Aruba is a wonky parallelogram measuring 20 miles (32km) long and 6 miles (10km) across with about the same area as Washington, DC. Aruba's location, 19 miles (30km) north of Venezuela and 990 miles (1590km) south of Miami in the balmy Caribbean Sea, is where the DC analogies come tumbling down. The island is scrubby and pretty flat, reaching somewhat pathetically for the sky from 620ft (188m) Mount Jamanota.

Tortured divi-divi trees, always stretching to the west, and cacti, from thumbnail to telephone-pole size, are Aruba's prominent vegetation. Hardy salt-tolerant wildflowers brighten up the arid and stony hills. Introduced flowering plants such as bougainvillea, hibiscus, oleander, frangipani and poinsettia eke out an existence where freshwater is available. Wildlife is restricted to lizards, goats, donkeys and nocturnal casino-crawlers. Birdlife includes the cheeky bananaquit, which will sneak the sugar from your poolside table, the irrepressible chuchubi (a type of mockingbird) and the shy but super-bright troupial, plus seabirds and migratory visitors.

Aruba is warm, dry and soothed by trade winds year round, with daily highs generally between 80-90°F (27-33°C). The hottest months are August and September, the coolest January and February. Rainfall is scant, which accounts for the island's arid landscape. The precious few clouds that pass this way drop their meager load between October and January. Aruba is outside the hurricane belt, so there's no need to worry about a big blow during the June-to-November Caribbean hurricane season.

No one comes to Aruba looking for a cheap holiday. Most visitors come to the island on package tours to luxury resorts. At these establishments pre-booked package deals are considerably cheaper than the quoted rates, which for accommodations alone can easily top US$250 a day. If you plan to stay in this kind of comfort and indulge in gambling, shopping and watersports - the three most popular tourist activities - you'd better have a platinum credit card in your wallet. Staying in a moderate hotel and eating in modest restaurants will cost around US$175 per day. Independent budget travelers can squeeze by on around US$100 a day by tracking down inexpensive B&B accommodations and concentrating on the free pleasures offered by the beach.

Aruba has its own currency but the US dollar is widely used. They'll take your greenbacks in even the tiniest local bar, though your change is likely to be in florins. Major credit cards and travelers' checks are accepted at all businesses catering to tourists. Many ATMs accept international debit cards, but not all - some of the most prominent likely-looking autotellers are for locals only. Look out for ABN-AMRO bank ATMs, which will dispense cash in local currency or US dollars.

There's a 7% government tax on hotel rooms. Hotels add a 10-15% service charge, plus other energy surcharges. Restaurant service charges are also in the 10-15% range; there's no need to tip on top of this.

The peak tourist season is between mid-December and mid-April, but this has more to do with the weather in North America and Europe than it does with the weather on Aruba. It's therefore best to visit outside this period, when you can expect room rates to be almost halved.