Aruba Resort Minutes from Palm Beach Oceanfront

Although most Caribbean islands receive abundant tropical rain, Aruba enjoys the near-constant sunshine of a dry savannah climate, thanks to its location off the coast of Venezuela. With frequently agreeable weather for beach lounging, there are few spots on the island more popular than Palm Beach, a 2-mile strip packed with high-rises and restaurants. Coconut palms dot the powdery shore of the calm, bathwater-warm bay, where visitors might spot parakeets and iguanas. Located just inland, out of reach of the crowds yet within a few minutes' walk of the oceanfront, Brickell Bay Beach Club & Spa offers a graceful and charming retreat, a place where bellhops whisk away your bags and bartenders pour a welcome cocktail upon arrival.

There's similar swift service at the poolside bar, a pagoda-like structure lined with barstools submerged beneath the water. For a night on the town, take the free shuttle to the nearby casinos, including Aura and Excelsior, where match-play vouchers essentially double your bet (up to $100 match-play value). The shuttle also takes the 200-yard journey to the beachfront, where seaside visitors can stretch out on private lounge chairs or underneath thatched palapas.

Back at the resort, superior rooms set an airy mood with marble floors and all-white linens. The next morning, enjoy an upgraded American breakfast on the open-air terrace of Tomato Charlie's Pizzaria. Juice and coffee pair with a hot entree from the menu, such as blueberry pancakes or a three-egg omelet with chorizo.

Aruba: Idyllic Seafront and Cactus-Strewn Hills on Former Dutch Colony

From end to end, the former Dutch colony of Aruba measures about 22 miles, making it easy to hop between shorelines. Just southwest of Palm Beach on the island’s northwest coast, Eagle Beach has been called “the best beach on Aruba” by Fodor’s for its broad, less-crowded stretch of sand. To the north, Arashi Beach and Malmok Beach are popular spots to kick off boat rides to renowned dive sites such as the wreck of the MS Antilla, a 1939 German freighter now 60 feet underwater and covered with brain coral, anemones, and gorgonian fans.

Although the beaches are beautiful, there's another side to the island: the Arikok National Park, which harbors candelabra cacti and thorny bushes. Thanks to its arid climate and limestone formations, Aruba is home to several animals found nowhere else, including the Aruban rattlesnake and the Aruban burrowing owl.

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