The curious Caribbean island that just got closer

A shadowy but welcome visitor appeared on our first evening in Aruba: a burrowing owl – or a shoco, in the local Papiamento language. All penetrating eyes and spindly legs, the island’s national bird checked us out as we dined with our toes in the sand until, satisfied with proceedings, it fluttered off into the night.

Britons are lucky to have more than a dozen Caribbean destinations reachable by direct flight, but another is now available. As British Airways increases its post-pandemic leisure offerings, the airline is now adding twice-weekly flights to Aruba, on an extension to one of its Antigua routes. 

“The Caribbean islands are among our customers’ favourite destinations, so we wanted to offer even more choice,” says Neil Chernoff, BA’s director of networks and alliances. 

“Aruba is dubbed ‘One Happy Island’ for its year-round sunshine, white-sand beaches and welcoming locals, and it has something for everyone, from adventure-seekers and beachgoers to foodies and wellness-lovers, so we knew the island would be a welcome addition to our network.”

If Aruba is not so well known to British travellers, the Americans have been visiting for years – even singing about it. Those of a certain vintage will remember the line from the Beach Boys’ Kokomo: “Aruba, Jamaica; Ooh I wanna take ya…”

The song might have rubbed off on the band’s compatriots. Parts of Aruba have a whiff of Miami to them: a popular cruise spot, the high-rise strip of Palm Beach – a resort about three miles outside the capital on the island’s north-west coast – has huge Hiltons and Marriotts with casinos and floor shows. There are condos, steak-houses and pizzerias, with dinner served at 6pm in startlingly large portions. That said, the advantage of being a favourite with “snowbirds” – as winter visitors from the States are known – is that the restaurants and service are reliably good.

Don’t let the American sheen fool you, however. Aruba is officially part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, a clue being in the name of the capital – Oranjestad (or Orange City) named after King William I of the Netherlands. The Dutch were always traders rather than colonisers, picking islands for their strategic harbours rather than plantation potential. As such, they chose the “ABC Islands” – Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao – located in the south-western Caribbean, close to Venezuela: Curacao became one of the Caribbean’s richest ports, while Aruba  and Bonaire were settled to protect its approaches and run as a ranch for horses, cattle and donkeys. Aruba only hit its stride in the 1920s, when the world’s second-biggest oil refinery was built in the town of San Nicolaas.

You could spend a whole week on the white sands of Palm Beach, but if you aren’t one for high-rise hotels and casinos, then around the south-western corner lies the Oranjestad neighbourhood of Eagle Beach, where the buildings are no higher than a palm tree. These low-rise hotels are smaller, less extravagant, and offer a lower-key, more personal service that is more in keeping with the rest of the Caribbean.

Head inland and you will discover a backdrop of cunucu, a slightly forlorn landscape of thorny scrub from which organ pipe cacti protrude in clusters the size of trees. The landscape is best appreciated in the Arikok National Park, where more than 40 miles of trails meander through the scrubland. Other cacti lurk here – prickly pear and leaf varieties with Mickey Mouse ears. Agave lines the paths in small explosions of fleshy spikes, its juice supposedly able to soothe sunburned skin. (Interestingly, around 60 per cent of the plants in the park have a traditional medicinal use.) 

An Arubian breakfast begins to tease out island culture. At Huchada, a café in the town of Santa Cruz, workers and families grab a juice and a “pastechi” savoury pastie on the run, or sit awhile chatting in Papiamento, a creole language that draws heavily on Portuguese and Spanish, with a smattering of Dutch. This cultural mix is evident in the traditional dish “keshi yena”, which is served on a tree-covered terrace at the long-standing restaurant Papiamento in the town of Noord: shredded chicken and ground beef cooked in Caribbean spices, it is then topped, in true Dutch style, with Edam cheese.

On an island where nearly all the ingredients are imported, farmers and restaurateurs are trying to reduce food miles. Natalie de Mey’s Taste My Aruba, set in a century-old shop in Oranjestad, has a daily-changing menu with as many sea- and farm-to-table dishes as she can muster, from funchi (fried polenta) to delectable tuna tartare with mayonnaise, sesame seeds and avocado. 

A wave of creative cuisine is rising steadily around the Caribbean, and Aruba is no exception. Local chef Urvin Croes is leading the charge. Having spent years working in Europe’s top eateries, including the Michelin- starred restaurant of the Grand Hotel Karel V in Utrecht, he now creates 10-course tasting menus at his own restaurant Infini. “Once, there was French and Caribbean fusion, but now a younger generation of chefs with experience of working abroad has reimagined island cuisine,” he says. “They’re deconstructing and recreating some dishes, and creating others by combining local ingredients in a new way.”

There are Caribbean getaways closer to the UK, but there is plenty in Aruba to enjoy. Like the burrowing owl, I arrived full of curiosity, then fluttered off in satisfaction. 

Best beds

Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort

Set on spectacular sand at Aruba’s south-western corner, this child-free cluster of 60 low-rise rooms overlook prim lawns, gym, spa, pool, dining rooms and beach parasols, but really Bucuti’s charm is in its subtly ever-present and delightful staff. From $812/£650 per night, five-night minimum stay.

Divi Aruba

For an active, all-inclusive stay, this collection with rooms and suites backs onto both the beach and wraps around a golf course is hard to beat. Dining is shared with sister hotel Tamarijn, giving nearly a dozen restaurants, grills and bars as well as activities – tennis, e-bikes, yoga, Zumba, fitness centre, rock-climbing wall and spa treatments. From $256. 

Boardwalk

In an arid island, Boardwalk glories in the lushness of its gardens, where paths meander through the greenery to casitas painted canary-yellow, pink and baby blue, each with a terrace, kitchen and outdoor showers. There are two pools, a dining room (to come) and a spa in the gardens, and it’s just a short walk from their beach bar and loungers on superb Palm Beach. From $290.

Aruba Ocean Villas

Thirteen one-bedroom villas built of hardwood and palm thatch are set over water, on sand and hidden in the mangroves of a lagoon. Stylised rusticity and extreme comfort, cool, remote and very private. Adults only. From $519/£x per night, two-night minimum stay.

Aruba Airstream

Offering superb seclusion is this single aluminium Flying Cloud caravan giving onto a shaded deck, small pool and an uninterrupted scape of cunucu and cactus. There’s an outdoor bathroom, kitchen facilities and guaranteed tranquillity. It sleeps six, but is probably best for two (possibly with small children). From $256 per night, three-night minimum stay.

Essentials

James Henderson was a guest of the Aruba Tourism Authority and British Airways, which now flies to Aruba via Antigua on Sundays and Thursdays. Fares from £518 for economy seats, £1,083 in premium economy and £2,500 in business class.  

Tropical Sky can offer seven’ nights at the Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort in a Superior Room from £1,949pp (based on two adults sharing), B&B, including flights from London Gatwick and transfers. Valid for departures this September.