Aruba, part of the Dutch Antilles is the most concentrated area of multiculturalism in the world. Papiamento, spoken throughout the Netherlands Antilles, is testament to this fact - the language is derived from every culture that has impacted on the region, including traces of Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, French and local Indian languages. The Islands are diverse, playing host to ruggedly steep Saba, Saint Maarten with its large resorts and casinos and the delightfully slow pace of Saint Eustatius.

Best time to visit

All year round.

Essential experiences

Hiking to the top of Mount Scenery on Saba; diving in Bonaire with hawksbill turtles, peacock flounders, stingrays and seahorses; exploring the strange volcanic Hooiberg ('haystack') on Aruba; kicking back in Saint Eustatius, a tranquil little Dutch outpost where islanders strike up conversations and stray chickens and goats mosey in the streets; cycling around Simpson Bay Lagoon on Saint Maarten; wandering around Willemstad on Curacao.

In a few words, Aruba is

Palm-fringed white-sand beaches, tourism, diving and Dutch colonialism.

Did you know?

Only about 20% of all residents were born on Saint Maarten and that the town of Willemstad on Curacao is one of a select number of urban areas on UNESCO's World Heritage List.