Aruba is the smallest island in the Leeward group of the Dutch Caribbean islands, which also include Bonaire and Curacao. They are popularly known as the ABCs. As the westernmost island of the group, Aruba is the final link in the long Antillean chain, lying 20km (12.5 miles) off the Venezuelan coast. The island is 30km (19.6 miles) long and 9km (6 miles) across at its widest and has a flat landscape dominated by Jamanota Mountain (188m/617ft). The west and southwest coast, known as Palm Beach, boasts 11km (7 miles) of palm-fringed powder-white sands, while in complete contrast the east coast has a desolate, windswept shoreline of jagged rocks carved into weird shapes by the pounding surf.

One third of the ABC islands along with Bonaire and Curacao, is a Dutch protectorate lying just a few miles north of South America and outside of the Caribbean hurricane belt - this is the general information about Aruba that most travelers know. But basic information about Aruba can't convey the island's exotic landscapes, low-key hospitality, or indefinable appeal. This information about Aruba can only be collected first-hand by visiting this small isle in the southern Caribbean, the most diminutive (at 115 square miles) of the ABC group. Aruba is a beach-lover's paradise, and has been growing in popularity as this information about Aruba is discovered by the world. Far from being overrun, though, this is one place where tourism hasn't quite caught up to the island's worth. Don't be surprised to find a deserted patch of beach, as good as any in the Caribbean, all to yourself.