Oranjestad

Eagle Beach is the wider, quieter, more photogenic one — the iconic divi-divi tree photo lives here, and it's regularly ranked top three in the world by Tripadvisor. Palm Beach is the high-rise resort strip, livelier, with more bars, watersports vendors, and beach-club loungers for rent. Both are free to walk onto; both have public access points. Cruise-day pick: Eagle if you want to swim and read, Palm if you want a piña colada delivered to your chair. They're 2 km apart, so an ambitious day can do both.

Yes, by Caribbean standards it's about as safe as it gets. The U.S. State Department keeps Aruba at Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) — same as Western Europe and Japan, the lowest of the four advisory tiers. Petty theft happens at busy beaches and unattended rental cars; violent crime against tourists is rare. Standard precautions apply: don't leave valuables in a parked jeep, don't flash cash at the casino, and use licensed taxis (white plates with TX prefix).

USD is accepted essentially everywhere on Aruba — restaurants, taxis, supermarkets, the cruise terminal shops, even the public bus. Change often comes back in Aruban florins (AWG), which is fine; the exchange rate is pegged at AWG 1.79 to 1 USD and has been for decades. Cards (Visa, Mastercard, Amex) work in any establishment that matters. You don't need to visit an ATM unless you specifically want florin notes as souvenirs.

Yes, but only with a tour or rental vehicle — public transport doesn't reach it. Arikok covers nearly 20% of Aruba (eastern interior and windward coast) and the terrain is desert-and-cactus, more Sonoran than Caribbean. Entrance is $25 for adults, valid the same day. Most cruisers do it as a 4- to 5-hour UTV or jeep tour (typically $90–130 per person) hitting the natural pool (Conchi), Quadirikiri Cave, and the windswept windward coast. Self-driving requires 4WD; the interior roads are unpaved and rough.

Worth it if you snorkel. The Antilla is a 122-meter German freighter scuttled by its own crew in 1940 — it sits in 18 meters of water off Malmok Beach on the northwest coast, with the upper structure starting around 5 meters down. Half-day snorkel-and-sail catamaran trips run $50–80 per person, leave from the marina near the cruise port, and typically include the Antilla plus a second reef stop. Pick a tour with maximum 90 minutes in the water; the rest is sailing time.

Four. Dutch is official (Aruba is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands). Papiamento is the everyday language — a creole blend of Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, and African roots, spoken at home by most Arubans. English is universal in tourism, restaurants, and shops. Spanish is widely spoken because of proximity to Venezuela. You will not need any phrase book; saying 'bon dia' (good morning, in Papiamento) will earn you a smile.