Why Aruba
Thirty-two kilometres long, off the coast of Venezuela, with a climate that sets it apart from almost all the Caribbean: Aruba lies outside the hurricane belt and it rains very little. The landscape is desert, covered in cactus and divi-divi trees leaning under the permanent trade wind.
The west coast, to leeward, holds Eagle Beach and Palm Beach, the calm water and the hotels. The east coast, to windward, is rocky, pounded and uninhabitable — that is where Arikok national park lies, taking up nearly a fifth of the island.
There is no real season: twenty-eight degrees all year, constant trade wind. January to March is high season out of North American habit, not meteorological necessity.
Entry and stay
Aruba is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, but it is part of neither the European Union nor the Schengen area. Its entry rules are its own.
Requirements depend on nationality. Check yours with the local authorities before booking.
No duration is quoted here, for want of an official source verified at the time of writing — 22 September 2026.
Getting around
The Arubus public bus links the airport, Oranjestad and the west coast beaches at a flat fare and at decent frequency — it is usable, which is rare in the Caribbean.
Driving is on the right. A car is needed for Arikok, whose tracks require a four-wheel drive.
Money
The Aruban florin, pegged to the US dollar. US dollars are accepted everywhere and are often the currency on display.
Cards are very widely accepted.
Health
No vaccination required from Europe. Malaria is absent.
The hospital in Oranjestad is adequate. The island being flat and desert, the real risk is sun and dehydration.
Before you go
Dutch and Papiamento are the official languages, but English and Spanish are spoken everywhere. It is one of the easiest Caribbean islands for a visitor.
Arikok park charges admission and its natural pools are reached by difficult tracks. Agencies take visitors there by UTV.
The current alternates between 120 and 127 volts depending on location, with American Type A and B sockets: an adapter is needed from Europe.