Aruba Facts

Aruba is blessed with breathtaking white sand beaches that will make each visitor gawk with awe, and the beautiful sun shines all throughout this parched speck of an island. With its own brand of welcome, friendly Dutch hospitality, colorful cabarets, and luxurious hotels with every facility, Aruba is definitely worth a visit.

There are certain Aruba facts that a visitor should know when planning to take a trip to this splendid island to better appreciate the place, its culture and its people. One of the Aruba facts that travelers should know about Aruba is its location. Aruba is located about twelve degrees north of the equator and is about twenty-nine kilometers off the Paraguana peninsula of Venezuela. It is the smallest island of the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao) which is about thirty kilometers long and about eight kilometers wide with an area of one-hundred ninety-three square kilometers and a population of a few eighty-nine thousand.

Aruba facts on the islands' accommodations is quite interesting as this island may be small but when it comes to places to stay, it has something big to say. Aruba offers a very huge and diverse choice of hotels, from low-rise to high-rise hotels, to apartments and guesthouses. There are also various timeshare and real estate opportunities in Aruba as it is a red time location all year round.

When it comes to banking in this island, from the time you arrive at the airport you can immediately avail of the banking services should you need one. Tourists will find a bank at the airport and five other banks with numerous branches at other convenient locations. Some of these banks have ATM facilities.

Other important Aruba facts are when it comes to calling from Aruba and communications in Aruba. The international dialing code for Aruba is 297 and they do not have area codes. Every phone number in Aruba starts with a 5 except for cellular phone numbers which start with 9, 7, or 5. Aruba also has modern telecommunications network that enables long distance calls from any telephone or from any locations of SETAR, Aruba's Telecommunications organization. Customers can also dial AT&T from special phones located at the airport and cruise ship docking area. For tourists using other phones in Aruba, dial 121 to contact SETAR international operator to place a collect or use an AT&T calling card call. Rentals of cellular phones are also available.

Aruba's currency is the Florin (Afl) which has an exchange rate of 1.77 with the US dollar for cash and 1.79 for checks. Traveler's checks and credit cards are widely accepted in Aruba, and ATM machines are also available for cards compatible to the Cirrus system. Calling your bank to check if your ATM card will work in Aruba before going on the trip is highly advisable to avoid encountering any problem.

The low season in Aruba falls between 15th of April and 14th of December, high seasons on the other hand fall between 15th December and 14th April. Aruba has a tropical climate so be sure to bring casual summer wear and some light evening wear for nightclubs, casinos, and restaurants. Aruba's time is Atlantic Standard Time which is the same as Eastern Daylight Savings time all year round.

It is essential that you know all of these Aruba facts so that the next time you decide to take a trip to Aruba, you'll be better set with what to expect about the place.