Aruba Review

Sleet, freezing rain, snow drifts, blinding blizzards....who needs 'em!! Not me, that's for sure. If I lived in a cold-weather state, you can bet your bottom dollar I'd be booking some SERIOUS warm-weather vacations for those coldest months of the year. I'd be looking at the great Mexican beach resorts, or maybe some fantastic Caribbean islands --- some place where the only thing cold is the drinks served at the beachside bars. I'd be looking at places with spectacular beaches, glorious sunsets, luxury hotels, fine international dining, and plenty of sun and fun....I'd be looking for places like Aruba!

One of the best reasons to choose Aruba over other beach destinations is the weather: it's almost ALWAYS sunny and warm in Aruba. It's technically a desert island, getting only scant amounts of rainfall each year, but that poverty of precipitation translates to an excellent chance that your vacation won't be rained out. Even in the Caribbean's traditional "hurricane season" of summer through about November, Aruba doesn't get hit --- it's further south than the usual tropical storm tracks, and almost never sees a gale. Aruba is part of the Netherlands Antilles, lying just a few miles off the coast of Venezuela. A look at the map tells you WHY this place is always warm --- it's practically down to the equator. Can you say "steady sunshine and LOTS of it"?? Sure you can! It's spelled A-R-U-B-A.

Sunshine is just part of the equation though. There's also the sand factor. You want powdery soft, bleach white sand --- and lots of it. Long beaches with wide expanses sloping gently into the warm, calm waters of the Caribbean. Sounds like a dream, I know, but it's a reality too. There's lots of different beaches on Aruba, and some are great for swimming, while others on the ocean side of the island get enough wind to kick up some waves, making them a real joy for the surfing or windsurfing crowd. Just offshore are numerous shipwrecks, not to mention a couple coral reefs. Naturally, scuba diving and snorkling are big on Aruba, and any dive shop in downtown Oranjestad can get you set up on a tour.

The two best beaches, in my opinion, are Eagle Beach and Palm Beach. Palm Beach is where most of the big resort hotels are located. It's a nice beach and all those hotels mean there's also lots of recreation there, like Jet Skis, parasailing, waterskiing, etc. If you can imagine a resort water sport, it's on Palm Beach. Eagle Beach is a bit more tranquil, but it could be the better beach for you: it's a huge beach that often has remarkably FEW people on it. If you want a quiet place to read a book while you maintain that bronze tan of yours, then Eagle Beach might be more your tune.

Dining and nightlife are excellent on Aruba. In Orangestad, you'll find myriad dining opportunities with everything from high end French cuisine to downhome hearty barbecue pits. There's places on the beach where you can dig your toes into the sand while you dine on fresh grilled fish, and there's places with funky atmosphere and live music. For local Aruban flavor, it's tough the beat The Paddock (a.k.a., Eet Cafe): they've got a wonderful open-air dining room on the waterfront of Oranjestad and they're always serving up lots of authentic Dutch Caribbean cooking. Some folks head to Charlies Bar on the south end of the island, and they have a great casual bar attitude (though the prices won't be cheap and not everyone will feel all safe and comfy in San Nicolas, since it is the part of the island where the refinery workers congregate).

Aruba has something of a reputation for high prices, though I find it more affordable than many Caribbean resort areas, and there are plenty of options for casual, moderately priced dining. In downtown Oranjestad, Cuba's Cookin' is wonderfully affordable and the food is wonderfully Cuban...they also do live music, and like their cook, most of the bands are from Cuba. You can get real mojitos made with real Havana Club rum, and you can taste a gloriously rich Cuban cigar after dinner. If you've got a taste for Mexican food, Que Pasa won't hurt your wallet any more than a trip to Chilis would in an American mall --- but the food's better. And if you're in a party mood, the Carlos N Charlies is predictably fun (tell 'em the ghost of Natalee Holloway sent you! Sorry....tasteless attempt at humor.)

Gamblers will find plenty of chances to lose their money in Aruba's casinos, and there's plenty of places for shoppers to lose their money in all the upscale boutique shops in Oranjestad. And by the way, one of the coolest souvenirs to take home is one of those "Happy Island" license plates....for sale in tacky souvenir shops everywhere. Have fun!