How far south is far enough?  Well Aruba might be the answer to that question.  The island of Aruba is located off the coast of Venezuela, and has abundant sunshine and is blessed with some of the best beaches in the world.

Tourism is the big business here and it's served in a flavorsome double scoop of beach beaus and sun bunnies from North America and Holland, and Latin coastal coasters, nearly all of them on circuit-breaker trips to pep up winter suntans, prop at the poolside bar and try their luck at the casinos.  By land or sea, Aruba is a destination that one needs to visit if coming to the Caribbean.

Although large-scale tourism dominates the island, there are still undeveloped areas on the exposed northern coast, and much of the interior is inhabited by nothing more substantial than goats and contorted divi-divi trees.

In this region, the triple whammy of a dry climate, salt-loaded seaspray and relentless trade winds has created a wonderfully surreal landscape with more than a passing resemblance to the images Pathfinder sent back to Earth from Mars.

Aruba has the best beaches in the Dutch Caribbean and arguably some of the finest in the region, especially if you don't mind lounging in the shadow of large hotels. The island's most popular beaches are along the developed stretch of the reef-protected leeward coast, northeast of Oranjestad. They include the resort areas of Druif Beach, Palm Beach and Eagle Beach.

Less crowded beaches include Arasji Beach, on the island's northwestern tip; the cove at Baby Beach, at the island's southeastern extremity; and undeveloped Boca Grandi, one of the few places to swim on the exposed northern coast.

Aruba has fantastic windsurfing, thanks to consistently strong trade winds. The favored spot for experienced surfers is Fisherman's Hut, just north of Palm Beach. Malmok, just a little further north, is a good place to find your windsurfing wings while Boca Grandi and Bachelor's Beach in the southeast are popular with those wanting a little more elbow room. There's plenty of windsurfing gear for hire. Good swimmers can try boogie-boarding at Andicuri on the central northern coast.

There's diving and snorkeling on the reef that runs along Aruba's leeward coast. Visibility can often reach 100ft and there's plenty of marine life, but the diving is not as spectacular as that available off neighboring Bonaire and Curaçao.

The WWII-era wrecks of a scuttled German freighter and a tanker, both off the coast of Malmok, are favored dive spots. Snorkeling spots include Boca Grandi, which has good elkhorn coral, Palm Beach and Baby Beach.

Yachts offer coastal cruises with snorkeling and swimming stops and are also available for private charter. If you're interested in deep-sea fishing, you can catch bonito, kingfish and marlin. Naturalist-led hiking tours can be arranged through the Aruba Tourism Authority, and there are horses for rent at Daimari in the island's north.

For those looking for fun in the sun with a multitude of activities for both day and night, come to Aruba and let the fun begin.