Aruba Getaway

Aruba

Here are some fascinating, lesser-known facts about Aruba Click to open side panel for more information that most travelers never realize while they are lounging on the beach:

Bushiribana Ruins

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🏛️ Historical landmark

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• It Had a Gold Rush Before California: Early Spanish explorers originally dubbed it Isla Inútil ("Useless Island") because they couldn't find precious metals. Ironically, gold was discovered in 1824, sparking a massive gold rush decades before the one in California. You can still explore the remnants of this era at the Bushiribana Ruins Click to open side panel for more information on the northern coast.
• The Tap Water is World-Class: Because the island is essentially a desert with no rivers or natural freshwater sources, Aruba invested in one of the world's largest and most advanced desalination plants. The tap water is not only perfectly safe to drink, but it is incredibly pure. Even the local beer, Balashi, is proudly brewed with it.
• Almost Everyone Speaks Four Languages: The local population is incredibly diverse and highly multilingual. The vast majority of Arubans fluently speak English, Dutch, Spanish, and their native tongue, Papiamento—a beautiful Creole language that blends Portuguese, African dialects, Dutch, and Spanish.

Antilla Shipwreck

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📍 Tourist attraction

• It's the Wreck Diving Capital of the Caribbean: Beneath the calm, turquoise surface, Aruba's coastline is a diver's paradise scattered with sunken ships. The most famous is the Antilla Shipwreck Click to open side panel for more information , a massive 400-foot German freighter that was scuttled by its own captain during World War II and is now one of the largest intact shipwrecks in the Caribbean.

Arikok National Park

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🏞️ National park

Closed· Opens 8:00 AM Wed

• 20% of the Island is a Protected National Park: Most people picture Aruba as purely luxury resorts and white sand, but nearly a fifth of its total landmass is dedicated to Arikok National Park Click to open side panel for more information . It is a rugged, desert-like landscape filled with cacti, volcanic rock formations, hidden tidal pools, and ancient Arawak cave paintings.
• You Can See South America From the Coast: Aruba is situated far below the hurricane belt and sits just 18 miles north of the Venezuelan peninsula of Paraguaná. On a clear day, you can actually see the coastline of South America across the water.
• It Used to Be the "Aloe Capital of the World": Because of its incredibly arid soil and constant sun, aloe vera thrives here. Introduced in 1840, aloe quickly took over the island, and at one point in the early 20th century, tiny Aruba supplied a staggering 70% of the world's aloe.