Destination Aruba

Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao, make up the Lesser Antilles. These islands are located about 133 kilometers off the north coast of Venezuela.

Also known as the Netherlands Antilles, these islands are part of the Netherlands and their citizens carry Dutch passports. Aruba has its own government, but it is closely tied to the Netherlands.

It was first explored by the Spanish in the summer of 1499 when Amerigo Vespucci, whose name North and South America comes from, discovered it along with Alonso de Ojeda. The Caquetios Indians, who already inhabited the area were quite tall, so the Spanish referred to it as the "island of giants".

Ojeda called it "Oro Huba", which in Spanish means "it had gold". If you say "oro huba" fast, you can hear where the current name of the island comes from. When the two explorers reported back to Spain that the island was filled with gold, Spaniards flocked to the island to colonize and develop it. The Spanish ruled the island for the next 100 years.

Unfortunately, gold was not discovered there until 300 years later. It is unknown whether Ojeda saw gold when there, or was just promoting it to be colonized.

Starting in 1636, the Dutch took over, and their rule has lasted until the present. Today, gold mining, tourism, oil refining and exporting aloe are the primary industries for the islanders.

The beaches on the lee side, south and west sides, are sheltered from the winds that sweep across the Atlantic from the east; the beaches on those sides are the iconic, beautiful beaches you see on postcards. Hotel and tourist attractions have developed primarily on these sides. The eastern side, where the currents and winds are stronger is still mostly not developed.

The Lesser Antilles are sheltered from the harsh tropical storms and hurricanes that sweep across the northern part of the Caribbean. The entire island doesn't get much rainfall during the year and has large patches of desert scrub. This moderates the weather for pleasant temperatures and climate. All throughout the year, the temperature rarely moves above or below 28 degree Celsius (about 82 degrees Fahrenheit).

The population is relatively small at approximately 100,000 people, so it has a very high standard of living for the Caribbean, which makes it a comfortable and safe destination.

With many flights from Europe and North and South America, Aruba may be the perfect tropical paradise for your next getaway. The weather is perfect all during the year.