FTV Remembering my last trip to Aruba

Hello everyone! In about one month it will be exactly two years since I had been to Oranjestad, Aruba! The last time I was here was on my freshman sea term. Along with Aruba we went to New Orleans, San Juan Puerto Rico, and Kingston Jamaica. All are very different places but I would like to tell you a little bit about my trip and the island of Aruba. With my two days in port, I along with all of my friends were able to experience all of the beautiful beaches, which Aruba is famous for, along with going snorkeling, and going around the town where we were able to go shopping and see the local culture. Aruba unlike the some of the other ports was very focused on tourism. This is one of the main staples of the island's income. Enough of the boring stuff though. My favorite part of Aruba was definitely going to the beaches and snorkeling! Due to the fact that we were only there for three days and we were only allowed to get off for two, I was unable to do everything I wanted to. Now with my chance to go back I really hope to see the Arikok National Park, which is where the natural bridge lies.

Natural Bridge

Stay tuned to know if I get to go! But here are just a few more facts about Aruba that you might want to know.



This is where Aruba is located on a map of the Caribbean and we will be traveling to the West side closest to South America. Aruba is known as one of the ABC Islands along with Bonaire and Curacao.

Aruba, a tiny Dutch Caribbean island off the coast of Venezuela, has dry, sunny weather, blond beaches and soft surf. European influence shows in both its architecture, in which Dutch gables mingle with tropical pastels, and language, with English, Dutch and Spanish spoken alongside the local tongue, Papiamento.

Flag of Aruba

Fast Facts:

• OFFICIAL NAME: Aruba (Common English) and Aruba of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Official English)
• FORM OF GOVERNMENT: Constitutional monarchy and parliamentary representative democracy
• CAPITAL: Oranjestad
• POPULATION: 102,911
• OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: Dutch, English, Spanish
• NATIVE TONGUE: Papiamento
• AREA: 75 square miles (120 square kilometers)
• MONEY: Florin, U.S. dollar

Aruba ecology has semi arid vegetation consisting largely of cactus, acacia and other dry loving trees and plants.Ecosystems on this island are fringing coral reefs, seagrass and mangrove stands and extensive bays and salinas (salt ponds)

Aruba’s expansive white sandy beaches provide nesting habitat for the critical endangered leather-back sea turtle. The reef islands off Aruba’s coast are critical breeding and roosting habitat for nine different tern species.

Find out more Aruba's varied ecology 

Threats to endangered turtles
Try one of these seaturtle activities
Learn more about sea turtles with these lessons

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