Aruba is one of the Lesser Antilles islands located in the Southern Caribbean Sea. The island is located miles off the coast of Venezuela and on clear days it is possible to see Venezuela from the south-eastern side of the island.

The Lesser Antilles are several islands extending in an arc from Puerto Rico to the north-eastern coast of South America. Some of the islands that are part of the Lesser Antilles are the Virgin Islands, Saint Martin, Guadeloupe, Grenada, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Curacao and Bonaire.

The islands located north of the Venezuelan coast or called the Leeward Antilles. 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 150 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 0.5 hours from Curacao, 1.25 hour from Caracas, 3 hours from Miami, 4.25 hours from Atlanta, 4.5 hours from New York and 10.5 hours from Amsterdam.

Family Vacations

Aruba has something to offer for every family member, so young and old will have a great time on our island. Most resorts offer family activities and besides the beaches there are plenty of adventurous activities to entertain the kids (and their parents).

Culture

Aruba’s culture has many influences from other countries. Many believe this to degrade Aruba’s culture, but the Arubans see this blend as being one of the unique things of the Aruban culture. Old traditions are mixed with modern influences, but the Arubans have their own way of making the Aruban culture their own. Some original Aruban festivities include Betico Day, Dera Gay, and the day of the Flag and Anthem.

Of course Aruba also celebrates the yearly carnival, and many families keep with the practice and festivities of the Catholic liturgical year.

Today the Aruban population is mixed with people from South America (mainly Venezuela and Colombia), China and The Netherlands. These bring their own traditions and culture to the island.