Smiles better!
KIERAN DOODY enjoys an idyllic break on the happiest island in the South Caribbean
IT is the self-styled One Happy Island. Aruba is all things Caribbean ... but not as you know it.
Still something of a hidden gem here in the UK – just over 10,000 Brits visited the island off the coast of Venezuela last year – it boasts beaches, palm trees and luxury accommodation.
The Americans love it and return time after time, and it’s high time we got in on the act.
Sitting just outside the hurricane belt, Aruba is one of the safest Caribbean islands and cruise ships often stop here when other islands are enduring extreme weather.
But unlike much of the Caribbean region, it’s a desert island. The dusty, cactus-strewn inland landscape ensures a dry climate and visitors can expect hot sunny weather all year round.
Arikok National Park covers 20% of the island and boasts rugged terrain and desert-like hills offering spectacular views of the coastline.
But if beaches are more your thing, Aruba is home to some of the most beautiful in the Caribbean, where white sand meets a clear turquoise sea full of marine life that swims right up to the shore.
This is a destination that literally has something for everyone. If off-road safari or scuba diving aren’t your bag, shoppers can hunt out bargains in the capital Oranjestadt, where designer outlets line the streets.
It’s a small island – just 19 miles long and six miles wide – but it’s a hotbed of multiculturalism with 96 nationalities within the 120,000 population, and is sure to appeal to people from all over the world.
Locals are taught to speak Dutch, English Spanish and Portuguese from an early age, and they pride themselves on the island’s inclusivity.
A statue of Anne Frank stands in Oranjestad, with a plaque reading: “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment to improve the world!”
The message is not only relevant to the islanders’ way of life but also their plan to make the island 100% eco-friendly by 2020. Perhaps it’s these little things that add up to Aruba being ‘One Happy Island,’ making it more than just a PR slogan. Pride in the island is clear to see when speaking to tourists and locals alike.
Aruba may be relaxing, and ‘island time’ is a phrase often used to joke about the laidback culture, but an off-road safari with Palm Tours is anything but.
Thirty cars skid around the north-western coast of the island, debris flying everywhere, as our tour guide leads us across Arikok National Park.
We follow a winding road lined with white crosses marking the stations of the cross before reaching the idyllic Alto Vista Chapel, the first Catholic church built in Aruba. Isolated in the middle of the countryside, it’s a place where locals go for moments of contemplation (only to be spoiled by 30 jeeps parking up outside!).
We also stop off at the ‘natural bridge’ – there’s not much to see as it collapsed in 2005, and a smaller kid brother isn’t as impressive – and the Gold Mill ruins before taking a dip in the natural pool, a formation of rocks surrounded by crashing waves to cool off after a day of driving in searing heat.
The drive itself is great fun and faster than you’ll be expecting – we gained enough speed for my bag of valuables to fly off the back, unbeknownst to me.
Luckily, the driver of a car behind picked it up and drove ahead to drop it off to our tour guide, much to everyone’s amusement when we
returned to base!
Despite the incredible desert scenery inland, there’s a plethora of things to do on the coast including surfing, sunset cruises and jet skiing.
One thing you really must do is the Catamaran snorkel tour, complete with a free bar (but don’t drink before diving!) and irresistible music.
At our first stop we dive in and swim along the 400ft-long World War II shipwreck SS Antilla. Although now broken into two parts and too damaged to see up close for the amateur diver, it’s still a sight to behold. Covered in corals, it attracts plenty of sealife, including lobsters and sea turtles.
We then move along to the Catalan beach and slide into the water from the back of the boat. As soon as you enter you’re surrounded by a rainbow of colours as fish swim right up to your face.
Just watch your feet as starfish cover the seabed. It’s an experience you’ll never forget.
Away from the natural beauty of the island, the north is a more built-up area and it’s here you’ll find Oranjestad, a popular area for cruise ship passengers who stop off for the day.
As the name might suggest, the city is built on Dutch influence, with streets that wouldn’t look out of place in Amsterdam were it not for the bright Caribbean colours.
Due to the island’s heavy reliance on the US market you’ll find plenty of chain restaurants but you’d be doing yourself a disservice by not sampling the local cuisine with spectacular eateries littered across the island.
Many local dishes are based on seafood but take inspiration from the many cultures that have settled in Aruba over the centuries.
We sample many restaurants during our stay, none quite as beautiful as Passions On The Beach, understandably a popular spot for marriage proposals. But it’s Papiamento, an early 19th century farmhouse a little more inland, that proves my favourite dining experience. You can choose to eat around an illuminated pool in the courtyard or move inside where Dutch antiques line the walls, with a dedicated cigar room filled with old vinyl records for those who partake.
It was a restaurant that epitomised what I had come to expect from the island – a magical mix of style both in the décor and with food that boasted flavours from a number of cultures.
I left still wanting more, just as I did when it was time to go home, one happy holidaymaker.