travel to Aruba

 GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS

The island of Aruba is an autonomous country under the jurisdiction of the Netherlands, is located 25 km from Venezuela and west of Curaçao. It has an area of about 180 km² divided into six cities, which host almost 105.000 inhabitants. It is part of the Leeward Islands together with Curaçao and Bonaire. Its capital town and most populated city is Oranjestad, in English the orange city.

The currency of legal tender in the territory is the Aruban Guilder, although we can make all transactions in US dollars, are accepted and well seen on the island.

As a former member of the Netherlands Antilles, it retains Dutch as an official language and together with Papiamento, the local language that mixes Spanish, French, Indian awarak and Afro-Portuguese, constitute its linguistic core. The majority of the citizens speak English and Spanish.

The climate is privileged, being always between 77 and 82,4 degrees of average, the warmest time takes place between May and October, and the lowest temperatures occurred between December and March. The precipitations are scarce, concentrated between October and January; It rains an average of sixty-five days a year. The humidity is remarkable, it remains stable around 78% throughout the year.

HISTORY

The first settlers of the Island were Caquetíos Indians (of the Arawak tribe) who arrived from South America. The oldest vestiges that had been found date from 1000 a.C., these  paintings are preserved in the Fontein and Ayo caves.

Centuries later, the Spaniards landed on the coasts of Aruba. It is believed that the Spanish explorer Alonso de Ojeda arrived there in 1499 and from that moment, they began to bring labor force from their other colonies to work in the mines of the island.

In 1636 it was conquered by the Dutch West Indian Company, they maintained the control, for almost two centuries, until 1805, when the English took it for a brief period of ten years. The Dutch reconquer it and already at the beginning of the 20th century, its government created a large oil refinery near the capital, that supposed an economic boost for the country. In 1986 Aruba became part of the Netherlands Antilles until its dissolution in 2010; From that year on, it obtained the status of an autonomous territory, which it currently maintains.

TOURISM

Tourism is one of the main activities in the Aruban economy, along with banking transactions. In order to safeguard the existing natural resources in the best possible way, it has decided to take a step forward and become the most sustainable island in the Caribbean.

The Happy Island, is the nickname through which tourist activity develops, as a typical Caribbean destination highlights for its wonderful white sand beaches, crystal clear water and incredible corals and sea beds, among the most popular and beautiful are: Palm Beach, Eagle Beach , Arashi Beach, Druif Beach, Malmok Beach, Mangel Halto, Rodgers Beach, Baby Beach, or Hadicurari Beach or  Conchi’s natural pool. In all of them we can relax or take advantage of its calm waters to do all kinds of water activities such as snorkeling, surfing, boat trips or parasailing; It is a reference destination for diving fans who can swim under the shipyard, the ghost ship, the Jane Cocaine or even under the remains of a submerged airplane. If you prefer disaster-free zones, you can practice this sport on the coral reefs of Boca Catalina, Miguel Hato or in the Santana’s causeway, where you can see stars and sea sponges, anemones, sea turtles, and rays, among other coral animals.

Arikok National Park, thirty minutes away from the capital is a unique natural space on the island, with 34 kilometers of extension , houses almost all the country's biodiversity, stony and volcanic landscape, has many trails through which we will discover the native fauna and flora, historical remains of the first settlers, the highest hills, (the Arikok and Jamanota mountains), geological formations, such as the Fontein Cave and other natural resources of great importance, which you can roam by jeep if you like the adventure.

We will stress, also in Oranjestad, its small colorful houses, which provide a more welcoming atmosphere to the city, the Zoutman Fort, as the oldest building, the Park of Queen Wilhelmina, important place of recreation, in which stands a statue of the monarch, the Santa Ana’s Cathedral, finished in the XVIII century,  a great exponent of neoclassical style is another one of the most excellent monuments, the Archaeological Museum and the Museum of Numismatics have valuable collections which we can enjoy of . The California Lighthouse, The Alto Vista Chapel and the Baby Natural Bridge are also worth to be visited. In addition, the Simón Bolívar Statue is the most recognized monument. There are also a large number of cafes restaurants and commercial pavilions where you can buy a bunch of products and take advantage of your spare time.

To finish we cannot forget about its agitated nightlife, its varied cuisine, the high quality of its accommodations, and the existence of a solid tourist network, all this, together with the above-named, make Aruba an ideal destination for families, couples, fan of water sports and all those people who are looking for relax, this heavenly destination is a place where everything you wish is available.

 

REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION

To enter Aruba it is necessary to be in possession of the passport in force, in addition to the round trip ticket and a visa depending on your nationality (for more information visit the following link: http://www.aruba.com/travel-to-aruba/entryvisa-requirements).

 

EMBASSIES AND CONSULATES: https://www.embassypages.com/aruba

PRINCIPAL AIRPORTS OF ARUBA

  • Queen Beatrix International Airport, in Oranjestad (Codex AUA)

practical information

useful information before leaving

Language


English
Dutch
Spanish

Religion


Catholic
Judaism
Protestant
Evangelist

Political regime


Constitutional monarchy

Currency


Aruban Florin

Warnings


No warnings

Documentation


Identity document Required documentation
Passport Required documentation
Round-trip ticket Required documentation
Tourist visa

Vaccines


Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B
Typhoid Fever
Rabies

recommendations

Recommendations before traveling to Aruba

SECURITY

It is a safe country, with a low crime rate, but it is recommended to monitor your belongings and personal documents in crowded areas.

The roads are slippery because of this, you must drive with extreme caution.

HEALTH

The island has a first-class hospital just a few minutes from the hotel sector, and all hotels have a doctor 24/7 at your service.

The water is perfectly suitable for human consumption.

For comfort, dress in light clothing and comfortable shoes as the temperatures are warm all year round (average temperature is 82,4ºF). Also, protect yourself from the sun's rays with clothes, caps and sunscreen.

No vaccination certificate is necessary to enter the country.

CLIMATE AND TEMPERATURES

The island of Aruba stands out mainly for the presence of the sun and clear skies throughout the year. The rainy season occurs between the months of October and January, although these are not usually abundant.

Temperatures are around 77ºF throughout the year, with the highest temperatures between May and October, and the lowest between December and March.

BUSINESS HOURS

The shops open their doors from Monday to Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from 2:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. The large shopping centres are open from 10:00 to 18:00.

Bank hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

ELECTRICITY

The electrical voltage network operates at 120V and the frequency is 60Hz. The types of plugs used are A, B and F. See if you need an adapter.

TIPS

Tips are not obligatory in Aruba as it is usually included in the bill, but it is well worth leaving around 15% of the total amount of the service.

Most credit cards and traveller’s checks are accepted, but some businesses do not accept $ 50 or $ 100 bills because of their high counterfeit rate.

TELEPHONES OF INTEREST

The phone code is +297.

It is not necessary to mark the prefixes for each city. A GSM mobile network gives coverage to the island. The emergency number is 911.

TIME ZONE

The time zone of Aruba is UTC-4 throughout the year.


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