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Holidays in Aruba
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Aruba is a sizeable Dutch Caribbean island located just off the coast of Venezuela. This tourist destination is synonymous with gentle surf, sunny weather and spectacular beaches. The area enjoys a wide range of all-inclusive resorts with numerous architectural delights of European influence. Aruba prides itself in being small, safe and modern, with friendly locals. If you're looking for a romantic island getaway, an incredible holiday for the whole family, relaxation for a group of friends or a place for a solo traveller to explore and enjoy, Aruba may be the perfect place for you. Voyage Privé outlines some of the highlights of this incredible Caribbean holiday destination below. One visit to this beautiful island, and you'll be hooked!
The top 5 things to see/do in Aruba
1. Visit the Arikok National Park
While most people come to Aruba for the pristine beaches and high-end resorts, there is much more to this island. Arikok National Park in the North-Eastern part of the island is an incredible gem. This large national park takes up almost 18% of the Aruban landscape. You can expect to find lava, quartz diorite and limestone here. Furthermore, this park has many more wonders, including the archaic Arawak paintings, unique snake and bird species, like the Aruban burrowing owl and the Baker’s cat-eyed snakes. Beaches worth visiting here include Boca Prins and Dos Playa, where turtles come to lay eggs. Other attractions include the Quadiriki Cave, where you can see sunlight streaming in from above and hilltops, which offer amazing views. You can also explore the traditional Aruban houses while enjoying different hiking trails.
2. Head over to the Aruban Palm Beach
Palm Beach, on the Northern coast of Aruba, is popular worldwide, and it is a two-mile-long strip of shoreline, home to a wide range of luxury hotels, stylish beach bars, high-end boutiques and glamorous restaurants. If you love white sand, swimming and watersports, head here! It is full of water-based activities and picturesque piers, making it ideal for snorkellers and swimmers alike. This destination is quite popular for its nightlife because of the many casinos, night clubs and buzzing bars. It makes a great spot for a romantic dinner on the sand or a couple of sundowners as you watch the sunset. Also, it is home to two of the largest malls in Aruba.
3. Explore the Bushiribana Gold Mill Ruins
If you're interested in the history of Aruba, check out the Bushiribana Gold Mill Ruins, just between Andicuri Beach and Wariruri Beach. The Bushiribana Gold Mill Ruins grew popular due to the massive gold ores during the 19th century Aruban gold rush. The mill was in operation for 10 years and was responsible for producing over 3 million pounds of gold. Today, it remains an important tourist site to explore in addition to Aruba's spectacular beaches.
4. Try Aruba bob snorkelling
For some pretty memorable snorkelling experiences, try some Aruba bob snorkelling in the crystal-clear Aruban waters. You can hitch any Aruban snorkelling tours and make your entry from the beach while using underwater scooters. This ensures that you enjoy a long stretch of snorkelling and spectacular reef teeming with some colourful coral, fish and other marine life. Many of the tours available take you bob snorkelling off Mangel Halto Beach, which offers diverse marine life. There are even solar-powered underwater scooters for an environmentally friendly fish-spotting tour.
5. Learn a few things at Aruba Surf & Paddleboarding School
While visiting Aruba, you can beef up some of your surf and paddling skills at the Aruba Surf & Paddleboarding School. They offer different surfing lessons to all levels of experience and ages. Moreover, you can also rent their paddleboarding equipment from some of the leading brands so that you have top-tier paddleboarding experience while here. Stand up paddleboarding (SUP) is suitable for beginners and allows you to glide on the water while enjoying the beautiful scenery. For more advanced paddleboard users, there is SUP Yoga. The friendly and certified instructors ensure that you will have a fulfilling experience.
When is the best time to go on holiday in Aruba?
If you want to take advantage of significantly lower prices while visiting Aruba, consider planning your trip for April to August. The accommodation rates at these times are relatively cheaper. Since the island sits outside the hurricane belt, there is little threat of tropical storms and fewer crowds. The weather in Aruba is best from January to March, when prices are higher and there are more tourists around.
Going on holiday in Aruba
Getting to Aruba is hassle-free. From the Queen Beatrix International Airport, you can grab non-stop flights from any city in the US or arrive via a cruise at the Port of Aruba. You don’t even need a visa if you’re visiting from regions like South America, Europe, the US and Canada. Once you're on the island, you can rent a vehicle right from the airport and explore. Otherwise, there are ample taxis and shuttles available to help you get around.
Enjoy your holiday in Aruba
In addition to the spectacular beach life on offer, there are many things to see and do while visiting Aruba, whether travelling alone, with your partner, friends or family. For instance, many of the luxurious hotels here have kids’ swimming pools and playgrounds to make it easy for families. Piers on the coast are incredible places for couples wishing to take romantic walks and there are plenty of other places for all kinds of travellers to explore, like the national park.
The Voyage Privé travel expert’s opinion on Aruba
We highly recommend visiting Aruba because of the stunning combination of white sand, turquoise waters, beautifully tranquil beaches and the bright and warm Aruban sun. Furthermore, there are plenty of activities, like discovering the hidden depths of the Antilla Shipwreck or Boca Catalina and enjoying the Balashi beer.
Thanks to a combination of beautifully tranquil beaches with turquoise waters and the bright and warm Caribbean sun, holidays to Aruba are on the up and the island's popularity is showing no signs of slowing down; book online today
Sun, sea and sand
It's no surprise that the beaches are the number one destination for anyone vacationing in Aruba. From crowded beaches with a party atmosphere to more secluded beaches that you'll have to drive to, Aruba has more than enough to satisfy everyone. Highlights include the outstandingly beautiful Eagle Beach. Elsewhere Palm Beach is perhaps equally as pretty, although it does draw larger crowds.
Discover the hidden depths
Anyone who regularly goes on holidays to Aruba will tell you just how fantastic the diving is. Not only can you take a close look at some beautiful creatures, but there are also a number of shipwrecks just waiting to be explored. Head to Boca Catalina or the Antilla Shipwreck for a particularly memorable diving experience. Diving amongst the Antilla Shipwreck allows you to see first hand a German 400-feet cargo ship that was in use during the second world war.
Go for Gold
Aruba gets its name from 'red gold' (oro ruba). Discoveries of the gold on the island can be traced back to the 19th Century. Those discoveries resulted in gold mines on the island which can still be visited today. You can either take a tour or discover them for yourself, one is located in Bushiribana on the northern coast whilst the other is in the south-west in Balashi.
Enjoy a nice glass of Balashi
If you're heading to Aruba then Balashi Beer is an absolute must. Ideal after a day on the beach, the name Balashi comes from the words 'Bala Bala' which translates as 'near the sea'. As the only beer that's actually brewed on Aruba, it's worth sampling if you want to get a true taste of the island. You can even visit the brewery, with daily tours available. Or if alcohol is not your thing, why not try out what they call the 'Balashi Cocktail'. A Balashi Cocktail is drinking water but is known for its cleanliness and its taste. By heating seawater under a vacuum in the water and energy factory, the condensed water vapor is then baked with coral stone which adds calcium and minerals to the water, resulting in a very tasty glass of H2O.
If you're thinking about a holiday in Aruba, then why not get the absolute most out of the island by staying in one of our hand-picked luxury resorts. With plenty of exclusive offers at top hotels available, that perfect Aruba holiday might be closer than you think.
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