Guide to Aruba

Beaches

Aruba bagged the best of the ABCs' beaches. We're talking Caribbean classics where talcumy sands and bright turquoise seas come as standard. Most of them fringe the west coast, the leader of the pack being Palm Beach. This ice-white beauty fronts the island's high-rise hotels and, as the name suggests, is edged by a curtain of glossy palms. Sailing boats, jet-skis and banana boats line up along its shoreline, and at one end you've got Palm Pier, a rush-thatched jetty packed with restaurants and snack bars. Eagle Beach is another of Aruba's big-hitters. Less developed than neighbouring Palm Beach, it serves up sand-and-sea with a side-order of peace and quiet. Another noteworthy sweep is Arashi Beach. Tucked on Aruba's northwest tip, near the California Lighthouse, it's really popular with the locals and is a good spot for body boarding. Not far away you've got Malmok Beach. The glamour puss of the bunch, it's backed by flash Miami-style villas and is a great place for windsurfing. Plus there's a wreck of a sunken freighter here, so it's a top scuba haunt, too. Down south, meanwhile, the aptly-named Baby Beach is a good place to head if you've got the kids in tow. Cue calm waters perfect for paddling and soft sands spot on for children's construction work. It's a completely different kettle of fish over on the windward east coast. The cliffs here have been carved out by the sea into blowholes and inlets so when heavy swells roll in, pounding spray is thrown up into the air. Along this wild and isolated stretch, you'll find a clutch of near-deserted beaches like Boca Grandi and Andicuri. The latter of which has been the setting for many a photo shoot – its black pebbles provide a striking natural backdrop. The supermodel of Aruba's beaches, however, is Renaissance Island. Only accessible by speedboat, this almond-shaped sliver belongs to the Renaissance Hotel. And it's outrageously gorgeous. Think duvet-soft sands, aquamarine lagoons and nodding palms. There are even pink flamingos strutting their stuff along the shore. In fact, Renaissance Island's so mesmerising, it's the official screensaver on our computers here at Thomson.

Eating out

• Most hotels in Aruba offer Full Board or All Inclusive packages, so dining tends to be quite hotel-centric. After decades of catering for a predominantly American market, hoteliers certainly know how to lay on an impressive spread. Portions are supersized and the level of choice is staggering. At breakfast time, cooking stations knock out leaning towers of waffles and pancakes. Come the evening, they're sizzling with steaks and fish. Most places also offer something in the way of a la carte dining. Don't be surprised to find a Japanese sushi bar, an Italian trattoria, an American steakhouse and a Mexican cantina all in the same complex. Of course, the age-old maxim comes into play here - the higher up the star rating you go, the better it gets. If you do want a break from your hotel though, some properties have meal exchange programmes with other hotels. Of course you can always hit the streets of Oranjestad and Palm Beach for a bite to eat. The resorts' restaurant scenes sit firmly at the cosmopolitan end of the spectrum, lining up French bistros, Chinese restaurants, Italian pizzerias and, of course, Dutch eateries. If you want to go native, check out the Aruban haunts where you can tuck into favourites like 'sopito' - fish and coconut soup flavoured with salt pork – 'ayacas' – banana leaves stuffed with maize and meat – and 'keshi yena' – baked meat, chicken or fish stuffed with edam cheese. The most famous dish, however, is called 'stoba'. This succulent lamb stew is slow-cooked and served with crispy banana fritters. On the drinks front, Aruba turns to the motherland and serves up a medley of Dutch beers like Pilsner, Heineken and Grolsch. And from neighbouring Curacao, orange liqueur makes a regular appearance on most cocktail menus.
• Smith's, Oranjestad Part of the Renaissance Hotel, this ultra-modern steakhouse could've been airlifted from New York. Blue mood lighting and minimalist white decor provide the perfect setting for melt-in-the-mouth fillet mignon and chateaubriand.
  
• Tomato Charlie's, Palm Beach This old-school American-style diner sits just behind the Hotel Occidental. Set up back in 1957, it's something of an Aruban institution and serves up top-notch breakfasts and does a roaring trade in pizzas, too.
  
• Chez Mathilde, Oranjestad Close to the Renaissance Hotel, this elegant eatery is housed in an old 19th-century building. Make no bones about it, eating here is expensive - but it's worth it. The bouillabaisse alone contains more than a dozen different types of seafood. The menu also features tender rack of lamb, brie-topped veal and lightly peppered red snapper.
  
• De Olde Molen, Palm Beach Just across the road from the Wyndham Hotel, stands this, one of Aruba's most iconic sights. An authentic old Dutch windmill, it was given to the people of Aruba by the Queen of Holland. These days it's a restaurant and serves up international fare.
  
• The Old Cunucu House, Palm Beach Originally a private house in the 1920s, this establishment has managed to retain its traditional decor – plaster-coated walls and simple tiled floors. The chef here rustles up local Aruban specialities like coconut fried shrimp and baked swordfish.

Nightlife

• After sundown, Aruba comes over all Las Vegas. Along with its flashy hotels and shopping malls, the island does a mean line in casinos. And it's real Casino Royale stuff. Dice career down craps tables. Roulette wheels spin in a whir of black and red. And an avalanche of clinking coins spew from one-armed bandits. In true James Bond style, put on your best poker face, throw down a chip or two and pray that Lady Luck is smiling on you. You'll find the majority of casinos in the hotels along the Palm Beach strip. Aruba's one and only 24-hour gambling den – the Crystal Casino - is tucked in Oranjestad at the Renaissance Hotel. This also happens to be home to one of the swankiest show lounges on the island. The revues staged here are out of this world. Think maraca-shaking beauties sashaying in time to Latin beats. Feathery headdresses and sequin-spangled outfits straight out of the Rio carnival. And snake-hipped dancers all the way from Cuba. It's a similar story at most of the big hotels where high-octane spectaculars are usually staged nightly. Casinos and cabarets aside, Aruba offers up a decent bar and disco scene, too. Head to Palm Beach or downtown Oranjestad for the best in cocktails and glitterballs. Of course, you can always sidestep this giddy circus in favour of a more traditional Caribbean experience. Palm-thatched beach hangouts along Palm and Eagle Beach provide the perfect setting to enjoy a star-filled evening of tropical drinks and sea breezes.
  
  
• La Fiesta, Oranjestad This second floor, open-air club plays a mix of salsa, reggae and disco. It's spread across two buildings, connected by a bridge dotted with chill-out wicker chairs. You'll find the entrance in the 'quieter' building.
  
• Stellaris Casino, Palm Beach This casino is part of the Marriott Beach Resort and is one of the largest on the island. It's also one of the smartest. All that's missing is Daniel Craig in a dickie bow.
  
• Iguana Joes, Oranjestad An open-air bar overlooking the capital, this place offers up great views and is the place to quaff killer cocktails.
  
• Cafe Chaos, Oranjestad Don't be fooled by the name – this place is anything but chaotic. In fact, it's quite low key. More often than not Old Blue Eyes is crooning on the jukebox and Saturdays are given over to live jazz, blues and funk.
  
• Alhmabra Casino, Eagle Beach With magic shows, stand up comedians and star turns, there's more to this gambling grotto than just slot machines.

Shopping

Oranjestad is Aruba's shopping bull's eye. We're talking designer boutiques, glam shopping malls and high-class jewellers. But while the capital's residents are generally well-heeled, they're not exactly dripping in diamonds - so why all the shopping hoopla? Every few days, colossal cruise liners dock here and hordes of splurge-happy passengers come ashore. And the citizens of Oranjestad lay on a shopping extravaganza to help visitors give their credit cards a workout. And what with Aruba being duty-free, that's easily done. Well, technically speaking, only the airport departure lounge is duty-free but Aruba's hijacked the phrase to describe the big discounts on offer. Duty-low is perhaps a better description. A good place to exorcise those shopping demons is along Caya G F Betico Croes and the streets that run off it. This is the capital's main shopping drag and you'll find everything from clothes to camcorders here. Not far away, on Lloyd G Smith Boulevard, there's the kitsch Royal Plaza Mall. You can't miss it. All bubblegum-pink gables, it looks as though it's been airlifted over from New Orleans – all that's missing is a barbershop quartet fresh out of Dixieland. Close by, you've got the Renaissance Mall. Tucked below the Renaissance Hotel, this one's home to luxury stores like Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Ralph Lauren. And just across the street you've got the more family-friendly Renaissance Marketplace, where you can break for a Haagen-Dazs pit stop. But that's just the tip of the iceberg. Other retail temples include the Port of Call Marketplace and the Paseo Herencia in the High Rise - an open-air shopping area not to be missed. You get the picture – this place isn't short on shops. It's all about glitz, glamour and big bucks. On the subject of which, take American dollars with you currency-wise as they're accepted everywhere.