The Tropical Islands of Aruba / Curacao / Bonaire in the Leeward Antilles

The ABC islands are Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao. They are the three most western islands of the Leeward Antilles in the Caribbean, north of Falcón State, Venezuela. From west to east they are in the order Aruba, Curaçao, Bonaire.

All three islands are part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Aruba is an autonomous, self-governing member state of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and Bonaire and Curaçao are in the Netherlands Antilles.


   

Aruba is a 33-kilometre (21 mi)-long island of the Lesser Antilles in the southern Caribbean Sea, 27 km (17 mi) north of the Paraguaná Peninsula, Falcón State, Venezuela.

Curaçao (pronounced [?kju?r?sa?]) is an island in the southern part of the Caribbean Sea off the north coast of Venezuela. The island is the largest and most populous of the three so-called ABC islands (for Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao) of the Lesser Antilles — specifically the Leeward Antilles

Curaçao (Willemstad is the capital city)is renowned for its coral reefs which make it an excellent spot for scuba diving. The beaches on the south side contain many popular diving spots. 

Bonaire is world renowned for its excellent scuba diving and is consistently rated among the top shore diving and Caribbean diving locations in the world.

 Bonaire is ringed by a coral reef which is easily accessible from the shore along the Western and Southern sides.

Aruba: The Quintessential Caribbean
Arubas license plate slogan reads One Friendly Island and its easy to see why a record one million tourists visited this 1.6-mile-long island last year.
Bonaire - Water World
On land, Bonaire has a subtle beauty, a delicate flower among the dusty scrub and prickly cactus, the flash of pink as a flamingo wades through cloudy brine, mustard-yellow buildings against a cloudless blue sky, but beneath its surrounding sea is a flamboyant spectacle of color and brilliance.
Curaçao: Cosmopolitan in the Caribbean
There's something in the air on Curacao, and it's not just the vaunted tradewinds. Home to more than 50 ethnic groups and nationalities, urbane Curacao is, in the words of one resident, "a Third World country with an A-country attitude." 

 

U.S.Department of State Aruba, Bonaire & Curacao (Netherlands Antilles) Information:

  • Country Description
  • Entry/Exit Requirements
  • Safety and Security
  • Tips for Traveling Abroad 

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    News on Aruba Travel continually updated from thousands of sources around the net.

    The tourism industry of Aruba warmly welcomed COPA Airlines a warm welcome with their inaugural flight connecting Aruba with South & Latin America. 

    News on Aruba continually updated from thousands of sources around the net.

    Aruba is once more honored with a well-known guest, reverend Jesse Jackson onboard the cruise ship Westerdam from the Holland America Line, which includes the Oranjestad, Aruba port of call on the 14 night Caribbean cruise holiday. 

     

    Unlike much of the Caribbean region, Aruba, Curacao & Bonaire have a dry climate and an arid, cactus-strewn landscape. This climate has helped tourism as visitors to the island can reliably expect warm sunny weather.

    A beach-lover's paradise,the Aruba interior boasts desert, but the coasts are filled with picture-perfect, powdery white sand and tranquil sapphire waters. With gorgeous year-round weather, it's always the right time to scuba dive, windsurf, snorkel, tee off, horse ride or hike. At night, enjoy casinos and Vegas-style shows. While Aruba displays hints of its Dutch influences (it's still part of the Netherlands), don't expect Old World reserve: the draw here is relaxation and fun.

    You're welcome to plan the ideal family vacation or wedding or honeymoon or meeting or simple escape to a colorful world away from home. You're welcome to explore. To make everything that's ours yours. To find the perfect something, or nothing, to do.