Tap into this post to read about some of our sightseeing, fun facts, travel tips and many pictures of our time in Aruba. We encourage you to get out and see the world if you are able, and if not, we will bring it to you through our posts. We hope you enjoy!
The national flag of Aruba is comprised of a light blue field with two yellow stripes and one white-outlined 4-point red star. The blue field represents the Caribbean Sea that encircles the island nation and the yellow stripes symbolize its industries of gold, aloe, and oil. The star’s white outline symbolizes its white sandy beaches and red symbolizes love of country, while the four points of the star represent the four points of the compass symbolizing diversity of Aruban citizens from all corners of the world.
Beach Day in Aruba!
Aruba, being famed for its beautiful beaches, was a highly anticipated destination on our Caribbean cruise and simply had to be a beach day! The ship docked in Oranjestad, conveniently located to a number of nearby beaches. We booked a taxi to Eagle Beach, which was only about 20 minutes away from the cruise ship terminal. Eagle Beach is a gorgeous public beach featuring a wide beach of white sand and turquoise blue sea against a vibrant blue sky. Eagle Beach is a blue flag beach and has been rated as one of the best beaches in the Caribbean.
After a few hours of sunbathing we decided to take a taxi back into town and have a walk around Oranjestad’s city center. Since Aruba is part of the Netherlands Antilles there is much Dutch influence in the architecture and culture of Oranjestad. Many of the buildings feature typical Dutch-style gables that are painted in colourful pastels. We perused many of the retail shops, ate at one of the restaurants, then walked back to the ship (via many more shops!). It was a great day in Aruba!
Facts & Figures
— Aruba is one of the former Netherlands Antilles islands, which are sometimes referred to as the ABCs (Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao).
— Oranjestad is the capital and largest city of Aruba.
— Aruba lies only 29 km (18 miles) off the coast of Venezuela and is geologically part of South America (lies on the South American continental plate).
— Citizens of Aruba are also Dutch nationals, along with citizens of Bonaire, Curacao, and Sint Maarten, collectively known as the Netherlands Antilles or Dutch Caribbean.
Travel Tips
— Aruba citizens drive on the right; but no need to rent a car in Oranjestad as it is a tourist friendly walkable city and taxis are available and reasonable to take you anywhere around the island nation.
— You will need to rent beach chairs (sun lounges) and umbrellas on the public beaches of Aruba; go early because some beaches tend to run out of lounges by mid-day.
— The unit of currency for Aruba is the florin; note that the Aruban florin is pegged to the US Dollar, therefore the USD is widely accepted in Aruba.
Psalms 100:5 – New Living Translation (NLT)
5 For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.
If you are a worldwide trekker like us and want to become more ‘worldly’, then you will want to try our books below. Thanks to the former British Empire and current Commonwealth, the English language is widely spoken across the world; however, it is spoken quite differently depending on where you are traveling. We believe the books below are essential to worldly trekkers and think you will find them both fun and informative. The books include a dictionary of everyday words and phrases, traditional cuisine, some history and culture, and other handy information.
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Thanks for stopping by! Happy travels.
