• The emerging scene on Aruba has much to offer the gay traveler.Waving in the caribbean wind image by Gientje from Fotolia.com
  
  Aruba is the "A" in the Dutch ABC Islands just off the Venezuelan coast in the Caribbean Sea. (The others are Bonaire and Curacao.) Aruba is gay-friendly on the whole, although the gay-lesbian-bisexual-transgender infrastructure is nascent. The Alternative Lifestyle Federation Aruba, formed in 2009, is working to foster more gay entertainment and cultural opportunities, as well as community identity, on the island. Meanwhile, plenty of opportunities exist to comfortably enjoy what Aruba has to offer.
  
  

Atlantis Cruises

• Atlantis Events, a coordinator of gay vacation packages, offers a number of Caribbean cruises. Its Southern Caribbean cruise includes Aruba as a destination, as well as Curacao, St. Lucia and St. Martin/St. Maarten. The cruise leaves from San Juan, Puerto Rico, a city with an active gay culture. Atlantis charters ships from major cruise lines, such as Royal Caribbean, and tailors the shipboard experience to the gay lifestyle.
  
  Atlantis Events
  
  9200 Sunset Blvd., Suite 500
  
  West Hollywood, CA 90069
  
  800-628-5268
  
  atlantisevents.com
  
  

Little David Guesthouse

• The Little David Guesthouse, in Oranjestad, Aruba's capital, is a gay-owned, men-only hotel. All rooms include cable television, air conditioning, refrigerators and safes. The hotel offers a clothing-optional swimming pool. Wireless Internet access is also available. The guesthouse is small, with four standard rooms and a larger suite, so reservations are highly recommended.
  
  Little David Guesthouse
  
  Seroe Blanco 56L
  
  Regentspark
  
  Oranjestad, Aruba
  
  011-297-583-8288
  
  littledavidaruba.com
  
  

Aruba Tropic Apartments

• Aruba Tropic Apartments is a gay-owned property with a predominantly GLBT clientele. Located in Oranjestad, the hotel is walking distance from restaurants, shopping and a supermarket. Guests can cool off in the hotel's free-form outdoor pool. The air-conditioned rooms may be rented on a nightly or weekly basis and include refrigerators, coffeemakers, safes and free wireless Internet access. Stays for more than one month can be arranged at a discounted rate.
  
  Aruba Tropic Apartments
  
  Tanki Leendert 251-E
  
  P.O. Box 5244
  
  Oranjestad, Aruba
  
  011-297-593-3356
  
  arubatropic.com
  
  

Nightlife

• Jimmy's Place, just off Main Street, is the first Aruba gay/lesbian bar to advertise itself as such. Its small size combines with the tightly knit Aruba's GLBT scene to give Jimmy's a cozy, congenial and crowded atmosphere. Karma Lounge is a second-story, lesbian-owned nightclub that offers dancing after midnight to a cosmopolitan crowd. Choose-a-Name is another bar in Oranjested that hosts gay parties every month.
  
  Jimmy's Place
  
  Windstraat 32
  
  Oranjestad, Aruba
  
  011-297-582-2550
  
  jimmysaruba.com
  
  Karma Lounge
  
  Aventura Mall
  
  Oranjestad, Aruba
  
  011-297-588-7928
  
  Choose-a-Name
  
  Havenstraat 36
  
  Oranjestad, Aruba
  
  011-297-588-6200