Island

Aruba is 20 mile long island of the Lesser Antilles in the southern Caribbean Sea, 15 miles north of Venezuela. Together with Bonaire and Curacao, it forms a group referred to as the ABC islands of the Lesser Antilles.
It is autonomous region within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Aruba has a dry climate and an arid, cactus-strewn landscape. It lies outside the hurricane belt.
The vast majority of visitors come there to enjoy beautiful beaches (and very expensive hotels, dining and shopping). There are many outdoor opportunities not counting water sports (windsurfing and kite boarding are big ones, good snorkel and scuba too).
I think that one of the great ways to explore the island is to get away from the touristy hotel zone (all hotels are located along Aruba's southwestern shore in a long strip). It is easy to rent a car/jeep and explore the island on yorur own. I mentioned jeep because there are many 4 WD dirt roads in the Arikok park area not accessible by a normal vehicle (e.g. visit of the natural pool). There are many mountain biking trails in the Arikok National Park and along island's northern shore leading to great spots like natural bridges, and pools. And many tour companies offer horseback riding, which we did not try.
I did not place photos of beaches, diving, and snorkeling on this site (or me in bikinis) since I felt that it does not belong on SP site, but believe me the water, beach, underwater life is amazing!