Your Aruba CME conference.

Aruba after your study day

Study days finish at 2:00 PM Aruba time. For an easy afternoon, choose one outing near your study setting: time on Eagle Beach, a walk along Palm Beach, or a stop at the Renaissance Marketplace in Oranjestad. Leave time for getting there, shade and the Caribbean sun.

Travel, accommodation and attraction admission are arranged separately. Your conference follows your specialty and interests; the island is simply the setting you choose for it.

Eagle Beach or Palm Beach?

Aruba’s tourism authority calls Eagle Beach the widest beach on the island, with soft white sand, some shaded areas, parking and water sports. Several low-rise hotels are close by or across the road. Eagle Beach is also home to two fofoti trees, and most of the island’s sea turtle nests are found there. Facilities include eating and drinking options, public transport and public parking.

Palm Beach is a two-mile strip of high-rise hotels, casinos and beach bars. The water there is calm, which suits swimming and snorkeling. Choose Eagle Beach for a more open stretch of sand, or Palm Beach if you want restaurants and water sports within reach of your accommodation.

Beyond the beach

Arikok National Park covers nearly 20 percent of the island. It has caves, original rock drawings and walks to secluded bays, and the tourism authority recommends an organized tour, most of which are led by park rangers. A ticket is needed to enter, and the park is described as a good place to spend the whole day, so it may suit a day without study better than an afternoon. The landscapes mix lava, quartz diorite and limestone formations, and the Boca Prins area has sand dunes and a black stone beach.

The California Lighthouse, near the island’s northwestern tip, has 360-degree views and is a sunset stop. The lighthouse is named after the S.S. California, a ship that sank before the lighthouse was built in 1910. At the Renaissance Marketplace in Oranjestad you will find shops, bars, a six-screen movie theater, a casino and live music nightly, at Lloyd G. Smith Boulevard 9.

Around the island by car

Beyond the beach, several stops sit between Oranjestad and the coast. The Casibari rock formations are giant tonalite boulders scattered across desert terrain, just off the main road to Santa Cruz, with trails and steps to the top for wide views from the coast to the inland hills. Hooiberg, a cone-shaped hill whose name is Dutch for haystack, rises about 540 feet from the island’s center and takes roughly 600 steps to climb.

Alto Vista Chapel in Noord was built by a Spanish missionary in 1750 and stands on a hilltop among cacti, with views of the coastline. The Bushiribana gold mill ruins recall the island’s gold rush, which began in 1824 and ran until 1916. Bring water and sun protection for any of these stops.

The quiet south coast

Baby Beach lies in the southern part of the island, close to San Nicolas. It is a half-moon beach in a calm lagoon where you can wade out a long way and still touch the bottom, and the tourism authority advises staying within the marked snorkel zone where the bay meets the open sea. The beach has a refreshment stand and a public bathroom, and public transport reaches it.

Plan the south coast as its own outing rather than an add-on to a beach afternoon, and check the route before you set out.

When to visit Aruba

Aruba’s tourism authority describes temperatures averaging between 80 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the year, with constant trade winds that strengthen from May to October. The dry season runs from January to April, and the rainy season from October to December, with short, intermittent showers. Aruba sits well south of the main Atlantic hurricane belt. Use the local forecast when you plan outdoor time.

Getting to Aruba and your study setting

Queen Beatrix International Airport is the arrival point shown in this guide. Aruba has more than 100 direct flights a week from 14 North American gateways. Flights to the United States use a separate terminal building with a U.S. preclearance facility. Choose your accommodation and ground transport with both your study setting and your plans outside study hours in mind.

The map shows straight-line distances from Shift’s designated center. These are orientation distances, not driving distances or travel-time estimates. Check your exact address against the conference’s check-in area before booking.