23 Curious Facts about Aruba that Will Surprise You!
You may know about Aruba’s white sand beaches and gorgeous crystal clear water, but after a visit, I learned “23 Fun Facts About Aruba that You Probably Don’t Know“.
Aruba is a small Dutch Caribbean island located a few miles north of Venezuela in the southern Caribbean. Aruba is famous for its white-sand beaches and temperate climate. Because it’s located just below the hurricane belt, the climate is dry, and there is very little rain. A few ingredients for a nearly perfect Caribbean vacation!
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On one side of Aruba, you’ll find gorgeous white sand beaches and crystal clear water. On the other side of the island, you find rugged and rocky terrain, black sand beaches, caves, natural bridges, and pools as well as rough surf.
23 Amazing Facts about Aruba
Did you know that Dutch and Papiamento are both official languages on the island of Aruba? Here are 23 more fun facts about Aruba you may not know.
Planning a trip to Aruba? Here are 23 Fun Facts about the tiny island of Aruba that will surprise you! A perfect list for anyone planning a trip to the Caribbean Island of Aruba.
1. Aruba’s first inhabitants are thought to have been Caquetío Amerindians from the Arawak tribe, who migrated from Venezuela.
2. The official currency is the florin, but the U.S. dollar is used and accepted everywhere. In fact, ATMs offer both dollars and florin.
3. Aruba has a tropical Savannah climate.
4. Aruba is Windy. It’s very windy. In fact, winds average 14- 21 miles year-round.
5. Aruba, along with Curaçao and Bonaire were formerly known as the Netherlands Antilles.
6. Together with Bonaire and Curaçao, Aruba is part of what is commonly referred to as the ABC islands.
7. Aruba is 20 miles long and five miles wide.
8. Taxies have no meters in Aruba.
9. Taxi’s charge a $3 surcharge on Sundays.
10. Most food products are imported to Aruba.
11. Aruba was conquered or settled by Spain, England, and the Netherlands.
12. Even though Aruba gained independence in 1986, they continue to teach using the Dutch school method. This includes teaching all students the Dutch language.
13. Most Arubans speak at least four languages; their native language of Papiamento as well as English, Dutch, and Spanish.
14. Papiamento is a Creole language containing elements of Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, English, and French, as well as Arawakan and African languages.
15. Aruba’s official language of Papiamento is also spoken on the islands of Curaçao and Bonaire.
16. Aruba is located on the South American continental shelf and geographically listed as part of South America, but considered to be part of Central/North America.
17. The tiny island of Aruba is located 18 miles north of the coast of Venezuela.
18. Aruba has the same average temperature year-round of 82 degrees.
19. The only poisonous creature on the island is the rattlesnake.
20. Aruba’s official slogan is “One Happy Island”.
21. Aruba is a volcanic island that was formed during the Upper-Cretaceous period sometime in the past 145 million years. A volcano erupted on the floor of the ocean and created the island of Aruba and at the same time, the nearby islands of Curacao and Bonaire were also formed.
22. Keshi Yena is one of Aruba’s best-known traditional foods; a mix of meat, vegetables, and dried fruits baked in a cheese rind.
23. Aruba first competed at the Olympic Games in 1988, and has participated in each Summer Olympic Games since.
Where To Stay In Aruba
During my trip to Aruba, I stayed at four hotels ranging from budget to luxury so I could write the Aruba Hotel Guide: Budget To Luxury. If you’re wondering where to stay in Aruba here’s my advice:
Budget Accommodation
Dorado Eagle Beach Hotel – Run by a local family, the Dorado Eagle feels more like a motel than a hotel. It has 10 rooms that are similar to a studio apartment. The room has a kitchenette with a refrigerator, sink, microwave, and coffee maker, as well as dishes, cooking utensils, and silverware.
Major pluses were wifi in the room and it was only a two-block walk to Eagle Beach.
Cost: Rates will vary by season, but when I visited Aruba we paid $40 per night for our room. To check current rates, I suggest visiting Hotels.com or TripAdvisor
Mid-Range Accommodation
Eagle Aruba Resort & Casino – Tropicana is more than a hotel but, not quite a resort. This a perfect if you are on a budget, but want a bit more than a basic hotel.
The rooms are huge, in fact, they are more like suites. A one-bedroom also includes a kitchen and separate living area. Besides the size of the rooms, the huge feature they offer is their waterslide. It is the best on the island.
Check TripAdvisor for reviews of the Eagle Aruba current hotel rates for the Eagle Aruba Resort, I suggest visiting Hotels.com.
Luxury Accommodation
Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort & Casino – The 357-room property is located in Palm Beach and directly on the sand. The grounds are stunning with rivers, tiny waterfalls, geese swimming in a freshwater lagoon, and parrots in ornate cages around the property. Not to mention several pools including a three-tier pool with a waterfall, whirlpools tucked away in little alcoves, and a great waterslide.
To check current hotel rates for the Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort, I suggest visiting Hotels.com
WHEN TO VISIT ARUBA
Aruba sits outside of the hurricane belt, so the Aruba tourism authority says that anytime is a great time to visit this Caribbean island. The major factors are then looking at the most economical time to visit. January to March, July to August and holidays you will find the room rates at their highest. April, May, June, September and October are the cheaper months.
If you enjoyed this article about 23 Things You Probably Don’t Know About Aruba, you’ll also love The 11 Best Aruba All-Inclusive Resorts.
Traveling To Aruba Soon? Here are a few tips:
How to get there: At the Queen Beatrix International Airport, you’ll find frequent nonstop, or convenient single-connection flights from most major U.S. cities, as well as daily flights from all major hubs around the world.
American, Canadian, Caribbean, European and most South American citizens don’t require visas to enter Aruba.
Don’t forget travel insurance! I’m a fan of World Nomads for short-term trips. Protect yourself from flight cancelations, theft and so much more. Read more about why you should always carry travel insurance here.
Find the Best Prices on the Top Tours in Aruba
What to pack: Aruba vacations are casual and comfortable, and your apparel should be the same. Make sure to bring bathing suits/swim trunks, flip-flops, and sandals. Water shoes will come in handy at rocky, pebbly beach areas. For sun protection, bring some sort of cover-up (pareo, rashguard, etc.), wide-brimmed hat or cap, and sunglasses. Be sure to reapply sunscreen often, especially between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. (The Aruba tourism authority shares that Aruba Aloe is an excellent locally-made brand sold everywhere.)
6 Indispensable Items to Pack for Aruba Vacation
- Get the Fodor’s In Focus Aruba (Full-color Travel Guide).
- Bring a good quality mirrorless camera for getting those beautiful Aruba beach landscape shots. I use the Sony Alpha a6000
- Summers are normally hot, humid and very windy in Aruba, so make sure to bring Neutrogena Sunscreen, Broad Spectrum Spf 45
- A great cross body travel bag
Cross body bags prevent theft and are much easier to access.
- Don’t forget sunglasses for the beautiful sunny days. A.J. Morgan Unisex Sunglasses
are a great choice and very affordable!
- Water shoes
are a great item to pack for any beach vacation. They take up little room when packing and great if you end up at a beach that is rocky or with very hot sand.
are a great choice and very affordable!
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That is my list of “23 Things You Probably Don’t Know About Aruba”. Know more fun facts about the tiny island of Aruba? Please share them below in the comments!
Enjoyed this article? You’ll love 52 Reasons to Visit Aruba
I have always wanted to visit Aruba, it looks so beautiful!
I was born there and lived there until college. Aruba is most definitely not beautiful. It an arid desert island, mostly gray. There is very little rain. When it does rain, it is often torrential. The result is an entirely green island, with yello kibrahacha blossoms on the hillsides. That green lasts long enough for the plants to grow leaves and bloom. Otherwise they are just gray. Any plant with green leaves and blossoms has been watered and cultivated. Most people with plants have a drip system and it is plumbed to recover “gray water” from sinks and washers. Water is very, very expensive on the island. It all has to be made from the Sea as there is no source of fresh water:
https://www.webaruba.com
ALL water is desalinated from the Sea and has been for 85 years. So, the tap water is pure and tested multiple times a day at the water plant on the coast near Balashi. They sell pure bottled water named in Papiamento: AWA or water. Just fill your bottel from the tap and carry it with you. Aruba water is considered
Susanne, My son and I loved Aruba. We live in California — also a dessert– but found the beaches and clear water so gorgeous. I also loved the wild side of the island with the rock formations. I have to say, I haven’t visited many islands in the Caribbean, but we loved our stay.
Jennifer, my son and I loved visiting Aruba. The beaches were gorgeous!
Didn’t know about the rattlesnakes in Aruba! Yikes! But count me in for those beautiful beaches
The rattlesnake is endangered and endemic only to Aruba. They are very hard to find.
Michele, we didn’t see any snakes and to be honest I’m happy there were no spiders to deal with!
I have heard it is beautiful here. It’s on my bucket list
The beautiful beaches and weather is ideal for year round travel, as you said for its location. And being just off the coast of South America adds to a varied vacation experience. And those pictures of the leaning divi divi trees– natural hammocks. Having so much diverse culture is a plus for any vacation. I am glad to see that Aruba has rebounded from the tragedy of Natalie Holloway the missing teenager awhile back. Some destinations are forever linked to the tragedies that occur everywhere and Aruba is one of them because the case never received closure.
Wow those are some interesting facts. I didn’t realize it was so windy.
I knew a few of those things, but most were a surprise! What a great list. I have been thinking about visiting Aruba for awhile now, and it seems like I really need to make it happen this winter! I imagine it will be absolute perfection. Also a good reminder that it is off the hurricane belt, so it is safe to visit in Fall.
I have to admit, I didn’t know much about Aruba to begin with. But these are interesting facts. I’m curious. I wonder why there’s a Sunday surcharge? Simply because it’s a “day of rest?”
I didn’t realize it was so windy in Aruba.
I really enjoyed this! I didn’t realise Venezuela was so close to Aruba. A Florin is definitely a currency name from a bygone era.
The island is Dutch, a part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Dutch money has been termed florin for centuries without interrruption.
I so enjoyed this article as Aruba is on our travel list this year!
Thanks for this post! Had no idea Aruba was so rich in history.
I didn’t know the Dutch Antilles weren’t still called the Dutch Antilles! I’d love to go to some of the Caribbean countries.
‘One happy island’ sounds like the kind of place I’d like to visit! Or live in…
Aruba’s official slogan is “One Happy Island” – That’s the place for me! Very useful and interesting article. I have always looked at pictures of the wide blue sea and long white sand beaches in Aruba and have been longing for a holiday here, but someday..I’ll keep my optimism high!
I don’t know much about this area because I’ve never visited. I hope I do someday!
Would love to go to Aruba and funded the format of your post very interesting and informative. Going to take some ideas.
Anyone going to Aruba should read the thriller Nimbostratus rain clouds of death. Which is fiction but the story takes place in Aruba. I’m going back in two weeks yeah. Maybe I’ll write part 2
Aruba’s official language of Papiamento is also spoken on the islands of Curaçao and Bonaire.
Papiamento has two main dialects, one in Aruba and one in Curaçao and Bonaire (Papiamentu), with lexical and intonational differences.There are also minor differences between Curaçao and Bonaire.
Spoken Aruban Papiamento sounds much more like Spanish. The most apparent difference between the two dialects is given away in the name difference. Whereas Bonaire and Curaçao opted for a phonology-based spelling, Aruba uses an etymology-based spelling. Many words in Aruba end with “o” while that same word ends with “u” in Bonaire and Curaçao. And even in Curaçao, the use of the u-ending is still more pronounced among the Sephardic Jewish population. Similarly, there is also a difference between the usage of “k” in Bonaire and Curaçao and “c” in Aruba
Absolutely stunning! Thank you on a detailed impressive guide!