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One Happy Island
The Exotic Allure of Aruba
By Sue Marquette Poremba
A few days after our anniversary, my husband asked me if I was interested in a romantic getaway to celebrate. Of course I was! "How does a trip to Aruba sound?" he asked. It sounded great to me!
Aruba is one of those places that sounds exotic, more so than other Caribbean islands. While the island is a port of call for cruise ships in the Western Caribbean, Aruba, located 19 miles from the Venezuelan coast, is perfect for an extended visit. The temperature averages 85 degrees Fahrenheit year-round. The island is outside the hurricane area, and when Aruba does get rain, it is a brief shower that lasts for no more than a few minutes.
The country's motto is "One Happy Island," and it is fitting. From the moment you step off the airplane, the people you encounter are smiling, friendly and helpful.
Most visitors to Aruba stay within easy access to either Eagle Beach or Palm Beach areas. Palm Beach is where you'll find the high-rise hotels and resorts that sit right along the beach. These hotels, with their super-sized beachfront pools, bars and casinos, can cost upwards of $600 a night. As ours was a "budget" getaway (Aruba is expensive), we stayed in a low-rise hotel, Brickell Bay Beach Club, across the street from the beaches. It was not a fancy hotel – I'd compare it to a mid-range chain hotel in the United States – but it had a beautiful pool area, with a pool bar and a friendly bartender and easy access to the beach.
Before our trip, we were concerned about not having a beachfront hotel, because we thought the hotels controlled the beach space. However, every beach in Aruba is a public beach, so we were free to go wherever we liked. Our hotel, like most if not all the hotels, provided towel and chair services. Be warned: Because of its location near the equator, the sun is very intense in Aruba. Sunscreen is a must, as is limiting time sun bathing on the beach.
