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Aruba / Special Interests / Cruise

By Sara Macefield

Aruba is the lively, and most high-profile, hub of the Dutch ABC Islands, offering visitors an interesting mix of cultures and strong Dutch and Spanish influences. Sitting outside the hurricane belt, just off the coast of Venezuela it is a popular cruise stop for the larger mass market lines and its popularity with Americans tourists has given it a strong commercial feel with large casino resorts and duty-free shopping complexes.

It is also an island of beautiful beaches and a desert-like interior with giant cacti growing in the Arikok National Park where abandoned gold-mines can be seen. Other attractions include the Butterfly Farm on Palm Beach, and the California Lighthouse on the island’s north-west tip – though this is best seen as part of an island tour.

Pretty gingerbread-style houses adorn the streets of the capital, Oranjestad, where cruise ships moor a 15-minute walk from the city’s shopping area. Taxis line up here offering island tours or trips to the beaches.

Cruise on Aruba

Browse Cruise on other islands

Anguilla | Antigua and Barbuda | Barbados | Bonaire | British Virgin Islands | Cayman Islands | Curacao | Dominica | Grenada & Carriacou | Jamaica | Montserrat | Nevis | Saba | St Barthélemy | St Kitts | St Lucia | St Martin/St Maarten | St Vincent and the Grenadines | Tobago | Trinidad

Or read our other island guides

Anguilla | Antigua | Aruba | Bahamas | Barbados | Bermuda | Bonaire | British Virgin Islands | Cayman Islands | Cuba | Curacao | Dominica | Dominican Republic | Grenada and Carriacou | Guadeloupe | Haiti | Jamaica | Martinique | Montserrat | Nevis | Puerto Rico | Saba | St Barthélemy | St Eustatius | St Kitts | St Lucia | St Martin/St Maarten | St Vincent and the Grenadines | Tobago | Trinidad | Turks & Caicos Islands | US Virgin Islands

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Aruba’s weather

Aruba weather chart

When to go and weather

Looking for inspiration?

  1. Windsurfing is very popular around Aruba
  2. Make the most of exclusive designer shops
  3. Marvel at the Dutch architecture around Oranjestad
  4. Enjoy local cuisine and culture at Charlie's Bar

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