Aruba Family Vacations Include Water Sports and Extra Beach Time. It’s always summer in Aruba. The perfect balance of sea breezes, sunshine, beautiful beaches and a family-friendly sea make Aruba ideal for families who love and easy paced beach vacation.

 
Here's the scoop. For a relatively small island it offers families plenty to do. The Old Dutch capital city of Oranjestad with its tall multicolored houses makes a great vacation base from there all things are possible. From windsurfing, snorkeling, and sailing to SCUBA, tubing, and Sea Treks it is easy to fill vacation days with fun on or in the water. 

Enjoy sunshine and beach time. On the southeastern end of the island in the Seroe Colorado area is Baby Beach, a carefree picture perfect spot offering calm shallow water making it the ideal spot for families with tiny tykes. For snorkelers there is easy access from the beach to gorgeous coral reefs. The massive sand dunes were meant for sliding. Several other beach spots may be discovered not far from the Baby. When on vacation in Aruba, leave no beach undiscovered.  

SCUBA with kids. On Aruba it is easy to SCUBA with kids.  For certified divers the choices are many and if you are a beginner it is just as easy. Many of the dive companies offer a resort course which includes instructional time covering the basics, pool time practice and a dive with a dive master. The resort certification entitles the bearer to dive for one year where ever the program certification is recognized. If you are staying in the Palm Beach area, Red Sail offers these courses at the Hyatt and Marriott. Unique Water Sports which is located on the beach in front of the Radisson has a rich menu of choices including a Discover Scuba Diving/Refresher Course. Details at Aruba Water Sports)

Escape to a tiny island. De Palm Island about seven minutes by ferry from the mainland is snorkel heaven. It is a postcard-perfect island with clean beaches framed by crystal clear waters, massive coral formations, and plenty of marine life to be discovered. Just take your towels, sunscreen, swimwear and camera and enjoy an island adventure.  Bonus Points: The Blue Parrotfish Water Park on the island is a state-of-the-art water park featuring slides and more than 70 fun-filled water attractions. (De Palm Tours (297) 582-4400 or www.depalm.com) 

SNUBA anyone? For families not yet ready to SCUBA dive together this is a thrilling option. SNUBA combines snorkel and scuba and quite simply it is a way to breathe underwater yet be tethered to a shared air supply. Aruba’s water is warm and clear and the marine environment awesome no matter what your age is. SNUBA enables parents or grandparents to create an exotic adventure without stress. It is an excellent way to share the discovery of a school of blue tang, exotic angelfish or to watch a curious clown fish with kids. 

Walk on the bottom of the sea. For a truly unique experience take a Sea Trek with your child. On De Palm Island visitors eight or older wearing customized sea-friendly helmets are invited to meander along a 375-foot walkway located 20 feet below the surface. Along the way it is possible to feed colorful schools of fish and observe them as they swim about a sunken Cessna 414 airplane. Bonus Points: For the ultimate Facebook post, pose while sitting at the underwater Sea Trek Café. (www.depalmtours.com)

Ride with the wind. Almost constant 15-knot trade winds, along with the variety of flat-water locations and challenging wave conditions, have made Aruba one of the most popular spots on earth for windsurfers and kite surfers. For families with teens this is the place to take lessons and practice skills. You will find the gentler winds, calm waters, rental equipment and instructors along the island's southern shore. 

Location on the planet. Aruba is located just 12 degrees north of the equator, and only 20 miles off the northern coast of South America.

Make it happen. View more vacation ideas at www.arubatourism.com