Aruba how long

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Aruba is part of this island group together with Curacao and Bonaire and a few islands of Venezuela such as Margarita Island. Cruise ships arrive weekly on Aruba and over flights from different cities from the United States, Canada, several countries in South America, the Netherlands, England and other Caribbean islands are being welcomed on a daily basis.

Non-stop flight times to Aruba are approximately 0. Aruba is an independent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands and has a population of approximately , inhabitants. The official languages are Dutch and Papiamento, but English and Spanish are also very widely spoken.

The island is 21 miles 33 km long, 6 miles 9 km wide and has an area of about 75 square miles square km. Aruba is mainly flat with a few hills and is renowned for its white sandy beaches.

The best way to get from the airport to your hotel is via taxi — I don't actually recommend renting a car for your whole time on the island, as I'm suggesting going on some tours for the first couple of days! Taxis in Aruba mostly work on fixed fees. Note: While Aruba does have its own currency — the Aruban florin — US dollars are widely accepted all across the island.

Once you get to your hotel, you'll have some time to relax after checking in. Go for a walk on the beach, or grab your first tropical drink of the trip. Tonight, head out on the Caribbean for a sunset cruise! Aruba has some beautiful sunsets, and watching one from the water is definitely something worth doing. I recommend doing a sunset cruise that includes a seaside dinner — this one is highly rated.

This is where the greatest concentration of hotels are on the island, along with plenty of restaurants and shopping. You can compare prices on other Aruba hotels here. After a good night's sleep and a big breakfast, I recommend going on a full island tour around Aruba today. The island only measures about 20 miles long and 6 miles across, but there's more to see than you probably realize!

If you decide to rent a car for your entire trip, you could explore today on your own. We also went off-roading in Arikok National Park in order to go swimming at the Natural Pool, and had time for snorkeling at Baby Beach after driving through the San Nicolas neighborhood.

The only place you may not be able to visit without a tour is the Natural Pool, as it requires some serious off-roading in Arikok National Park. If you want to skip the full-day tour but still want to swim at the Natural Pool, check out this half-day tour.

My husband is a water baby through and through, and Aruba has some of the clearest, most turquoise water I've ever seen on my travels. So of course we had to book a snorkeling tour! First, though, check out of your hotel after breakfast, as I recommend switching hotels for the second half of your trip.

Your hotel can hold your luggage for you until you get back from your snorkeling trip. This tour included pastries for breakfast yes, with champagne , a paella lunch, an open bar, and stops at three different spots for snorkeling.

We thought this tour offered the most value for what you pay, and both agreed that it was an excellent way to spend the morning and early afternoon. After your excursion, it's time to head back to your first hotel to gather your things and transfer to another hotel on the island.

I recommend staying near Oranjestad, Aruba's colorful capital city, for the rest of your time on the island. This evening, go for a stroll through Oranjestad and down along the city's small harbor. It's a safe place to wander, and the architecture is quite pretty. This resort has two separate hotels: the adults-only Marina Hotel and the family-friendly Ocean Suites. We stayed at the Marina Hotel and enjoyed the beachy rooms.

Staying at the Renaissance will make my recommendation for Day 4 possible…. The previous two days were pretty active, so here's your chance to just hang out at a beach all day.

Aruba has lots of great beaches to choose from. You could rent a car today and just go beach-hopping. Beaches in Aruba are almost all public, meaning you can stop and visit any that look good to you. OR, if you're staying at the Renaissance Resort, you can spend the day on the resort's private island. Renaissance Private Island is the only private island with the only private beaches in Aruba, and it's more or less reserved for Renaissance guests.

The two beaches on the island are Iguana Beach and Flamingo Beach a family-friendly and adults-only beach, respectively , the latter of which is home to six pink flamingos. Take a free shuttle boat over to the private island in the morning so you can claim beach chairs, and then hang out all day. Elliot and I even rented a private cabana during on the private island, but you can certainly enjoy the island without doing that. When you're beached-out, you can catch a boat back to your hotel it's only about a minute ride and maybe go out for dinner in Oranjestad; there are lots of good restaurants within walking distance of your hotel.

Many flights back to the US will leave Aruba in the afternoon, so I recommend using your last morning to take one last swim in the hotel pool or ocean. It also adds an extra 30 minutes for take-off and landing. Your exact time may vary depending on wind speeds. If you're planning a trip, remember to add more time for the plane to taxi between the gate and the airport runway. This measurement is only for the actual flying time.