It is not difficult to lean back and take it easy on an island such as Aruba. Its way of life is just the tonic for any frazzled visitor: like the aloe vera gel whose origin of plant is everywhere on the island, there is something here to soothe anyone's daily stresses and abrasions.
Oranjestad highlightsAruba's capital, Oranjestad, dazzles any visitor with the orange facades that brightly array the architecture. The color indicates the island's historical ties with The Netherlands - although seceded from it in 1986, Aruba's head of state is still the Dutch ruling
monarch.
Oranjestad has some of the best duty-free shops in the Caribbean. There are also flamingos to spot in the national park, desert flora, caves with ancient drawings to explore and natural phenomena to discover.
Beaches and watersportsArubans know that they live on an island with the best that Caribbean sea and sand has to offer. The sea is populated by creatures of all colors: parrotfish splashed in dazzling teal and gold are a popular sight in Aruba's waters.
There is something for everyone, with certain beaches regarded best for activities such as snorkeling, surfing, windsurfing and diving.
GeographyAruba is the smallest island in the Leeward group of the Dutch Caribbean islands, which also include Bonaire and Curaçao. They are popularly known as the ABCs. As the westernmost island of the group, Aruba is the final link in the long Antillean chain, lying 20km (12.5 miles) off the Venezuelan coast. The island is 30km (19.6 miles) long and 9km (6 miles) across at its widest and has a flat landscape dominated by Jamanota Mountain (188m/617ft). The west and southwest coast, known as Palm Beach, boasts 11km (7 miles) of palm-fringed powder-white sands while, in complete contrast, the east coast has a desolate, windswept shoreline of jagged rocks carved into peculiar shapes by the pounding surf.
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