Aruba is a small island in the southern Caribbean Sea just some 24 kilometers off Venezuela's shores. The isle belongs to the Windward Islands and it comprises the southern part of the Netherlands Antilles together with Curacao and Bonaire. This is one of the region's most advanced nations thanks to its tourist and hotel infrastructure based on a top-quality service tradition, safety, preservation and natural charms, let alone its mystical history and a symbiosis of Dutch and Caribbean customs and traditions. The spacious halls of its hotels turn this island into an ideal location for conferences and business meetings. Moreover, its cuisine served in an endless array of restaurants dish out both local food and the finest international plates. Countless shopping malls can truly hold a candle to the world's best stores. If you're interested in learning about its long and rich history, you can revel in intense and gorgeous places through the island's museums and galleries, or just by breathing the genuine ambience, of its capital city, its streets and houses constructed to the Dutch style breathes. Nightlife is equally breathtaking as you saunter its bars, casinos, clubs, movie theaters, discos and an assortment of other offers. The island is penciled in as the world's second-best destination for wreck diving buffs since its coastline is dotted with plenty of sunken vessels and aircraft. This is a place where sports of all kind can be practiced, ranging from such X-treme activities as parasailing and bunjee to more traditional ones such as snorkeling, water skiing, kayaking, windsurfing, windsailing, high sea fishing, golf, tennis and volleyball, that could turn out to be better experiences if you hire the services of tourist operators scattered on the island. The southwestern part of the island is blessed with a diversity of beaches like Manchebo, Eagle, Palm Beach and Malmok Beach, all of them perched on a top-notch area. World-class Campo Tierra del Sol Club is right there waiting for golfers. More toward the central portion of the island, the Casibari, Arikok and Ayo Rocks -the latter is famous for its indigenous carvings- will definitely strike your attention. For its part, the Northeastern Coast, on the opposite side of the capital, shows off the Natural Bridge, and not that far from there stands out Bushiribana, an old-timed gold mine. The easternmost side of the island is characterized by different sightseeing spots where the remains of ancient indigenous civilizations still prevail. Cases in point are the Indian caves of Guadirikiri and Fontein, or the town of Savaneta, the oldest burg in Aruba. The Spanish Lagoon –a spot that brings back memories of pirates and corsairs- coupled with Rodgers Beach and Baby Beach are also must-sees. Don't get astonished by the hospitality of the people of Aruba. Don't miss out on the chance of drinking their legit cocktail and toast Bon Bini to Aruba in the local dialect.
