Aruba, Dutch Caribbean
pink flamingos walking along the beach in Aruba, Dutch Caribbean

Aruba, Dutch Caribbean

Aruba is famous for its outstanding fringing reefs, interesting coral formations, and spectacular shipwrecks that dominate its underwater realm. Get ready to explore this Dutch Caribbean destination and treat yourself to thrilling wreck dives and breathtaking marine encounters.

Geography of Aruba, Dutch Caribbean

Aruba is part of the ABC island group, along with Curacao and Bonaire. These islands are part of the Leeward Antilles in the Southern Carribean Sea. The Leeward Antilles lie north of the Venezuelan coast and extend in an arc from Puerto Rico to the north eastern coast of South America. Apart from the ABC island group, other islands that make up the Leeward Antilles are the Virgin Islands, Barbados, Saint Martin, Grenada, Guadeloupe, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Aruba was one of the few Caribbean islands that was never colonized by Spain and was acquired by the Dutch from the local Caquetio Indians in 1636. Aruba became an independent self-governing country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1986. Its name is derived from the Carib word ora, which means shell. Many tourists flock to Aruba for its renowned white sandy beaches, but mainly for scuba diving which makes up a great portion of the country’s thriving tourism industry.

The Best Aruba Scuba Diving Destinations

Not only is Aruba absolutely breathtaking on land, but it is also home to some of the most wonderful and interesting dive sites in the world. Divers can look forward to diving in seagrass gardens and natural and artificial reefs and shipwrecks. Listed below are some of the most notable Aruba dive sites you should add to your bucket list.

Antilla Wreck

The well-preserved Antilla Wreck is a must-see wreck diving destination. This enormous German freighter was purposefully sunk in May 1940 when the Germans invaded Holland during the Second World War. Today, the ship lies on its port side, with its bow facing the island. It spans over 400 feet long and is covered in stunning coral formations and tube sponges.

Teeming with varieties of tropical fish and other marine life, this great wreck is the perfect dive site for beginners and experienced divers who wish to explore the ship’s spacious interior. As it’s just a 10-minute boat ride from the Aruban coast, the Antilla Wreck is easily accessible.

Pedernales Wreck

Another of Aruba’s famous wreck dives, the Pedernales Wreck is an oil tanker that was torpedoed by a German submarine during World War II. Today, the ship sits in fairly shallow water 10 meters below the surface and is an amazing spot for beginner scuba divers. Also called the Phoenix of Aruba, the Pedernales Wreck is surrounded by stunning coral formations. The cabins, lavatories, wash basins, and more sections are completely visible—even the ship’s pipeline system. Look out for the many types of groupers and angelfishes that have made a home in this Aruban wreck.

Jane Sea Wreck

Sitting almost 30 meters underwater, the Jane Sea Wreck is an enormous concrete freighter and a must see for advanced scuba divers. With its incredible depth and strong current, not many divers visit this dive site, but if you are up for the challenge, then this wreck dive is certainly worth it. Prepare to explore this giant freighter and interact with large schools of angelfish, as well as barracudas, manta rays, and turtles. As this destination is just a 50-minute boat ride off the coast of Aruba, the Jane Sea Wreck is definitely a dive site you shouldn’t skip.

Mas Bango Reef

The Mas Bango Reef is a well-preserved coral reef that grows on a slope surrounded by sand. Divers who dive into its depths will witness five islands of abundant coral reef teeming with mas bango fish, tuna, and barracudas swimming around the blue. As you go deeper to its sandy bottom, you can spot plenty of rays, shrimps, crustaceans, and other invertebrates. The bright colors and clear water make the Mas Bango Reef a great spot for macro photography. It’s an equally thrilling experience for expert and beginner divers alike.

Mike’s Reef

Dominated by purple and orange sponges, brain and star corals, as well as deep water gorgonians, Mike's Reef is home to colorful fish, rainbow runners, and big barracudas. Like the Mas Bango Reef, Mike’s Reef is another excellent dive and macro hotspot for underwater photographers.

Debbie II Wreck

Another famous wreck dive in Aruba is the Debbie II Wreck. This 120-foot fuel barge was intentionally sunk in 1992 to create a new dive site and serve as an artificial reef. Surrounding the Debbie are an abundance of brain corals, which house large schools of fish, barrel sponges, lobsters, rays, and sea turtles.

Airplane Wrecks

Airplane Wrecks is another famous artificial reef in Aruba, with two airplanes being sunk intentionally in different years—the DC-3 in the early 1990s and the S-11 in 2004. Also known as the Twin Airplanes, this dive site offers a unique diving experience and a great photo opportunity. It’s not every day you see two airplanes resting on the seabed!

Serito Pinnacle

Airplane Wrecks is another famous artificial reef in Aruba, with two airplanes being sunk intentionally in different years—the DC-3 in the early 1990s and the S-11 in 2004. Also known as the Twin Airplanes, this dive site offers a unique diving experience and a great photo opportunity. It’s not every day you see two airplanes resting on the seabed!

Marine Life

Marine life in Aruba is made up of large populations of reef fish and a great variety of corals. While you will encounter a wide range of sharks and rays, they cannot be found in large numbers since Aruba isn’t known for large marine species. There are sites that have seahorses and turtles, like the loggerhead and green varieties.

Owing to the mostly storm-free decades, Aruba’s coral reefs are well aged and flourishing with an array of tropical fish. Other reef species—such as groupers, angelfishes, manta rays, moray eels, stingrays, and lobsters—are occasionally seen at sites accessible to every type of diver.

Other Attractions

Aside from scuba diving and underwater activities, Aruba offers other exciting above-ground attractions. Aruba's capital, Oranjestad, which is also its main cruise ship port, is packed with attractions and family-friendly things to do. If you’re up for some adventure, you can try water skiing, parasailing, windsurfing, and kite surfing. For those who plan to get away from the water for the day, strolling among the brightly colored Dutch colonial buildings; browsing the shops, galleries, and museums; and visiting the Butterfly Farm and the Aruba Aloe Museum are great ways to pass the time in Aruba.

How to Get There

Anyone with a valid passport can visit Aruba without a visa. However, tourists who wish to stay for more than 30 days should get a visa prior to traveling. Aruba is easily accessible via airline or cruise ship. Here’s how to get there:
By Air
There are over 150 flights from different cities in the United States and Canada, as well as several countries in South America. Daily flights are available from the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and surrounding Caribbean islands.

Non-stop flight times to Aruba are approximately 0.5 hours from Curacao, 1.25 hours from Caracas, 3 hours from Miami, 4.25 hours from Atlanta and New York City, and 10.5 hours from Amsterdam.

By Sea
Cruise ships arrive weekly and dock at the port located in the country’s capital, Oranjestad. The main cruise season in Aruba is from November to March, but cruise ship arrivals peak in December, while the months of May to September have the lowest number of arriving passengers. The Oranjestad port can accommodate up to five cruise ships at a time.

Getting Around
Since Aruban roads are safe and modern, it’s easy to get around the island via public transport and rental vehicle options (readily available at the Queen Beatrix International Airport). You can hop on a bus, hail a taxi or limo, or rent a car, bike, motorcycle, or scooter to go anywhere and explore Aruba’s hotels, resorts, and other attractions.

Best Time to Visit

Aruba enjoys consistently good weather all year round with only two seasons. The wet season falls from December to March, when heavy rainfall happens almost daily, but often does not last for more than a few hours. The months of January to March see an occasional winter squall which may impact diving conditions, but you need not worry because Aruba lies south of the hurricane belt and is generally not impacted by devastating storms.

The dry season in the island starts in April and continues until November, when the weather is consistently calm and the island is extremely dry and sunny. The calmest sea conditions are found from April to June, but there’s no significant difference in temperature or diving conditions between the Aruban seasons. Overall, this part of the Dutch Caribbean islands is a great all-year round scuba diving destination.

Required Trainings & Certifications

For beginners or first-time scuba divers, there are many dive centers that offer guided scuba dives and excellent diving lessons, including the most reliable and sought-after PADI certifications. Advanced divers are advised to take a PADI Wreck Diver course to build up their diving experience at more challenging and deeper dive sites. Taking the PADI Deep Diver, Night Diver, and Digital Underwater Photographer courses are also recommended to make the most of your diving trips.

Miscellaneous Information

Currency
The official currency in Aruba is the Aruban florin, but the US dollar is widely accepted.

Language
The principal languages in Aruba are Dutch and Papiamento, but English and Spanish are also widely spoken.

Time Zone
Aruba utilizes Atlantic Standard Time (AST) all year with UTC/GMT -4 hours. The country does not observe Daylight Savings Time.

Driving Side
Driving in Aruba is done on the right side of the road.

Calling Code
The calling code for Aruba is 297. Dialing +297, followed by the area code and local number, will allow you to call Aruba from another country.

ISO 3166 code
ISO 3166-2:AW is Aruba’s ISO 3166-2 entry.

Internet TLD
.aw is the Internet top-level domain for Aruba.