Aruba - Aruba

Aruba is an island of the Caribbean in front of the coasts of Venezuela.

To know

Geographical notes

Aruba is located 20km north of the coast Venezuelan, in the Sea of Caribbean. The west and south coasts are known for fine white sand beaches and crystal clear waters, while the north coast is jagged with rocks. Trees watapana, called divid-divi, are characteristic of the island: their stem is always curved in a south-easterly direction, due to the trade winds that blow on the island. The highest peak on the island is Mount Jamanota with 188 m. The tourist resorts have all been specially built on the stretch of coast that runs from Eagle Beach to Palm Beach.

When to go

The average daily temperature throughout the year is 28 ° C, with a dry climate, and short showers especially between November and December. The island is untouched by hurricanes. To plan a trip to Aruba any period is fine. The months from January to March are the busiest, so if you prefer a little relaxation it is best to go from April to September, while windsurfers will find in December the most days with the wind.

Background

Aruba was first inhabited by the Caquetios Indians (Arawak tribe) who left as their traces the murals in the limestone caves of Fontein.

Around 1499 the first Spanish explorers landed there (Alonso de Ojeda) who gave it the name Aruba and who exploited the inhabitants of the island in the copper mines in Santo Domingo. In 1636, at the height of the conflict between Spain is Holland, the Dutch took control of the island, followed by a brief conquest from 1805 to 1816 by the British. In the 1920s, two refineries (now no longer active) began producing oil, which brought Aruba's standard of living to high levels.

Until 1986 Aruba was part of the Netherlands Antilles and is now an autonomous member of the Netherlands, this means that the foreign policy and defense of the whole kingdom are handled by the Netherlands, while the internal politics is completely managed by Aruba.

Spoken languages

The official language is theDutch, but most of the inhabitants also speak it Spanish, the papiamento, theEnglish and some as well French and the German. Papiamento is the native language, while at school the lessons are held in Dutch, in the fourth grade they begin to study English, in the fifth grade Spanish and in high school French is also taught as an optional language.

Territories and tourist destinations

Urban centers

How to get

Entry requirements

Passport, return ticket, visa not required for Italian citizens for stays of less than 180 days.

By plane

• 12.501389-70.0152781 Queen Beatrix International Airport (IATA: AUA) (Aruba). It is the main airport of the island. Flights from Europe also land here mainly from Amsterdam (KML is TUI);

In any case, most of the connections are with North America, with various flights coming from:

• Boston, up to 8 connections per week;
• Atlanta, up to 6 weekly connections;
• You love me, 10 connections per week;
• New York-JFK, a dozen flights a week;
• Newark, up to 5 flights per week;
• Charlotte;

In addition, connections are also available from South America, more frequent in high season;  

The airport is connected to the main destinations by public buses of the Arubus or with the service Taxi that to reach the different hotels costs from 10 to 30 USD ($). There are also 21 car rental agencies located in the arrivals terminal.

On boat

There are no scheduled maritime connections with the island of Aruba, which however is a destination touched by numerous cruises Aruba Cruise Tourism.

How to get around

By car

To explore the island it is recommended to rent a car, a jeep, a scooter or a Harley-Davidson.

By bus

Regular buses connect Oranjestad with San Nicolas. Taxis can be found at airports, tourist spots and major hotels.

What see

• Arikok Park the protected area which occupies 18% of the island's territory. In the park there are Mount Jamanota (almost 200 m) from where you can admire the panorama of the whole island, the Fontein Cave with the rock carvings of the Arawak people, the tunnel of love, the Guadirikiri cave, remains of the mine gold of Miralamr and plantations in the Prins Valley.
• Butterfly Farm the butterfly farm is located in Palm Beach and is open every day from 9.00 to 16.30.
• Archaeological Museum in Fort Zoutman in Oranjestad he exhibits the history of the Arawak people.
• Aruba Museum in Oranjestad tells the story of the island in the pre-colonial and colonial times
• Numismatics Museum in Oranjestad boasts a collection of coins from hundreds of countries
• Rococo Plaza museum of antiquities in Tanki Leendert
• Aruba Aloe Balm Museum in Pitastraat / Hato illustrates the over 160-year history of the use of aloe on the island of Aruba
• Alto Vista Chapel this picturesque building was the first Catholic church on the island, built in 1750 and rebuilt in 1953.
• California Lighthouse where you can admire spectacular sunsets.
• Lourdes Grotto Catholic church in the rock, named in honor of Lourdes in France. Every year on 11 February there is a procession from San Nicolas to the Black Virgin of the cave.
• Ostrich breeding in Paradera
• Sand dunes in the northwestern part of the island.
• Hooiberg and Casibari particular volcanic formations visible from all over the island
• Boca Ketu the natural pools

What to do

• Sport - The offer of water activities is very wide. On the island you can practice sailing, parasailing (parachute pulled by a boat), diving, daily cruises for snorkeling, windsurfing, kitesurfing and deep sea fishing.

A very popular sport among the locals is bowling, while in the northwestern part of the island there is a golf course Tierra del Sol with 18 holes, on the opposite side the 9-hole Aruba Golf Club course and Adventure Golf is one of the largest minigolf courses in the world surrounded by waterfalls. There are also some riding centers on the island.

• Field trips - For those who do not want to visit the island by bicycle, they can rent a scooter or one Harley Davison^{[link not working]}, or join one of the island tours organized in on horseback or by quad, with the jeep or bus.

On the other hand, not to be missed are the underwater trips that are carried out with glass-bottom boats or submarines, or the sea trek that is a guided tour, with a special helmet on your head for diving that allows you to have a completely dry face. . The main organizers of these particular activities are Atlantis Adventures, Aruba Adventures is De Palm Tour.

• Casino - There are several casinos on the island, some are open 24 hours a day and entire American-style shows are organized in the larger casinos. Access to the casinos is forbidden for minors under the age of 18.

Currency and purchases

The national currency is the Aruban florin (AWG), divided into 100 cents. The peculiarity is the "yotin", the square coin of fifty cents. Here are the links to know the current exchange rate with the main world currencies:

(EN) With Google Finance:	AUDCADCHFEURGBPHKDJPYUSD
With Yahoo! Finance:	AUDCADCHFEURGBPHKDJPYUSD
(EN) With XE.com:	AUDCADCHFEURGBPHKDJPYUSD
(EN) With OANDA.com:	AUDCADCHFEURGBPHKDJPYUSD

The most accepted foreign currency is the US dollar. Major credit cards are generally accepted in all hotels and tourist businesses.

Most shops and boutiques can be found in Oranjestad, but interesting shops can also be found in hotels. One of Aruba's typical products are skin-based products aloe (of which the island abounds). Most shops work Monday to Saturday from 9.00am to 6.00pm. Some shops are also open on Sundays or public holidays when cruise ships visiting the island dock at the port.

At the table

In restaurants it is not compulsory to leave a tip, as 10-15% is added to the bill for service.

Drinks

Tap water is drinkable all over the island. Aruba's signature drinks are Coecoei local liqueur, the Balashi Cocktail, the Balashi Beer, the Palmera rum and the Sea Grape Wine.

Tourist infrastructure

Luxury resorts and hotels are located in the Palm Beach while the more moderate ones in the Eagle Beach, it is also possible to rent it too apartments, private property is villas with private beach. The island is not known for being a budget destination, however the luxury resorts are cheaper when you book your holiday through tour operators.

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Eagle Beach

• Amsterdam Manor, J.E. Irausquin Blvd. 252, ☎ 297 5271100, fax: 297 5271112. 
• The Aruban, J.E. Irausquin Boulevard 248, ☎ 297 5879000, fax: 297 5871460. 
• MVC Eagle Beach, Irausquin Boulevard 240, ☎ 297 5870110, fax: 297 5870117. 
• Bucuti Beach, L.G. Smith Boulevard 55, ☎ 297 5831100, fax: 297 5825272. 
• Manchebo, J.E. Irausquin Blvd. 55, ☎ 297 5823444, fax: 297 5832446. 
• Casa del Mar, Juan E. Irausquin Boulevard 51, ☎ 297 5827000, fax: 297 5829044. 
• Divi Aruba, J.E. Irausquin Boulevard 41, ☎ 297 5255200, fax: 297 5255203. 

Palm Beach

• Riu Palace, J.E. Irausquin Boulevard 79, ☎ 2975863900, fax: 2975861941. 
• Marriott Resort, L.G. Smith Boulevard 101, ☎ 297 586 9000. 
• Marriott Ocean Club, LG Smith Boulevard 99, ☎ 297 586 9000, fax: 297 586 8000. 
• Marriott Surf Club, 103 L. G. Smith Boulevard, ☎ 297 58 69000, fax: 297 586 8000. 
• Holiday Inn Resort Aruba, J E Irausquin Boulevard 230, ☎ 297 5863600, fax: 297 5865165. 
• Playa Linda, J.E. Irausquin Blvd 87, ☎ 297 5861000, fax: 297 5863479. 
• Hyatt Regency, J.E. Irausquin Blvd 85, ☎ 297 5861234, fax: 297 5861682. 
• Brickell Bay, ☎ 297 5860900, fax: 297 5864957. 
• Occidental Grand, J.E. Irausquin Blvd. 83, ☎ 297 5864500, fax: 297 5863191. 
• Radisson Blu Aruba, J.E. Irausquin Boulevard 81, ☎ 297 586 6555, fax: 297 586 3260. 
• The Westin, J.E. Irausquin Blvd. 77, ☎ 297 5864466, fax: 297 5866605. 
• The Mill Resort, J.E. Irausquin Blvd. 330, ☎ 297 5867700, fax: 297 5867271. 
• Hyatt Regency Aruba, J.E. Irausquin Blvd 79, ☎ 297 5860879, fax: 297 5861742. 
• Divi Phoenix, J.E. Irausquin Blvd. 75, ☎ 297 5866066, fax: 297 5861165. 

Events and parties

• Bonbini Festival every Tuesday from 6.30pm to 8.30pm in Fort Zoutman. Bonbini in papiamento means welcome and in fact in this event you can learn more about local art, crafts, cooking, music and dances.
• Carnival sees the whole island participate in festive parades with cheerful music, flamboyant costumes and allegorical floats. The last Sunday of Carnival takes place in Oranjestad there Grand Parade, while the stake of King Momo concludes the celebrations on Shrove Tuesday.
• Aruba Internetional Half Marathon the 21 km international half-marathon in March.
• Aruba Hi-winds international windsurfing competition in June / July.
• Sint Nicolaas it corresponds to our San Nicolò / Santa Claus, and is a Dutch custom that is celebrated on December 5th. TO Oranjestad Sin Nicolaas, accompanied by the elf Peter Nero, distributes gifts to the children.

Safety

Health situation

All hotels can request medical assistance 24 hours a day. The hospital is located just minutes from the tourist area.

Respect the customs

How to keep in touch

Internet

Many hotels offer their customers a free or cheap connection. In the various locations there are several internet points where the cost of the service is about 5 USD per hour. More and more links are also available Wifi.

Other projects

• Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Aruba
• Commons contains images or other files on Aruba
• Wikinews contains current news on Aruba
  

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