Aruba

Aruba Overview "One Happy Island." This, the official motto of Aruba, is plastered on each taxi's  license plate. Surely Arubans are happy to see cruisers: Aruba's economy is  fueled by tourists' dollars, and much of the island is heavily developed for them  -- perhaps even more so than neighboring islands Bonaire and Curacao . (Together, the three make up what's known as the ABC chain of islands  in this deepest part of the Southern Caribbean.) Most Arubans speak  English and accept U.S. currency, and shops located in and around the  port area are American -- Tommy Hilfiger, Diamonds International and the like. Beyond that, Aruba has a rich, layered heritage. The first people to inhabit  the island were a nation of Arawak Indians. (The name Aruba seems to  have derived from the Arawak Indian word oibubai, which means guide.)  In 1499, the Spanish explorer Alonso de Ojeda laid claim to the territory  for Queen Isabella. Nearly 200 years later, the Dutch captured the islands  of Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire from the Spanish, and much of that heritage  can be seen in its pastel Old World architecture. But let's face it -- we don't come here for the history. We come here for the  diversions, and Aruba is the Caribbean's theme park. There are casinos,  duty-free shops, more than two dozen dive sites, noteworthy shipwrecks and a championship golf course, lined with cacti and populated by friendly iguanas. Aruba's trademark divi divi trees always point in a southwesterly  direction (due to trade winds that blow from the northeast), but we like to think  they're leading the way to the sandy beaches that ring the island in the  shape of a cheery smile. Best of all, there really is no bad time to visit Aruba. Located only 20 miles  north of Venezuela, temperatures are consistently pleasant (lows in the 70's, highs in the 80's), there's no "rainy" season, and its location is far below the Atlantic hurricane belt, so it's less likely to be impacted by storms. Aruba's dry  climate is home to large Mondis (forests of cacti), and you may feel like you  are in Arizona, rather than the Caribbean!