Aruba, One Happy Island
I have a long standing love affair with islands, particularly those with sandy beaches, turquoise waters, and perfect weather. So it’s no wonder that I fell hard for Aruba. Laying outside the hurricane belt and known for it’s trade winds, the weather here is darn near perfect…always. Couple that with idyllic beaches and calm waters, and you have a fantastic destination.
Aruba is located in the Caribbean, about 20 miles off the coast of Venezuela. It’s a melting pot of cultures with very friendly people, and the food scene is amazing too. This island contains a mix of private homes, condos, casinos, and resorts, there is literally something for every budget here. The island is very easy to navigate, with roads in better shape than some of the states here in the US (I’m looking at you Michigan). The local currency is the Florin but most places take the US dollar. The official languages are Dutch and Papiamento, but most people also speak English and Spanish and sometimes a mix of all four in the same sentence. We started visiting here about 9 years ago and found it to be a very family friendly destination.
My first recommendation is to find the perfect place to stay. We loved the Palm Beach area and went for a resort that was walking distance to shopping and dining and had a massive pool and lazy river for the kids. If I were to go without kids I would stay at the Renaissance, they have a private island with roaming Flamingos.
Remember the food scene I mentioned earlier? This was a big draw to us because my daughter was allergic to wheat…before Gluten Free was mainstream and popular, but Aruba had us covered, the eating options for her were endless. Head to Faro Blanco by the lighthouse for a sunset-over-the-ocean dinner. Madaam Janette’s is another great option with fine dining, but in a casual atmosphere. One of my favorites is Yemanja Woodfired Grill, the food here is fantastic! If you are looking for a once in lifetime experience try Flying Fishbone, you can literally sit in the water at a table and eat. And lastly, don’t forget to try dutch baby pancakes, we loved Linda’s.
Aruba’s calm waters and trade winds make it the perfect spot for snorkeling, swimming, kite surfing and parasailing. There are beaches everywhere, each one as gorgeous as the last one waiting to be explored, or napped on.
If you get tired of the water head into Oranjestad, do some light shopping, eat some gelato and check out the beautiful Dutch architecture. The Butterfly Farm is another fun attraction to spend a few hours at, as well as the Donkey Sanctuary, or there is even a national park on the island that you could explore.
Needless to say Aruba definitely earned its nickname as “One Happy Island”. It’s impossible to have a bad time here.