Aruba's capital Oranjestad (called "Playa" by the locals) is at once cosmopolitan and quaint. Its array of international dining options is as good as any in the Caribbean, and shopping opportunities abound throughout the city. But perhaps the most precious of the island's treasures is its people – a mixture of more than 40 nationalities, including Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, African, English and French. This polyglot has yielded Papiamento, the colorful local language that's more widely spoken than English or Dutch.
BEACHES
Aruba is known to have some of the best Caribbean beaches: long, wide, flat and powdery soft. Among its best known are Eagle Beach, where aquamarine waters lap the pancake-smooth shore, and Palm Beach, action-packed and often crowded, is a seemingly endless sweep of sands that wreathes tranquil, lagoon-like waters. On the island's eastern tip, Baby Beach is a placid, semicircular strand that borders a flat bay, and is one of the best beaches on the island for young children – hence the name.
SHOPPING
Dutch-gabled and pastel-pretty, Oranjestad glistens like a fanciful Oz. The streets are lined with shops peddling liquor, jewelry, electronics, crystal, china, perfumes and designer fashions. Although there is duty here, it's very low and there is no sales tax, so prices are competitive with duty-free destinations. As one would expect, the best deals on this Dutch island are on products from the Netherlands, such as Delft pottery and the mother country's tasty cheeses.
ECO-ADVENTURE
The island's real soul can be found in the kunucu, or countryside, a stark and arid landscape punctuated by giant cacti, spewing blowholes, upended boulders, massive dunes and, along the coasts, crashing waves. Most of this area is part of the Arikok National Park.
On the northern coast, there are two caves, Guadirikiri and Fontein, both decorated with petroglyphs by Amerindians centuries ago and bearing inscriptions. Also in the north, the California Lighthouse, although closed now, makes and interesting visit for the huge boulders and stark landscape surrounding it. You can climb to the top of the massive boulders at Ayo and Casibari for sweeping views of the countryside. Or hike the 562 steps to the top of 541-foot-tall Hooiberg for an impressive view of Oranjestad.
WATER SPORTS
With reliable trade winds and flat, shallow waters, Aruba is a windsurfing Mecca, hosting top international events such as the annual Aruba Hi-Winds Pro-Am Windsurfing Competition. The seas also draw Caribbean snorkeling and diving enthusiasts with visibility that reaches nearly 100 feet and a host of shipwrecks littering the coasts.
DINING AND NIGHTLIFE
Those who resist the call of the wild can tour one of the three museums on the island, including the Historical Museum in the restored 18th-century Fort Zoutman, one of the oldest buildings on the island. They can sample the Indonesian multi-dish meal called rijsttafel, or try their luck at one of the dozen or so glitzy casinos with their cabaret shows.
On the south coast, San Nicolas, the remains of Aruba's oldest village and a bustling port during the oil boom, is now a tourist attraction with interesting kiosks and the famous Charlie's Bar.
DON'T MISS
– Gambling and dancing all night in Oranjsted
– Recovering the following morning on Baby Beach
– Diving the Antilla wreck
– Hiking the outback and visiting Natural Bridge
