Types of Tourism in Aruba, Netherlands
BEACH HOLIDAYS
Aruba is located near the equator, so favorable conditions for recreation are observed here all year round. The island is washed by the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea, and sandy beaches stretch along its shores. Aruba is considered one of the most luxurious resorts in the world. The most popular holiday destinations on the island are located on the west coast, because the northeast trade winds are not so noticeable here. These are Arashi Beach and Hadicurari Beach in northwestern Aruba; Druif Beach; Bukuti Beach; the beaches of Palm Beach, Eagle Beach, Roger Beach; a small renaissance island lying directly opposite the harbor of Oranjestad. The most popular beaches in the eastern part of Aruba – Dos Playa, Baby Beach and Roger Beach. All beaches are made of white sand, which reflects the sun’s rays and does not burn your feet even on hot days. All of them are municipal, so tourists can relax on any of them.
It is best to swim in the places designated for this, because the undercurrents are quite strong in the open sea, in some areas the underwater rocks come close to the surface of the water, and the inhabitants of the sea are also sometimes aggressive. Check top-medical-schools.org for travel information in Aruba.
DIVING
The underwater world of the Caribbean Sea surrounding Aruba is very diverse, when diving here you can see stingrays, sharks, reef fish, octopuses, squids, conger eels, sea horses, black corals and sponges, and if you’re lucky – lobsters and sea turtles that lay their eggs from May to August.
Coral reefs encircle the southern and western parts of the island, they can be explored by diving to depths of 10 to 40 m. The wrecks are very interesting, one of them is the German cargo ship “Antilla”, lying at a depth of 18 m since the Second World War. It is believed that this is the largest ship that sank in the waters of the southern Caribbean Sea, it is located 300 meters from the coast. In addition to ships, there is a crashed plane
in coastal waters, diving to it will be very interesting, because it is surrounded by coral gardens. In the southeast of the island in the place “shark caves” you can see sharks. Underwater visibility around Aruba is good – it ranges from 30 to 60 m. SNORKELLING Snorkeling is best practiced in the west of Aruba
because the waters here are calmer. The most suitable places are the beaches near Palm Beach, and the colorful underwater world without much equipment can be seen near the beaches of Boca Grande and Baby Beach.
WINDSURFING
The most favorable conditions for surfing are observed in the summer from June to August, it is at this time that the annual World Championship in this sport is held in Aruba. The main windsurfing center is located between Malmok and Palm Beach on Hadikurari Beach.
ECOTOURISM
About 20% of Aruba designated as a conservation area – Arikok National Park. It is located on the north coast around the highlands of Arikok and Hamanota (the highest point in the country). Reminders of the Indians who lived here remained on the territory of the park – Arawak petroglyphs in Fontaine Cave, as well as Dutch colonial settlements in Masiduri and the ruins of gold mines in Miralamar. Tours are constantly organized along the hiking trails in the National Park, during which tourists can see the quihi and divi-divi trees, aloe, all kinds of cacti, iguanas, as well as a variety of landscapes.
The Gvadirikiri cave complex is located in Arikok Park. Underground passages stretch for more than 30 meters, in some places, through holes in the ground, rays of light break through. Several thousand bats live here. Very interesting is the “Tunnel of Love” (Khulib cave), the shape of the entrance tunnel which resembles the silhouette of a heart.
EXCURSIONS
Excursions in Aruba include getting to know the culture of the Indian tribes that lived on the island, visiting museums, as well as very popular underwater excursions, which are arranged on specially equipped submarines.
