Panoff Publications....

ALL WET IN THE ABCs:

WATERSPORTS ON ARUBA, BONAIRE, & CURACAO

After years of roaming the Caribbean by ship, I’ve found that getting wet on Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao is as easy as your ABCs. Situated just off the coast of Venezuela and right in the middle of the crystal-clear waters of the Caribbean, the ABCs offer a wide range of water-oriented activities. Whether you just want to sit on a beach and enjoy an occasional dip or you’d rather go deep into some of the world’s best scuba diving, Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao all welcome water lovers like me.

ARUBA

Aruba is a natural when it comes to outdoors fun in the sun (and water). With incredible marine life for scuba diving and trade winds for windsurfing, Aruba's diversity provides a perfect combination for old salts.

Aruba has some of the best beaches in the Caribbean. Depending on your sun and sand desires, there's a beach in Aruba that will meet them. All of the beaches are public, making Aruba a beach-lovers paradise.

The best and most popular beaches are situated along the western and southern shores of Aruba. The area is known as the Turquoise Coast for good reason, as the color of the sea is definitely the best of blues.

Palm Beach is one of the most famous beaches in the Caribbean. Though it is packed with busy resorts (they picked the best beach), it is still great for sunning, strolls in the sand, and cooling swims in clear waters.

Closer to Oranjestad, the capital city, Eagle Beach is another popular choice. It's generally less-crowded than Palm Beach and ideal for a quick dip.

Other possibilities on this side of the island include Manchebo Beach and Druif Bay Beach. They're generally ideal for quiet sunning and swimming. These are also great spots for snorkeling

Finally, serious deserted beach addicts may want to head for the rough north shore. Here, you'll find rough surf (not for swimming) and deserted coves and beaches. It's best to ask locals for directions, hire a driver, or go on an organized north shore tour.

Constant breezes make Aruba one of the best windsurfing sites in the world. Some of the more popular windsurfing areas lie along Arashi, Hadikurari, and Palm Beach. In June, the Hi-Winds Amateur World Challenge, the Windsurfing Festival, and the O'Neill/Philips PWA Grand Prix all draw professionals, amateurs, and spectators. Rentals, lessons, and many windsurfing packages are available on the island. It’s an ideal place for windsurfing wonders or those who’d like to try it for the first time.

When I was last on the island, I wandered onto the beach in front of the Aruba Marriott Resort, where the famed Vela Windsurf Center is located. Here, visitors have the opportunity to work with one of the top windsurfing gurus in the Caribbean. He goes by “Dasher” and beginners to experts literally dash to Vela for the gospel according to Dasher.

Below the sea, some of the world's most fascinating wrecks lie just off Aruba's shores, offering some of the best wreck diving in the Caribbean. Measuring 400 feet, the Antilla Wreck is one of the largest wrecks for scuba divers in the Caribbean. This German freighter sunk in 1945 and now has lots of lobster and giant tube sponges, making it a particularly popular night dive. The Pedernales Wreck combines large pieces of boat wreckage spread out between coral formations, including wash basins and pipe line systems from an oil tanker torpedoed by a German submarine during World War II. Many other wrecks and reefs make Aruba one of the new hotspots with scuba divers and snorkelers.

Of course, for those who want to stay dry, but still enjoy the water, there are a wide variety of sailing and motor boating possibilities. Charters and rentals are widely available along Aruba’s north shore. Beach-based operators also offer para-sailing, banana boat rides, water skiing, and many other possibilities.

For more information on planning some water-oriented time on Aruba, contact the Aruba Tourism Authority at (800) TO ARUBA or visit the ATA's website at www.aruba.com.

BONAIRE

The automobile license plates on Bonaire read, “A Diver’s Paradise” and I can definitely attest to the accuracy of their slogan. The highly accessible reefs that surround Bonaire have never suffered from exploitation, poaching, or pollution, and the island’s environmentally conscious dive industry will ensure they never do. For first-time snorkelers or veteran divers like me, the island is home to one of the world’s top underwater environments.

Created through volcanic eruptions, the island is an underwater mountain with fringe reefs awaiting right off the beach of every hotel or any part of the island. Along with great beach diving and snorkeling, the average boat trip for additional options is about 15 minutes. Shaped like a boomerang, Bonaire is only 24 miles long and from three to seven miles wide.

Water visibility is typically 100 feet or more and most sites are typically so calm that visitors can enjoy diving and snorkeling anytime. For the experienced diver, I’ve found the night diving is as good as anywhere in the world.

The best reefs are found within the leeward side of the island. Excellent walk-in sites include Thousand Steps and Nukove, while some of my favorite boat dives include Alice in Wonderland, Angel City, Hilma Hooker, and several reefs on the small island of Klein Bonaire just a mile offshore. Snorkeling is also found in front of every hotel, though spots off Washington Slagbaai Park and Klein Bonare are especially colorful.

Other watersports options include windsurfing, fishing, sea kayaking, and beachcombing. My favorite spot for windsurfing is Lac Bay, where constant 15-25 knots-per-hour winds blow across crystal-clear waist-deep water. Ernst van Vliet’s Windsurfing Bonaire operation features rentals and some great instruction for all levels.

The same calm waters and abundant fish that attract divers also attract anglers. The catch in Bonaire varies by season, but chartered fishing boats rarely return empty-handed anytime of year. Bonefishing is also enjoying much interest.

Again, calm waters are an attraction for sea kayakers. I’ve found that Lac Bay, Klein Bonaire, and the island’s mangroves are all great places to explore.

Of course, Bonaire also has some great beaches. My favorite for sunning, swimming, and watching sunsets is Pink Beach. It’s a great way to end a day of watersports on Bonaire.

For more information, call the Bonaire Tourism Corporation at (800) BONAIRE or visit their webiste at www.infobonaire.com.

CURACAO

Long known for its small beaches and hotels, Curacao is up-and-coming when it comes to watersports. Along with varied sandy stretches for beach bums, Curacao’s diving, snorkeliing, and other sea sports make this island ideal for Caribbean escapades.

Curacao’s 38 beaches are quite varied. Curacao offers mostly small, white sand beaches and romantic, secluded coves. Some are surrounded by giant cliffs, while others are enhanced by exotic flora and fauna. But they all share the same clear tantalizing turquoise water.

Westpunt Beach is best known for the huge cliffs which frame it and the divers who entertain beachgoers by jumping from the cliffs to the sea below. Just to the south, Knip Bay Beach is one of the island’s most photographed sites, thanks to its picturesque setting and dazzling water. Other even less-crowded options include: Playa Abao, Daai Booi Bay, Cas Abao, Blauw Bay, and Playa Kaiki.

Of course, beautiful beaches lead to the water. Curacao’s scuba diving and snorkeling is world-class, with more than 65 recognized dive sites ringing the island. There are wall dives, reefs, and several large wrecks to explore. Perhaps the most famous underwater destination is ‘Mushroom Forest,’ a mushroom coral-filled wonderland consistently voted one of the world’s top dive sites. For snorkelers, places like Playa Kaiki offer calm water in a protected cove, with an incredible diversity and density of sea life close to shore.

For those who’d like to enjoy the underwater world without getting wet, the Curacao Seaquarium is a perfect option. Every species of marine life native to Curacao’s waters is displayed here, including 20-foot sharks, turtles as big as manhole covers, moray eels, and much more. There are also programs for scuba divers, as well as glass-bottom boat and semi-submersible submarine rides.

Back on the water, other popular options include deep sea fishing, windsurfing, and a wide variety of boating options. Windsurfers of all levels will especially enjoy Seaquarium Beach and Spaanse Water. Of course, Curacao companies also offer para-sailing, water skiing, and other water-oriented possibilities. Whether you want to enjoy the water up close or simply sail on top of it, Curacao definitely beckons the wet set.

For more information about the underwater world of Curacao, call the Curacao Tourist Board at (800) 3CURACAO or visit their website at www.curacao-tourism.com.

SIDEBAR POSSIBILITY

ARUBA'S CHARLIE'S BAR & RESTAURANT

Restaurants come and go in the Caribbean, but Charlie's may always be on Aruba. Charlie's Bar & Restaurant is a mecca for locals and tourists and has been since it was founded in 1941 by Charlie and Marie Brouns. It's been an Aruba landmark for more than a half-century, making it an ideal place to go after a day of watersports fun.

Charlie and Marie, natives of the Netherlands, came to Aruba in the late-1930s because World War II had made the city of San Nicolas a boomtown. Seaman, harbor workers, contractors, and laborers at the large oil refinery needed a place to eat and drink and Charlie's on Mainstreet became their hangout.

As Aruba's business with oil and tourists grew, so did Charlie's. Charlie was decorated by the Queen of Holland with the order of Oranje Nassau in 1977. He also retired that year and, sadly, passed away in 1987. However, Charlie Jr. now runs this legendary establishment just like his father.

Today, Charlie's is a hangout for artists, painters, writers, musicians, and other locals, as well as smart tourists who make the trip to the pretty port town of San Nicolas. The place is packed with a wide variety of memorabilia that has to be seen to be believed. Grab a cool drink and take a tour of this atmospheric landmark. Then sit down for some good local creole cooking, including their specialties, shrimp and squid.

If you're in Aruba, you can't miss Charlie's! No reservations are needed, but you may want to call ahead to make sure they're open for lunch or dinner.