Eagle Beach Live Cam

US & Canadian citizens may submit a valid passport, a birth certificate or affidavit of birth; a certificate of naturalization for citizens born outside the U.S.A. & Canada; a re-entry permit, a valid non quota immigration visa or a green card for non US or Canadian citizens residing in the US or Canada.

ABN. Aruba Bank. Banco di Caribe. Caribbean Mercantile Bank & Trust. First National Bank. Inter Bank. ATM machines are now available in Aruba at three convenient locations. Travelers in Aruba who carry ATM cards bearing the CIRRUS or MasterCard network logos can withdraw cash in Aruban Florins. Home bank accounts will be debited in dollars at a favorable exchange rate. ATM machines may be found in the following locations Dr. Horacio Oduber Hospital; the main office of the ABN-AMRO Bank at Caya F. Betico Croes 89; and Port of Call Mall at L.G. Smith Boulevard 17 near the harbor. *American dollars are widely accepted.

The Aruban Florin (also referred to as a guilder) fluctuates on the world market. The current exchange rate is US$1.00 Aruban Florin 1.78. The US dollar is widely accepted. All major credit cards & travelers checks are generally accepted.

Situated in the southern Caribbean, 1230 north of the equator & 70 west longitude, Aruba is only 15 miles off the coast of Venezuela. 19.6 miles long & six miles wide & encompassing 70 square miles. On the southwest coast there are seven miles of palm fringed white beaches. The Caribbeans highest natural bridge was carved by the pounding sea out of coral cliffs into a high arch.

Average annual temperature is 82. The median temperature from day to night & the difference between winter & summer temperatures is only 3.6 degrees. The average annual rainfall is less than 24 inches inches per year & occurs in showers of short duration during the months of October, November & December. Approximate sunrise is 0600. Approximate sunset is 1830.

Arubans are descendants of the peace-loving Arawak Indians, Dutch, Spanish & a blend of people from all corners of the world who came to the island in the twentieth century. Today there are over 80 nationalities living on the island. Dutch is the official language. English & Spanish are also spoken. Papiamento is the local language.

Restaurants available - Local. Fast Food. International. French. Italian. Spanish. Indonesian. Chinese. Japanese. 10-15% service charge is usually included on your bill. Otherwise at your own discretion. Dress code is jackets sometimes for men & the equivalent for ladies.

Entertainment available includes - Discos. Night clubs. Casinos. Cabarets. Dinner/dances. Live music. Local & international shows. Theaters. Cinemas.

Aruba offers luxury goods such as high quality leather goods, jewelry, designer clothing at 20-30% of prices in the US. Locally produced items - Woodcrafts and Aloe products.

Natural rock formations. Caves with ancient Arawak Indian drawings. The gold mining ruins in the ghost town of Balashi. Cunucu Safari. Glass bottom boat & other boat cruises. Birdwatching. Shipwrecks.

Activities - Scuba Diving. Snorkeling. Windsurfing. Waterskiing. Parasailing. Catamaran cruises. Deep sea fishing. Tennis. Horseriding. Spectator sports - Baseball. Intl Drag Races. Intl Marathon. Horsetrack. Hi Winds Pro-am Windsurfing Competition.

Rentals available include - Limousines. Cars. Buses. Jeeps. Temporary license/permit requirements - a valid foreign or international drivers license is sufficient to rent & drive a car on the island. Local services - Taxis. Public transportation.

Protestant church requires civil marriage certificate or other official document proving that couple is legally married. Anglican. Bahai Faith. Baptist. Church of Christ. Dutch Reformed. Evangelical. Jewish. Methodist. Protestant. Roman Catholic. Seventh Day Adventist.

No matter what your preference in warm weather sports, there's no more pleasing playground than the Caribbean. Snorkelers and scuba divers come to experience the colorful panorama beneath the crystal clear waters. Reef formation and sea life change dramatically from destination to destination, making underwater exploration every bit as exciting as sightseeing on land (some say even more so). Virtually every watersport is offered somewhere.

So, if you're inclined toward swimming, diving, watersking, windsurfing, board or body surfing, sailing, power boating, banana boating, tubing or another amphibious amusement, you'll find it in the islands. Instruction with a laid-back Caribbean attitude makes learning easy. Lessons are generally offered at or near your hotel. Horseback riding on inland nature trails and along spectacular, flat stretches of beach is fun. Horses and guides can be arranged through local stables in many destinations.

Joggers, runners and walkers will enjoy the region's many excellent mapped trails. Ask your hotel concierge for interesting routes nearby. The Caribbean is especially spectacular in the early morning light. Golf takes top honors for land sports. Complexes planned by internationally-known course architects attract an enthusiastic audience. Several islands offer many choice locations where players can enjoy the balmy weather and the velvet green fairways. Pro shops will arrange games and instruction. Tennis is excellent, too. Well-maintained courts, resort and public, are never far away. Volleyball, on the beach and in swimming pools, is a popular impromptu amusement -- and a great way to make new friends.

Love life at sea? See for yourself on a Caribbean yacht charter, offering in-depth island exploration at a leisurely pace. The United States Virgin Islands, the largest charter fleet base, offers hundreds of crewed or "bare" sailboats. Power boats (crewed, some equipped for deep sea fishing) are also available. Brokers (representing boat owners) match customers and craft without missing a beat. Their service (for which the boat owner pays) is invaluable.

Charter operators are everywhere in the region, but the British Virgin Islands, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Antigua have especially active charter communities. Accredited sailors (requirements vary) take a quick equipment and safety check before setting sail. That's "bareboat," when you do it yourself. (Though agents will arrange specified food and beverage provisioning to specifications on request). On crewed charters, staff varies with the vessel's size, but a captain and cook (or more) are provided. You can take the helm (supervised) when the mood strikes you but the crew caters to your every whim, leaving you to loll on deck, dozing, planning stops, sipping rum punch and anticipating the next gourmet meal.

Some marinas operate sailing schools with tie-in trips to practice your skills with an instructor/captain's supervision. Several marina/resort complexes offer "Sail and Stay" packages combining a resort stay with a few days aboard a private or semi-private fully crewed charter -- a terrific alternative for those torn between the pleasures of life on land and at sea.

No matter how spectacular the land, to scuba divers, the world of reefs, wrecks and rock formations hidden beneath the transparent Caribbean waters far surpasses the natural beauty ashore. Lured by the changing scenery undersea, divers at all skill levels tour the region in search of new experiences. Caribbean dive sites are so dazzling and diverse that many enthusiasts become scuba tourists who "collect" destinations and dives.

Much to the divers' delight, environmental awareness has sparked concern for the preservation of sea life in over-dived areas-- and fostered the development of marine parks and a host of new dive sites. Campaigns to prevent reef damage and save endangered species discourage or prohibit collecting specimens, but the thrill of underwater exploration is nonetheless present -- and discovering buried "treasure" is always a possibility.

Dive vacation values can be found at some all-inclusive resorts and in standard hotel packages priced to include dives and equipment. Resorts large and small provide (or will arrange) beginning scuba instruction -- a basic "resort course" -- and, following it, an intensified "Y" course, combining swimming pool and open water instruction, for PADI (Professional Association of Dive Instructors) certification. Resorts and dive shops offer a menu of regularly scheduled day and night dive excursions with escort/instructors who know the local waters and are thoroughly schooled in emergency procedures. As a safety precaution, certified divers are required to present credentials to dive operators for equipment rental and tank refills.

British-influenced islands share a fondness for cricket. Tourists may find the intricate rules perplexing, but matches are nonetheless fascinating. The enthusiasm is contagious -- and the weather's always fine. Scheduled horse races on the flats with pari-mutuel betting take place in the Dominican Republic (Hipodromo Perla Antillana), Puerto Rico (El Comandante) and Jamaica (Caymanas). Barbados, the British Virgin Islands, St. Thomas and St. Croix (U.S. Virgin Islands) include racing and betting (in some cases) in festivals with steel band and reggae music, food and drink -- fun for all! In Puerto Rico, dignified "paso finos," bred and trained to march in a complicated one-of-a-kind cadence, can be seen in horsemanship demonstrations.

Baseball is second nature to Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic where sand lots and stadiums are everywhere. Chances are you'll see someone on his way to the major leagues. Both destinations are breeding grounds for many of the sport's best-known figures. Professional, pro-am and celebrity golf and tennis tournaments are held year 'round throughout the region. While not spectator sports, other events include concerts and cultural performances held in indoor and outdoor theaters and jazz festivals, fast growing in popularity. Several islands feature annual week-long events with entertainers of international caliber.

At the heart of the culture, carnival celebrations are probably the most exciting spectacles in the Caribbean. Scheduled events lasting a week or more include beauty pageants, sports and costume competitions, food, music, art and cultural performances of all kinds.

The Caribbean is perfection for watersports enthusiasts. The glassy-calm provides the ideal surface for swimming, sailing, wind, board and body surfing, tubing, jet skiing, snorkeling, pedal and banana boating -- and more. Every imaginable watersport can be enjoyed somewhere in the Caribbean -- and conditions are absolutely optimum. Fishermen find the waters challenging -- and rewarding. Scuba divers watch the vast and ever-changing underwater world. The Caribbean is perfection for watersports enthusiasts. The glassy-calm provides the ideal surface for swimming, sailing, wind, board and body surfing, tubing, jet skiing, snorkeling, pedal and banana boating -- and more.

Every imaginable watersport can be enjoyed somewhere in the Caribbean -- and conditions are absolutely optimum. Fishermen find the waters challenging -- and rewarding. Scuba divers watch the vast and ever-changing underwater world. On many islands, the windward (Atlantic) side is characterized by a spirited surf. Here, surfers wait, boards poised, for the waves of their dreams. And they are rarely disappointed. These craggy spots are popular with windsurfers as well. Ever-present tradewinds ensure good windsurfing year 'round. And the emergence of world-class qualifying tournaments attest to the excellent conditions.

Sizeable sailing regattas on local and international scales are held throughout the region. Some are opebe educational. Underwater trails exist to guide and delight snorkelers. And, if you're playful, you can swim with dolphins, frolic with giant sea rays or ride giant sea turtles. The Caribbean has it all!