You’ve probably seen the photos of flamingos wandering around turquoise water or those bright, candy-colored Dutch houses lined up against a Caribbean pier. Most people just call them the ABC Islands. Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao. They sit tucked away in the far south of the Caribbean, just off the coast of Venezuela, safely outside the hurricane belt. That last bit is why everyone flocks there in September when the rest of the islands are boarding up windows.
But here is the thing.
They aren't the same. Not even close. If you book a trip to Bonaire expecting the nightlife of Aruba, you’re gonna be bored out of your mind by 9:00 PM. If you go to Aruba looking for world-class shore diving, you'll be disappointed.
Aruba: The Popular Kid for a Reason
Aruba is the heavy hitter. It's the one with the direct flights from basically everywhere and the high-rise hotels that make you feel like you’re in Miami with better sand. Aruba is built for comfort. You’ve got Eagle Beach, which consistently ranks as one of the best beaches on the planet. The sand is like flour. It doesn't get hot, which is weird but true because it’s crushed coral and shell.
Most people stay in Palm Beach. It’s crowded. There, I said it. You’ll be fighting for a palapa (those little straw umbrellas) unless you wake up at 6:00 AM or pay a "beach attendant" twenty bucks. But the trade-off is that you can walk out of your hotel and have thirty restaurants within a five-minute stroll.
The wind is the real hero here. It blows constantly. The "Divi-Divi" trees all point southwest because the trade winds are so relentless. Without that breeze, you’d melt. It’s a desert. Think cacti, aloe plants, and dusty trails. If you rent a 4x4 and head to Arikok National Park, it feels more like Arizona than the Bahamas. You’ll find the Natural Pool (Conchi), which is a jagged rock basin where the Atlantic crashes in. It's beautiful, but honestly, it’s a bumpy, bone-rattling ride to get there.
The Logistics of One Happy Island
Aruba is expensive. Don't let the "One Happy Island" slogan fool your wallet. A cocktail at a nice place in Oranjestad will run you $15 to $18. That said, the infrastructure is incredible. You can drink the tap water. It’s desalinated seawater and tastes better than bottled stuff.
- Best for: Families, honeymooners who want luxury, and people who hate rain.
- The Vibe: High-energy, polished, very Americanized.
- Must do: Eat at a "kunuku" (countryside) house for actual Aruban food like keshi yena—it’s basically a giant ball of melted cheese stuffed with spiced meat.
Bonaire: No Glitz, Just Ocean
Then there is Bonaire. If Aruba is the prom queen, Bonaire is the kid who spent high school in the biology lab. It is the shore diving capital of the world. Period.
You won't find many sandy beaches here. The "beaches" are mostly crushed coral. You need thick-soled booties just to get into the water. But once you’re in? It’s a different world. The entire coastline is a protected marine park. You can drive a pickup truck down the road, see a yellow stone on the side of the path, park, and jump in. That yellow stone is the dive site marker.
It’s quiet. So quiet. There are no traffic lights on the island. Seriously. Not one.
Bonaire has a weird history with salt. You’ll see these massive white pyramids on the south end of the island. That’s salt being harvested by Cargill. Next to them are the slave huts—tiny, cramped stone structures that serve as a grim reminder of the island’s colonial past under the Dutch West India Company. It’s a heavy contrast to the bright pink flamingos nearby in the Pekelmeer Sanctuary.
Why People Get Bonaire Wrong
People think it’s just for divers. It’s not. The windsurfing at Lac Bay is world-class because the water is waist-deep for a mile and the wind is consistent. You can watch pros like Taty Frans training there. But if you want a resort with a massive pool and a DJ? Don't go to Bonaire. You’ll be miserable.
The food scene in Kralendijk is surprisingly sophisticated, though. Because of the Dutch influence, you get incredible Indonesian fusion and high-end European techniques. Try the goat stew (kabritu stoba). It sounds "adventurous," but it’s basically just tender pot roast with a Caribbean kick.
Curaçao: The Cultural Middle Ground
Curaçao is the biggest of the three and, in my opinion, the most interesting. It’s got the colorful capital of Willemstad. The Handelskade—that row of multicolored buildings—is a UNESCO World Heritage site for a reason. It looks like Amsterdam got drunk and moved to the tropics.
The Queen Emma Bridge is a "swinging old lady." It’s a pontoon bridge that literally swings open to let ships into the harbor. If you’re standing on it when the horn blows, stay on. It’s a fun ride, though it might make you a little dizzy if you’ve had too much Blue Curaçao liqueur.
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Speaking of the liqueur, go to the Senior & Co. distillery at Landhuis Chobolobo. The "Blue" stuff is actually clear; they just add food coloring. It’s made from the peels of the Laraha orange, a fruit so bitter that even goats won't eat it. But the peels? They smell like heaven.
The Beaches You Actually Want
While Aruba has long stretches of sand, Curaçao has "pockets." You have to drive out to Westpunt (the west end) to find the good stuff. Grote Knip is the famous one. It’s a cove with water so blue it looks fake.
But here is the catch: Curaçao is a real working island. It has an oil refinery. It has a massive dry dock. Sometimes you’ll be driving and see industrial smoke stacks, then five minutes later you’re at a pristine beach. It’s gritty and real. It’s not a manicured theme park.
- Language: Everyone speaks Papiamento. It’s a beautiful, melodic mix of Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, English, and African dialects. "Bon Bini" means welcome. Learn it. Use it.
- The Food: Visit Marshe Bieu (the Old Market) in Willemstad. Sit at a picnic table and eat red snapper with funchi (cornmeal paste). It’s hot, loud, and the best meal you’ll have.
The Big Differences (The Stuff Nobody Tells You)
If you're trying to choose between the ABC Islands, you have to look at the geography.
- Accessibility: Aruba is the easiest to get to. Bonaire often requires a prop plane flight from Curacao or a long haul from a few specific US hubs like Atlanta or Houston.
- Transportation: You need a car on all of them. Don't rely on buses unless you have infinite patience. In Bonaire, everyone rents a "dive truck" (a Hilux or similar pickup). In Curacao, you need something with a bit of clearance for the back roads.
- The Water: Aruba’s water is sandy and turquoise. Bonaire’s water is crystal clear and deep blue. Curaçao is somewhere in between.
A Note on the "ABC" Order
It’s a bit of a misnomer to think of them as a package deal. While they are close, inter-island travel isn't as easy as you’d think. There is no ferry between Aruba and the others. None. You have to fly. Divi Divi Air or EZAir are the local lifelines. The flights are 20 minutes long and you fly low enough to see the reefs. It’s awesome, but it adds $150 to $200 to your trip per person.
What Most Travelers Get Wrong About the ABCs
The biggest mistake? Thinking they are "tropical."
They are desert islands. If you go expecting lush rainforests and monkeys, you’re in the wrong part of the Caribbean. You’re going to see goats. Thousands of goats. You’ll see iguanas that look like miniature dinosaurs. You’ll see scrub brush.
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Also, the sun is brutal. You are only 12 degrees north of the equator. You will burn in 15 minutes without reef-safe sunscreen. Please, for the love of the coral, make sure it’s reef-safe. Bonaire has some of the healthiest reefs in the Atlantic because they’ve been strict about this for decades. Don't be the person who ruins it with oxybenzone.
Actionable Steps for Your Trip
If you’re actually planning to head to the ABC Islands, don't just wing it.
Book your car rental months in advance. In a post-2020 world, the car fleets on these islands haven't fully recovered. In Bonaire specifically, if you don't have a truck, you can't dive the best spots. In Aruba, the cheap cars go first, leaving you with $100-a-day Jeeps.
Download offline maps. Data can be spotty once you get away from the main towns, especially on the north shores of Aruba or the west end of Curaçao. Google Maps works great offline; just download the whole island.
Get a "Museum Kaart" or similar. In Curaçao, the Kura Hulanda Museum is essential. It’s located on the site of a former slave yard and it is one of the most comprehensive museums about the Transatlantic slave trade in the world. It’s heavy, but you shouldn't visit these islands without understanding the history that built them.
Check the cruise ship schedule. This is the "pro" tip. Google "Willemstad cruise port schedule" or "Oranjestad cruise schedule." On days when three massive ships are in port, stay away from the city centers. Go to the national parks or the remote beaches. When 10,000 people descend on a small town, the "island vibe" vanishes instantly.
Eat the local snacks. Look for "Snacks"—literally, that’s what the roadside bars are called. Get a pastechi. It’s a fried pastry filled with cheese, meat, or fish. They cost about two dollars and are the fuel of the islands.
The ABC Islands offer a safety and consistency you don't always find elsewhere. The weather is almost a guaranteed 82 degrees and sunny. Just pick the one that fits your pace. Aruba for the party, Bonaire for the peace, and Curaçao for the culture. Or, if you have two weeks, do what I did: fly between all three and see the contrast for yourself. You'll realize pretty quickly why people keep coming back to this dry, windy, beautiful corner of the world.