One Happy Island
The most popular island in the Dutch Caribbean, Aruba draws droves of honeymooners and sun worshippers to its sandy shores. This small, 20-mile long island dances to salsa, dines on red snapper, gambles in glitzy casinos, and surfs and sunbathes year-round. Aruba’s past unfolds in the Dutch architecture of its bustling capital, Oranjestad, and on a hike past the abandoned gold mines in Arikok National Park. Platinum-blonde sandy beaches line its west coast, but the east coast is rugged, with craggy limestone cliffs, sand dunes, and crashing breakers.11
