Get to Know Your ABC Islands, Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao!
Do you know your ABC Islands? Rather, do you know the difference?
Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao are the three islands in the deep southern Caribbean that make up what are commonly called the ABC Islands. All are located outside the normal hurricane belt and almost totally free from hurricanes.
Aruba is probably the most recognizable of these Dutch decent islands with North American tourists. This desert like island governs independently but is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a supurb tourism publicity machine, but got a tarnish with the 2005 disappearance of Natalee Holloway, which remains unsolved to this day.
Aruba in the last thirty years has become known as a laid back place to go to enjoy a stay at either a low or high rise resort or to enjoy a time share stay.
The capital, Organjestad, is a vibrant painted treat to the eyes, and has a great selection of over 300 hundred restaurants, so you can enjoy anything from fresh seafood to Arubian or even American style fast food.
Aruba is famous for its white powdery beaches, with one of the most famous being “Baby Beach”. The water temperature this close to the equator is bath like, so you can spend the day and never get goose-bumps.
Most surprising about Aruba is that it is desert. Some have said it’s like Arizona with beautiful blue water and the smell of salt water.
Exploring the island is easy and takes about a day and a half in a rented vehicle. Spend the extra florin and upgrade to the four wheel drive, as Aruba has places in its outback that are only accessible this way.
Aruba is the place to go if you are hardcore into being part of the usual tourist experience of sand, sun and surf. There is golfing, windsurfing, diving, snorkeling, casinos, and, of course, shopping. This is the perfect place to wade slowly into the Dutch sphere of influence in the Caribbean and feel comfortable in the warm waters.
Bonaire is the scrappier, little cousin of Aruba, and is part of the Netherlands Antilles. Bonaire is famous for what’s not on the island, but surrounding it under the water. Diving is the magnet that draws the majority of visitors to Bonaire. Like Aruba, it is desert in character with cactus and more rocks than sand. Unlike Aruba, the dining and activity choices are less. There are a number of restaurants, most centered in Kralendijk, and most on the very informal side. A good adventure if you can find it is to eat where the locals eat. To find a good restaurant in the country just ask as staffer at one of the local hotels or shops.
A good way to get around Bonaire is by motor scooter. It goes just fast enough to make some time, but putters slow enough so you can notice the Flamingo preserve and the small, dog housed sized slave huts down near the Solar Salt Works. Scoot around to the Washington Slagbaai National Park on the northern part of the island to come into some hills and a bit of trees.
Beaches are rocky for the most part. This doesn’t keep people from hanging around on them though. A drive south our of Kralendijk finds a bohemian collection of vendors and hangers on, mostly from the Netherlands, who are in Bonaire for a lark or a slower pace.
Another way to help the local economy, besides buying a drink from a vendor, is to drop some money in the slots or play a few card games in the casinos.
Diving is the main attraction though. The reef in and around Klein Bonaire are colorful, unique and pristine. This is the best of the ABC alphabet for those who want to spend their time under the water and not gazing out at it from the beach.
Looking at the colorful buildings of Willemstad from out on the old bridge or from a boat is like gazing on a quaint small village of different candy colored miniature buildings.
It is a view good enough to eat.
And Curacao is an island to be savored. Starting at the center of Willemstad, a UNESCO World Heritage site, venture past the shops and pause at the Fish Market, a floating collection of shops offering everything from Mangos to gold bracelets.
Curacao is not fully independent from the Netherlands, but is the center of trade and commerce for the region and certainly for the ABC Islands. In fact the name may come from the Portuguese word for “heart”. In the colonial days, as today, Curacao is the heart of commerce in the region.
Curacao’s geography above and below the water is the most varied of the the three islands. It is hilly, and a drive into its back country will find you at spots along the road where you can look down into bays and observe the small toy like boats and houses hundreds of feet below. Under the waves, the coral drops off suddenly not far from shore, in what is know as the “blue edge”.
As the seat of local government for the islands, Curacao is a more cosmopolitan stop of the three islands. You are just as likely to bump into a businessman from South America as your neighbor in the Jimmy Buffet shirt. It attracts that mix.
Along with the many tastes comes a diverse mix of cuisine, a blending of influences from Spain, Portugal, South America, and, of course, the Dutch.
Like the Netherlands too, prostitution is legal, and you can do most of your shopping for that near the airport.
Curacao offers decent beaches, tourist activities and the chance to mix with locals and visitors from many regions, traveling on pleasure and business.
