Travel Info Good to Know...
Weather:
Aruba is consistently warm throughout the year with low humidity.
Average Temperature
Day 70s-80s F/23-32 C
Nights 60s-70s F/15-27 C
Rainy Season- November-February (The rain seldom lasts longer than half an hour.)
Coolest Months- January and February
Hottest Months- August and September
Outside of the Hurricane Belt
Best time to visit: January - June
Lowest Rates: April to December
Airport: Queen Beatrix Airport (AUA)
Currency Exchange
ATMs that accept foreign bank cards are located at more than 50 locations throughout the island, including the airport, shopping malls and banks. This is the best way to obtain currency. Most banks are open Monday-Friday 8 am-noon and 1:30-4 pm.
Aruba has its own currency, the florin. However, there is really no reason for U.S. visitors to exchange money. U.S. dollars are accepted everywhere. Personal checks are not accepted; traveler's checks are a bit old-fashioned and troublesome, but still widely accepted. Major credit cards are the preferred and safest method of paying for all but small purchases, tips, taxi fare and snacks at small restaurants.
Oranjestad, Aruba's capital named after the Dutch Royal House of Orange, is located on the west coast. On the west coast you will also find long stretches of white beaches and most of the hotels and all-inclusive resorts. Eagle Beach, named best beach in the world for a few times, is also located along the west coast of the island.
Palm Beach is a resort area on the northern coast of Aruba, a Dutch Caribbean island. It’s known for its calm waters and long sandy strip lined with bars and restaurants. To its south, lush Bubali Bird Sanctuary has an observation tower and is home to herons and other migratory birds. Nearby are the Old Dutch Windmill, imported in the 1960s, and the Butterfly Farm, with free-flying butterflies in a jungle enclosure
Aruba
Aruba is among the livelier, more developed islands in the Caribbean. Aruba has low- and high-rise resorts, great restaurants, and glitzy casinos lining the white-sand beaches and the downtown boulevard. You'll find plenty of things to do on Aruba, too: sunbathing, world-class windsurfing and waterskiing by day, and discos, cabarets,dinner shows and high-stakes gambling at night.
Except for the Arikok National Park Foundation, you won't see an abundance of natural attractions in Aruba. Nor is Aruba covered in lush foliage. It's about as close to a desert island as you'll find in the Caribbean, with stands of cacti and aloe vera dotting the dusty terrain. In fact, Aruba is so dry, goats eat the cacti in search of something resembling leaves. Still, Aruba has one of the world's most threatened tropical ecosystems—its mangrove forests.
If you enjoy good beaches, ethnic food, gambling and quality shopping, Aruba is for you. Don't expect, however, to partake in a "Bali Hai" island experience (Aruba resembles a flat desert) or to find much distinctive Caribbean culture. If you prefer lush rain-forest-type destinations, Aruba may not be your preference. It's more like Arizona or New Mexico than Puerto Rico or St. Croix.
Info to Know Before You Go!
Oranjestad, Aruba's capital named after the Dutch Royal House of Orange, is located on the west coast. On the west coast you will also find long stretches of white beaches and most of the hotels and all-inclusive resorts. Eagle Beach, named best beach in the world for a few times, is also located along the west coast of the island.
Palm Beach is a resort area on the northern coast of Aruba, a Dutch Caribbean island. It’s known for its calm waters and long sandy strip lined with bars and restaurants. To its south, lush Bubali Bird Sanctuary has an observation tower and is home to herons and other migratory birds. Nearby are the Old Dutch Windmill, imported in the 1960s, and the Butterfly Farm, with free-flying butterflies in a jungle enclosure