Aruba - Culture

The westernmost of the Caribbean islands, Aruba lies just 18 miles off the coast of Venezuela and 42 miles west of Curacao. The island covers an area of 70 square miles, 20 miles at its longest and 6 miles at its widest. Approximately 81,000 people reside here full time, and more than 540,000 visit during the course of a year. The southern, leeward side of the island is famous for its long stretches of powdery white sand beach, while the northern coast features a rugged and dramatic landscape and secluded coves ideal for swimming.  

Arubans are gymnastic linguists, many of them speaking four languages: Dutch, English, Spanish and Papiamento, sometimes in the same conversation. Papiamento is a melodious language derived from every culture that has impacted on the region, including traces of Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, French and local Indian languages. It's spoken throughout the Netherlands Antilles but is more Spanish-based on Aruba, an indication of the island's closer ties with the South American mainland. Making an effort to use a few Papiamento words will delight your Aruban hosts. Bon bini (welcome) is the first Papiamento you'll come across. Another word you'll hear is dushi, which means sweet or lovely; women will hear it more than men.

The Arawak heritage is stronger on Aruba than on most Caribbean islands, though the indigenous language and culture did not last long into the 19th century. No full-blooded Indians remain, but the features of the islanders clearly indicate their genetic heritage. The majority of the population is descended from Arawak, Dutch and Spanish ancestors. Arawak petroglyphs can be seen in several parts of the island, including Fontein cave in the Arikok National Park, and an Indian village is still being excavated at Tanki Flip. Artefacts on view in Oranjestad's Archaeological Museum give clues to the customs of daily and ceremonial Arawak life: there are burial urns and a bone spatula thought to have been used as a vomiting stick to prepare men for ceremonies.

Arubans do not shy away from a party, and the music you'll hear on the island reflects this. The most popular styles are lyric-heavy calypso, beat-based soca and merengue and a local blend known as socarengue that's so sexy you'd expect to see hip-replacement specialists standing by to rescue bump'n'grind victims.

Aruba's bright and breezy pastel-coloured capital is on the island's southern leeward coast, just southeast of the main resort area. It has a distinctly Dutch flavour, thanks largely to the modern vogue for fake colonial architecture. Most tourists visit to scour its boutiques and duty-free shops, but it has three small museums worth a peek if you're interested in the island's history. The small Archaeological Museum has worthy exhibits on Aruba's Arawak inhabitants. The Museum Arubano, located in the restored 18th-century Fort Zoutman, does a passable job explaining Aruba's pre-European and colonial eras. And, if you want to see what jingled in the pockets of the olden days folk, the Numismatic Museum has a vast collection of coinage from over 400 countries, some of which was salvaged from shipwrecks in the region.

Once you're out of the shopping zone, Oranjestad becomes a shabbier, livelier prospect. Local bars, sometimes just holes in the wall, are a good place to prop, watch some sport and drink beer with the locals.

Aruba has the best beaches in the Dutch Caribbean and arguably some of the finest in the region, especially if you don't mind lounging in the shadow of large hotels. The island's most popular beaches are along the developed stretch of the reef-protected leeward coast, northeast of Oranjestad. They include the resort areas of Druif Beach, Palm Beach and Eagle Beach. Less crowded beaches include Arasji Beach, on the island's north-western tip; the cove at Baby Beach, at the island's south-eastern extremity; and undeveloped Boca Grandi, one of the few places to swim on the exposed northern coast.

Aruba has fantastic windsurfing, thanks to consistently strong trade winds. The favoured spot for experienced surfers is Fisherman's Hut, just north of Palm Beach. Malmok, just a little further north, is a good place to find your windsurfing wings while Boca Grandi and Bachelor's Beach in the southeast are popular with those wanting a little more elbow room. There's plenty of windsurfing gear for hire. Good swimmers can try boogie-boarding at Andicuri on the central northern coast.

There's diving and snorkelling on the reef, that runs along Aruba's leeward coast. Visibility can often reach 100ft (30m) and there's plenty of marine life, but the diving is not as spectacular as that available off neighbouring Bonaire and Curaçao. The WWII-era wrecks of a scuttled German freighter and a tanker, both off the coast of Malmok, are favoured dive spots. Snorkelling spots include Boca Grandi, which has good elkhorn coral, Palm Beach and Baby Beach.

Yachts offer coastal cruises with snorkelling and swimming stops and are also available for private charter. If you're interested in deep-sea fishing, you can catch bonito, kingfish and marlin. Naturalist-led hiking tours can be arranged through the Aruba Tourism Authority, and there are horses for rent at Daimari in the island's north.

There are many comfortable, charming and exciting nightspots in Aruba with dancing, entertainment, and lively action-filled casinos. The action in the casinos is constant and the atmosphere charged with excitement and expectation. There are many relaxing activities for those who prefer a slower paced evening; a tropical drink on a moonlit patio under a star studded sky, a quiet stroll on a peaceful beach or dinner in a quiet restaurant.