Aruba is a Caribbean island located off the coast of Venezuela. It is currently home to around 102,484 people. Despite the country’s location, it’s technically is part of the Netherlands. Enjoy Inspiration Friday ~ Aruba Sun, Fun, And Wild Times!
Inspiration Friday ~ Aruba Sun, Fun, And Wild Times
Along with Bonaire and Curacao, Aruba also is part of a group known as the ABC islands, which are particularly popular with tourists because they are located outside of the Caribbean hurricane belt. Even so, that portion of the year does bring more rain to the country than is typical, with light showers at night being the norm.
For the most part, Aruba has an arid, semi-tropical climate. Island temperatures average about 80 degrees Fahrenheit (28 degrees Celsius) on a regular basis and there aren’t many rainy days.
Due to the lack of rainfall and the absence of local rivers, the country’s citizens must rely on desalination plants to provide them with their drinking water. The humidity in Aruba is always pretty high but the trade winds that are usually blowing in from the sea help keep that from becoming problematic.
The island of Aruba was originally home to the Arawak tribe, who had moved to the island to escape their more bellicose neighbors. Unfortunately, the Spanish soon followed and colonized the place, bringing in priests along with them. The colony was completely under Dutch control by the late 1600s.
The locals spent the next two centuries primarily raising meat for export until they found themselves under British authority during the Napoleonic Wars. Eventually, the island was returned to the Dutch around the 1940s. Although the people of Aruba have been working independence since 1947, this accomplishment has continued to elude them.
At the moment, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) is encouraging pregnant women to avoid visiting the region. This is due to legitimate concerns over complications that might arise from contracting the Zika virus, which has been spotted in the area.
But other travelers will certainly enjoy the low crime rates, the sandy beaches, the walkable capitol city, and the scenic National Parks that continue to make Aruba a popular vacation spot year round.
Most travelers don’t even need a visa for short one to two months stays and the Schengen Area rules that make long European trips a hassle for North American travelers don’t apply here, either.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this week’s installment of Inspiration Friday ~ Aruba Sun, Fun, And Wild Times.
Have you visited Aruba? Share your experiences with us! Check back next week for another inspiring addition and in the meantime, keep dreaming and working towards your travel aspirations.
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