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The Aruban way of life is friendly, joyful and relaxed. You’ll find that islanders welcome their visitors warmly, and their cordiality is one reason Aruba—whose motto is, appropriately, “Where Happiness Lives”—is a favorite stop.

Oranjestad, the capital, is a bustling port full of shops, banks, offices and restaurants—most of which are housed in quaint Dutch- or Spanish-style buildings. The picturesque city wharf is lined with fishing boats, island schooners and houseboats. The wharf is also a marketplace, where you can buy seafood, fresh produce, handicrafts and T-shirts. Transactions are carried out in dollars as well as florins, and bargaining is expected.

Also on the seaside of Oranjestad, along Lloyd G. Smith Boulevard, is Wilhelmina Park, a small tropical garden on the waterfront that features a beautiful sculpture of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, who ruled from 1890 until 1948. You may want to visit a few sites of historical interest in town. Your first stop should be Fort Zoutman, at the corner of Oranjestraat and Zoutmanstraat, one of the oldest buildings on Aruba. Once situated just offshore (the coastline was subsequently altered by man), the fort has also served as a government office building, a police station and a prison. Today, it houses the Museo Arubano, which was opened by Princess Margriet of the Netherlands and contains a number of exhibits of historical significance.

The fort was built in 1796 to protect Aruba’s harbor from attack by buccaneers who moored their ships along the southwest coast at Paarden Bay. Residents of the island, with the help of Governor John Rudolph Lauffer, built the fortress, and the governor named it in honor of Rear Admiral Johan Arnold Zoutman, a hero of the Dutch-English wars. The Willem III Tower was added to the fort in 1868 to serve as a lighthouse. The lamp in the spire was lit for the first time on the birthday of King Willem III in 1869.

Nearby is the Archaeological Museum Aruba, located on Zoutmanstraat diagonally across from the bus stop. The exhibits at the five-room museum are intriguing, especially the giant earthen jars that contain the remains of some of Aruba’s original inhabitants. You also can see ancient pottery, tools and art.

Perhaps the most absorbing exhibit on the island is at the Museo Numismático, located in the Instituto de Cultura building, adjacent to St. Francis Church. Inside are more than 30,000 different coins and currencies, dating back as far as the 5th century B.C. The museum, which began as (and still is) one Aruban’s hobby, was later granted this permanent home by the government. The staff of the family-run museum will gladly regale you with colorful stories about the history of each piece in the collection, which includes coins that circulated in the Roman Empire, the ancient Chinese dynasties and the Byzantine Empire.

Beaches:
Aruba boasts one of the most beautiful stretches of beach in the Caribbean: the Turquoise Coast. A good part of this seven-mile string of shores on the western coast of Aruba is lined with hotels; the area is sometimes referred to as the Hotel Zone. It is perhaps best known for its two major beaches, Palm Beach and Eagle Beach. Palm Beach is the more famous of the two, and it’s also where you’ll find most of the large hotels and casinos. Eagle Beach, which is closer to Oranjestad, is a popular public park with shaded picnic areas.

At the southwestern point of the island, just south of Eagle Beach, is Manchebo Beach, a wide strand fronted by several hotels. Druif Beach, also lined with hotels, is located right next to Manchebo. Enterprising visitors will want to explore Aruba’s other beaches, some of which are ideally suited for certain water sports. For example, Arashi Beach, located near the northwestern tip of Aruba, is a perfect place to swim and snorkel because of its clear waters, gentle currents and abundant underwater life.

Windsurfers congregate just north of Palm Beach, where the famous Fishermen’s Huts are located. Bachelor’s Beach, near the island’s southeastern tip, is another favorite windsurfing hangout. And at nearby Boca Grandi is a lagoon known as the Grapefield, where you can snorkel; there are also picnic areas here in the middle of a large sea-grape grove. Perhaps the prettiest beach on the island is Baby Beach, on the shallow and placid Baby Lagoon in the area known as Seroe Colorado. It is ideal for children or inexperienced swimmers, and snorkelers will find some gorgeous coral heads in its channel. Near Baby Beach is Rodgers Beach, which has a slightly rougher surf.

Activities:
Although Aruba’s pristine beaches encourage visitors to bask lazily in the sun, don’t miss out on all the exhilarating activities that make the island a sports-enthusiast’s dream. The sport of choice on the island is windsurfing. Aruba’s trade winds, which average 15 knots year-round, have made the island the preferred windsurfing hangout in the Caribbean.

If you want to explore below the Caribbean’s aqua-blue waters, you have two options: snorkeling or scuba diving. You can also go sailing or fishing; the waters around Aruba are filled with blue and white marlin, wahoo, kingfish, tuna and bonito.

On land, visitors can select from a variety of sports. The 18-hole Tierra Del Sol golf course, designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr., is a 6,785-yard, par 71 professional course. Golfers up for a challenge will delight in playing on this world-class desert links-style course with generous chipping areas and alternative openings to the greens. If tennis is your game, you’ll be pleased to learn that the island has dozens of top-quality courts.