It does not take a wizard with words to realise that Aruba’s capital, Oranjestad, is so-named because it is in some way connected to the color orange. Disembarking from the nearby port or airport, it is difficult for any visitor to the town not to be dazzled by the row of orange facades that brightly array the architecture. Of course, the color indicates Aruba’s historical ties with The Netherlands: although seceded from The Netherlands in 1986, its head of state is still the Dutch ruling monarch.
William I, Prince of Orange, was the main leader of the Dutch revolt against the
Spanish that triggered the Eighty Year’s War that led to Dutch independence: now, the color of the Dutch proudly crops up all over the island. Indeed, Aruba’s connection to The Netherlands has been a rare case of peaceful jurisdiction. Perhaps this is because Arubans are too busy enjoying their beautiful, balmy island. Nowhere else does the orange chrome seem more fitting than on an island where the dry climate guarantees hot days all year round, and everyone you meet seems of a sunny disposition.
Arubans know that they live on an island with the best that Caribbean sea and sand has to offer. Progressing on from Oranjestad, it is not just the main town that is colorful. The Chapel of Alto Vista is a vivid yellow. The sea is populated by creatures of all colors: parrotfish splashed in dazzling teal and gold are a popular sight in Aruba’s waters. Indeed, Aruba’s waters are popular full-stop: there is something for everyone, with certain beaches regarded best for activities such as snorkeling, surfing, windsurfing, diving and, even, lounging.
But Aruba does not just offer the option of beaches. Oranjestad has some of the best duty-free shops in the Caribbean. There are flamingos to spot in the national park, desert flora to see, caves with ancient drawings to explore and natural phenomena to gawp at.
The trademark windswept
divi-divi trees in the Cunucu look like they are leaning back and relaxing, staring up at Aruba’s light blue skies, rather than being blown into that position by northeasterly trade winds. 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.
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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