Wechter Eric B. - Fodors In Focus Aruba

Palm Beach. Arubas biggest high-rise hotels are located along Palm Beach, which is one of the islands best swimming beaches, with calm water. Youll have your widest choice of big resorts, restaurants, casinos, and water sports here, but this is a busy place, so dont go here to escape from the crowds.

Eagle Beach. Arubas so-called low-rise hotel area is lined with smaller boutique resorts and, increasingly, time-share resorts. Still, Eagle Beach is wider than Palm Beach, so its not as crowded, and its the islands best big beach.

Manchebo Beach. Just south of Eagle Beach, Manchebo has rougher surf, but its rarely as crowded and has many fewer resorts. The beach here flows directly into Druif Beach, which is dominated by the sprawling Divi resort complex.

Oranjestad. Arubas capital is a great place to go for shopping, restaurants, and nightlife or to make arrangements for a tour or other activity. Although there are a few hotels here, including the beautiful Renaissance Aruba, the city has no beachfront.

Since soft, sandy beaches and turquoise waters are the biggest draws in Aruba, they can be crowded. Eagle Beach is the best the island has to offer.

Aruba also comes alive by night, and has become a true party hot spot. The casinos though not as elaborate as those in Las Vegasare among the best of any Caribbean island.

Restaurants are very good, though sometimes expensive.

Diving is good in Aruba, though perhaps not as great as in Bonaire.

Near-constant breezes and tranquil, protected waters have proven to be a boon for windsurfers, who have discovered that conditions on the southwestern coast are ideal for their sport.

A largely undeveloped region in Arikok National Wildlife Park is the destination of choice for visitors wishing to hike and explore some wild terrain.

Getting to Aruba: Aruba is 2 hours from Miami and 4 hours from New York. Smaller airlines connect the Dutch islands in the Caribbean, often using Aruba as a hub. Travelers to the U.S. clear Customs and Immigration before leaving Aruba.

Nonstops: There are nonstop flights from Atlanta (Delta), Boston (American, JetBlue, US Airways), Charlotte (US Airways), Chicago (Unitedweekly), Fort Lauderdale (Spiritweekly), Houston (Continentalweekly), Miami (American), Newark (Continental), New YorkJFK (American, Delta, JetBlue), New YorkLGA (Continentalweekly), Philadelphia (US Airwaystwice-weekly), and Washington, DCDulles (United), though not all flights are daily.

A taxi from the airport to most hotels takes about 20 minutes. It will cost about $22 to get to the hotels along Eagle Beach, $25 to the high-rise hotels on Palm Beach, and $18 to the hotels downtown. Buses are also an option for traveling around the island, and are especially convenient for shorter trips. Buses only run once an hour, but the price is right, at $1.25 one-way ($2.25 round-trip).

Renting a Car: Rent a car to explore independently, but for just getting to and around town taxis are preferable, and you can use tour companies to arrange your activities. Rent a four-wheel-drive vehicle if you plan to explore the islands natural sights.

Aruba is known for its large, luxurious high-rise resorts and vast array of time-shares. But the island also has a nice selection of smaller, low-rise resorts for travelers who do not want to feel lost in a large, impersonal hotel complex. If you are on a budget, consider booking one of the islands many apartment-style units, so you can eat in sometimes instead of having to rely on restaurants exclusively.

Since the all-inclusive resort scheme has not taken over Aruba, as it has many other islands, youll find a wide range of good independent and resort-based restaurant choices. There is a variety of restaurants in Oranjestad, the islands capital, but youll also find good choices in the resort areas of Eagle and Palm beaches, as well as Savaneta and San Nicolas.

Restaurant prices are for a main course at dinner, and include any taxes or service charges. Hotel prices are per night for a double room in high season, excluding taxes, service charges, and meal plans (except at all-inclusives).

Currency: You probably will not need to change any money if you are coming from the U.S. American currency is accepted almost everywhere in Aruba, though you might get some change back in local currencythe Aruban florin, also called the guilder.

Electricity: 110 volts, just as in the U.S.

Nightlife: Aruba is renowned for its nightlife and casinos; the legal drinking and gambling age is 18.

Traffic: Oranjestad traffic can be heavy during rush hour. Allow a bit of extra time if you are trying to get into town for dinner.

Water: You can safely drink the water in Aruba, but you may not want to. Almost all of the islands water is desalinated seawater, and you may not like the taste.

True, the diving around Aruba is not quite as spectacular as in nearby Bonaire, but with visibility as high as 90 feet and with most of the best and most popular dive sites in waters only 30 to 60 feet deep, Aruba offers an ideal diving environment for both the experienced and novice diver. The healthy coral reefs draw a multitude of fish. Seek out one of the islands experienced dive operators, such as Aruba Pro Dive, to show you where to go.