Aruba : Why It's The BEST Caribbean Island
8 Reasons Why Aruba is the Best Caribbean Island
Aruba is one of the most enjoyable islands in the Caribbean, for numerous reasons. A whopping 60% of the travelers coming to the island are repeat visitors, and it’s easy to see why!
These are the top reasons, Aruba is the best island in the Caribbean
You Can Drink The Water
Aruba has it’s own desalination plant on the island, producing over 11 million gallons of water every day. What does this mean for travelers? Unlike many destinations, where you can’t drink the water without getting sick, Aruba’s water is clean out of the tap and the same water they sell bottled on the island.
Safety
Aruba is one of the safest islands in the Caribbean. This may be attributed to the small size of the island, the relatively high median income of locals, or the affluence that comes with being a Dutch territory. Either way, as a solo female traveler, I felt as safe as I do at home both day and night. (No place is perfect, however, so please use common sense safety practices anywhere in the world, especially as a solo-female-traveler).
Local’s & Languages
Just about anyone will feel welcome in Aruba, as locals can greet you in four different languages. The first two languages all Arubans on the island learn are Papiamento (their local language), and Dutch. After grade school, students are taught fluency in both English and Spanish.
The Weather
Most Caribbean islands can have unpredictable weather patterns, sometimes ruining plans for a sunny vacation. Not in Aruba! Aruba is located very close to the equator, keeping it hot year-round. However, the island lacks the sticky humidity that other parts of the Caribbean are subjected to, and the trade winds keep temperatures comfortable year round. Imagine a perfectly hot tropic day, with a constant breeze and that is how Aruba is year round.
It almost never rains, and even if it may look stormy, chances are you will never feel a drop and it will be sunny in no time! One tourist I spoke with has been vacationing in Aruba every year for 32 years and has only seen 3 days of rain!
Cleanliness
Let’s face it, it seems like everywhere we go is trashed these days. From some of the best dive sites to my own city, rubbish is everywhere. I live just a few blocks from Beverly Hills in Los Angeles, and the sidewalks are roads are still littered with trash. That’s why I was pleasantly surprised with how clean the island of Aruba is! While driving around in my rental, it was one of the very first things I noticed… almost no trash on the sides of the road. The whole island feels this way, from the beaches to the snorkeling sites, it felt like the whole area was trash-free!
Ease of Getting Around
Aruba is very small island, making getting around a breeze. The best way to explore the island is to rent a car. Parking is plentiful, and cheap ( or often even free), and traffic isn’t problematic, and drivers are not aggressive. This makes it an easy driving situation if it’s your first time renting a car outside of your home country.
If you decide not to rent a car, taxi rides are short as the island is rather small– but taxi’s are a bit expensive. Another option is the bus system, which is how many locals choose to get around. If you have any questions about navigating the busses, chances are any locals you meet will be able to direct you!
Flamingos
If you are researching a trip to Aruba, than you have definitely seen the images of flamingos roaming around the perfectly white sandy beaches of the island. However, what many visitors don’t realize is that there is only one place to spot these colorful creatures.
If you are interested in spending time with the flamingos while you casually catch some rays, then you need to spend at least one night at the Renaissance. The Renaissance has their own private island for guests only (a select number of day passes are sometimes available, but not guaranteed), and this is the only place in Aruba where you will find the flamingos.
The Fresh Seafood
The fresh fish, caught daily, is some of the best I have had. My favorite spot was Zeerovers, a local restaurant, that is now very popular among tourists as well. They only cook two types of fish (whatever was caught fresh that day), as well as shrimp, fries, and plantains. The menu changes daily based on what is caught in the morning. All fish is seasoned to perfection and fried. Zeerovers is located directly on the water, making it the perfect place for lunch with a view!