of tropical drinks and sea breezes.- La Fiesta, Oranjestad This second floor, open-air club plays a mix of salsa, reggae and disco. It’s spread across two buildings, connected by a bridge dotted with chill-out wicker chairs. You’ll find the entrance in the ‘quieter’ building.
- Stellaris Casino, Palm Beach This casino is part of the Marriott Beach Resort and is one of the largest on the island. It’s also one of the smartest. All that’s missing is Daniel Craig in a dickie bow.
- Iguana Joes, Oranjestad An open-air bar overlooking the capital, this place offers up great views and is the place to quaff killer cocktails.
- Café Chaos, Oranjestad Don’t be fooled by the name – this place is anything but chaotic. In fact, it’s quite low key. More often than not Old Blue Eyes is crooning on the jukebox and Saturdays are given over to live jazz, blues and funk.
- Alhmabra Casino, Eagle Beach With magic shows, stand up comedians and star turns, there’s more to this gambling grotto than just slot machines.
Forget Trafalgar Square on New Year’s Eve. Forget Hogmanay along Edinburgh’s Princes Street. Head to Oranjestard instead. Aruba’s capital throws a New Year’s bash like no other. The celebrations are really something – there’s a huge firework display and minstrels walk the streets, crooning under windows. Not long afterwards you’ve got the Aruba Carnival. Held in February or March, it’s a month-long celebration with events day and night.
Top 10 Things to See and Do
- Oranjestad Shopping rather than sights tops Oranjestad’s ‘to do’ list, with most visitors making a beeline for the malls and boutiques along Caya G F Betico Croes and Lloyd G Smith Boulevard. But dig a little deeper and behind the glitzy veneer you’ll discover a surprisingly charming town. Plaza Daniel Leo’s a good starting point. Bordered by rows of pastel gabled houses, this cutesy square wouldn’t look out of place along the canals of Amsterdam. And close by you’ve got Doctor Eloy Ahrends House. A vision in emerald green, this colonial gem’s trimmed with elegant white balustrades and window shutters.
- Fort Zoutman & Willem II Tower Jail. Courtroom. Tax office. Junk room, even. Over the years, Aruba’s oldest example Dutch architecture, Fort Zoutman, has had a variety roles. Dating back to the 17th century, it was originally built to defend Oranjestad from marauding pirates. These days it’s home to a museum charting Aruba’s history but it’s everything a colonial fort should be – stout walls, heavy cannons, the works. Alongside it stands the Willem II Tower. Painted red, white and blue, this pretty clock tower has got toy town written all over it.
- De Palm Island Marooned off Aruba’s southwest coast, this private island is THE place for a family day out. Made up of a series of wooden piers and cabins, it’s surrounded by pristine white beaches. There’s a mini waterpark here too. It’s topped by a giant bucket, which, when full, tips over and showers everyone below. Other activities include snorkelling, catamarans and snuba diving – a modern take on the old copper diving helmets.
- De Olde Molen Perhaps the last thing you expect to see in the Caribbean is an old Dutch windmill. But head to the outskirts of Palm Beach and that’s precisely what you’ll find. It was built in Holland back to the early 1800s before being shipped across the Atlantic to Aruba where it was reconstructed in the 1960s. And it still looks the part. In fact, you half expect an Edam-nibbling Dutch girl to wander past in clogs.
- Scuba Diving With visibility upwards of 30 metres and a coral reef running along the west coast, close encounters with flapping manta rays and neon parrotfish are more or less a given in these waters. Most of the big hotels have partnerships with dive operators, so whether you’re a novice or and old hand, you can wriggle into a wetsuit and marvel at the aquatic eye candy. Dives vary in depth from five metres to forty-five metres and you’ll find some of the best sites around De Palm Island, Kantil, Skalahein and Barcadera. And don’t miss the wrecks of the Antilla, a German freighter scuttled during the Second World War, and the Pedernales, an oil tanker hit in a submarine attack in 1941.
- Bushiribana Gold Mine Long before the Caribbean was synonymous with sun-loungers and cocktails, it was all about pieces of eight. Inspired by tales of El Dorado, conquistadores and colonists scoured the Caribbean in search of hidden treasure. And they struck gold in Aruba – literally. The discovery of ore in 1824 sparked a Klondike-like frenzy with mines springing up along the north coast. In total, more than 3 million pounds of the shiny stuff were excavated. Although now in ruins, the mine at Bushiribana stands as a reminder of Aruba’s mini gold rush. It’s in a lovely spot overlooking the sea and the ruins themselves look like an old Medieval castle, made up crumbling walls and bulky grey stones.
- California Lighthouse But for the turquoise seas surrounding it, this elegant stone lighthouse could’ve been plucked from the pages of a Famous Five novel. It stands guard over the northwest tip of Aruba and dates back to 1910. It was named after the California – an American ship that sank off the coast a couple of years before the lighthouse was built. Perched high above the sea, the views from here are out of this world. Come at sunset and you’ll be rewarded with the final shades of sunshine melting into a palette of pinks and oranges. Close by you’ve got the California Dunes. These Sahara-like sweeps are dotted with spiky cacti, aloe plants and Aruba’s trademark divi-divi trees, complete with their iconic wind-blown coiffures.
- Arikok National Wildlife Park All one-armed bandit cactuses and giant boulders, Aruba’s sprawling nature reserve looks like a spaghetti western film set. It’s proper David Attenborough country - on the bird side of things you’ve got burrowing owls and Aruban parakeets while reptilian residents include iguanas, rattlesnakes and whiptail lizards. Wildlife aside, this is where you’ll find Mount Yamanota. At 620 feet high, it’s Aruba’s highest point and it goes without saying the views from the top are breathtaking. For more in the way of geological exotica, check out the the Baranca Sunu cave whose heart-shaped entrance has earned it the moniker the Tunnel of Love.
- Fontein Cave Long before the Dutch, Arawak Indians called Aruba home. Eager to jazz up their modest caves, they daubed the rock walls with reddish-brown drawings. And you can see some of their best efforts at Fontein Carve. But that’s not all this limestone hollow has up its sleeve. Nature’s artwork is showcased here, too. Bizarre-looking stalagmites and stalactites pepper the cavern like dribbled candlesticks. And don’t be surprised if you hear the sudden flapping of wings overhead – bats, not Indians, now call this place home.
- Butterfly Park All tropical canopies, trickling waterfalls and exotic orchids, this place is like a snapshot of the Garden of Eden. But the star of the show here isn’t a fig leaf-wearing duo – it’s a technicolour army of butterflies. Hundreds of winged beauties flutter freely in this huge, meshed enclosure. There are iridescent Blue Morphos, bright orange Flames and aptly-named Giant Swallowtails. You can also see their life cycles – from tiny little eggs to furry caterpillars through to leaf-like chrysalises. Get here early in the day and you might even get to witness a newborn butterfly emerge from its pupa, unfurl its wings and take its first flight.
Palm Beach, Aruba
“A classic Caribbean beach with watersports. Luxury hotels along the shore. And an old Dutch windmill to boot. That’s Palm Beach in a coconut shell.”No prizes for guessing how this place got its name. A curtain of palms polka-dots this sandy sweep on the northwest coast. And as beaches go, Palm Beach is top of the tree. Think blindingly white sand so soft you could talc a baby’s bottom with it. Supermodel palms that erupt in a firework display of fronds. And crystal clear waters in a symphony of turquoise and aquamarine. If it all sounds a bit OTT, that’s because it is. When Mother Nature was dishing out the wow factor quotient, she gave Palm Beach a double helping. With a shoreline like this, it’s no wonder Palm Beach has grown to become Aruba’s premier holiday resort. Not only has it got the looks, but it’s got the personality to go with it. It’s busy. It’s buzzy. And it’s got plenty to do. Jet-skis and banana boats come courtesy of the watersports rentals that line the shore. And at one end of the beach, there’s a rush-thatched jetty called Palm Pier that’s loaded with restaurants and bars. The other great thing about this place is nearly all the hotels sit right on the sands. Behind the wall of palms, glittering high-rise hotels jostle for space along the beach. Most of them back onto the J E Irausquin Boulevard where you’ll find plenty in the way of restaurants, shops and bars. Not that you need to leave the comfort of your hotel though. Most of them are mini-resorts with casinos, a la carte restaurants and boutiques all on site. Sands and glam hotels aside, you’ll also find De Olde Molen here. An authentic Dutch windmill, it was uprooted lock, stock and sails over from Holland. For more in the way of culture, full-on shopping and a bigger dining scene, you’ll need to head to the capital, Oranjestad, which is about a 10-minute drive from Palm Beach.
Eagle Beach, Aruba
“Relaxed Eagle Beach is perfect if you’re looking to just tune out. And because it’s close to Palm Beach and Oranjestad, holiday buzz is never far away.”If Palm Beach is the larger-than-life extrovert, then Eagle Beach is the relaxed wallflower. Sitting pretty on the northwest coast, this sandy little number is a lot quieter than its bubbly neighbour. The two actually merge together, with Eagle Beach catching the tail end of the high-rise hotels. However, generally speaking, the properties along this stretch fall into the luxury low-level camp. One thing Eagle Beach has in common with Palm Beach, though, is stellar sands. We’re talking whiter than white, duvet-soft grains that squeak beneath your feet. Glittering turquoise seas perfect for swimming. And glossy palm trees swaying gently in the breeze. All with the added bonus of the occasional divi-divi - like overgrown bonsais, these wind-sculpted trees have become Aruban trademarks. You probably get the picture, Eagle Beach is the kind of place you can quite easily disappear off the radar and melt into a world of your own. And if you really want to de-stress, pad down to seriously sleepy Druif Beach at the southern tip of Eagle Beach. That’s not to say there’s nothing going in these parts, though. A swish casino and 9-hole golf course call Eagle Beach home. Plus, it’s only about five to ten minutes away from Oranjestad by car so you can hit the malls, sights and restaurants of the capital.
