Nightlife

Another "busy" day on the beach, another great day of shopping, diving, and exploring. So, what's next? On an island with so many elegant, romantic, sumptuous, and exotic dining options it's worth noting that dinner should never be rushed and is often an event in and of itself. If your reservations are for 7pm, you are likely to be wrapping up by around 9:30 or 10pm, after which you may be ready to hit the sack. On the other hand, if after a good meal and a couple of drinks, you're ready for some gambling, dancing, or a little carousing, you've definitely come to the right island.

Aruba's casinos are a surefire after-dinner diversion, attracting both serious players and dabblers who've saved a few dollars for the slot machines. Even if risk makes you nervous, the sensory overload is an irresistible spectacle -- bells ringing, lights flashing, people groaning and screaming. Better yet, watching's free.

Striving to keep you and your wallet in the neighborhood, several hotels have theaters with Las Vegas-style shows, most of them spectacles with beautiful dancers in outrageous outfits. Unfortunately, while the singing is good, the choreography and talent can be eclipsed by the dizzying number of costumes, feathers, and sequins. Still, if an over-the-top, 1950s-esque show is your thing, book the hottest tickets in advance -- especially during the high season, or book a dinner-and-show special. Ask your hotel's concierge or activities desk for help.

Luckily, the bar and club scene is surprisingly robust. You can start early with a beachside-bar happy hour, move on to dinner and cocktails, and then progress to a little jazz and cigars, or maybe board a booze cruise for some shenanigans at sea. Expect live entertainment or a DJ at most bars. If you're still not sated, head for one of the dance clubs, but don't show up before midnight or 1am -- that's when the party really starts. To find out what's happening, check any of the free local magazines: Aruba Nights, Island Temptations, Aruba Experience, Menu, Aruba Events, Destination Aruba, and Aruba Food & Wine. For daily and weekly entertainment listings, consult the three English-language dailies -- Aruba Today, Aruba Daily, and the News -- and the weekly pamphlet K-Pasa. All of these publications are free and available at hotels and restaurants. Check with your hotel's activities and tour desks, too. The free flyers that you'll find on every public countertop are also a good source of information; many have coupons for discounts or freebies such as free drinks and casino chips.

The dress code in Aruba is clean and casual, but a touch of elegance or trendiness never hurts.

Many hotel bars are cozy and conversation friendly, and most offer live entertainment -- a jazz combo, a piano soloist, maybe a chanteuse. If you want higher decibel and energy levels, the trendiest and busiest bars and clubs are in Oranjestad. The strip along L.G. Smith Boulevard on the harborfront abounds with hot spots, making a bar-crawl as easy as saying "bottoms up." Crowds tend to be mixed: Aruban/tourist, gay/straight, young/young-at-heart. Although most bars open at noon, they generally don't get started until 10 or 11pm and stay open until 2am. Clubs open at 10pm, are empty until midnight or 1am, and peak around 2am.

Entertainment

A couple of Aruba's stages offer live entertainment, with dancers usually shipped in from Cuba. The popularity of these shows has waned, and subsequently the quality has declined in recent years, and there is even rumor that the Crystal Casino may one day close. You don't have to be a resort guest to see shows at the hotels, but you should make a reservation. Seats for the popular spectacles are likely to book up early, especially during the high season.

Oranjestad -- Still the island's biggest stage sensation, Havana Dance! at the Renaissance's Crystal Theatre, L.G. Smith Blvd. 82, Oranjestad (tel. 297/583-6000), is reputedly the Caribbean's largest stage production. This show features youthful performers from Cuba's premier dance studios. Combining Latin rhythm, Las Vegas spectacle, and 1950s nostalgia, the 1-hour-and-20-minute show boasts impressive choreography and riveting vocals. Most of the dancers hail from one of Cuba's elite ballet companies, but their moves are more Bob Fosse than Bolshoi. Showtime is 9pm, Monday through Saturday, and tickets at the 430-seat theater are $49 ($26 for children 11 and under). An even better deal is the dinner and show package: for $89, you get a sit-down dinner at their très chic steakhouse.

High-Rise Area -- The Occidental Grand's Las Palmas Showroom, J.E. Irausquin Blvd. 83, Palm Beach (tel. 297/586-4500), boasts the largest stage in Aruba. The theater's multinational performers present different spectacles each week. The shows include Cir Caribe, Latin Explosion, Broadway, Grease, and Viva Las Vegas. The 45-minute shows start at 9pm and cost $20.

Party & Dinner Cruises

Tattoo Party Cruises (tel. 297/586-2010; www.arubaadventures.com/tattoo) follow the coastline, offering views of the island's lights. The triple-deck boat features a full-service bar (with $1, $2, and $3 drinks) and a dinner buffet (barbecue or Italian). The first deck boasts the island's largest floating dance floor, and a live DJ; the second deck is dedicated to imbibing, and the top deck opens to views of the moon's reflection on the water. You're encouraged to don your bathing suit and swing on a rope or slide down a slide into the Caribbean. The crew puts on a show, and guests are invited to join various contests. The crowd is foolish and young (chronologically or at heart), but no one's under 18. The party takes place Wednesday, which is Ladies' Night, and Friday from 8pm until midnight. The ship boards at 7:15pm from the De Palm Pier on Palm Beach between the Aruba Grand and Radisson. The damage is $49 per person.

Jolly Pirates (tel. 297/586-8107; www.jolly-pirates.com) boards at the Moomba Pier, between the Holiday Inn and Marriott, and offers a very casual evening sea cruise. The buccaneer theme can only mean walking the plank and singing "Yo, ho, ho, and a bottle of rum." The sunset sail features an open bar and rope swing (Mon and Fri 5-7pm; $26 per person).

Party Buses

Kukoo Kunuku (tel. 297/586-2010; www.kukookunuku.com) invites you to party on a colorfully painted school bus. A bar-crawl on wheels, it's like getting drunk with the Partridge family. The coach has no glass in its windows -- the fresh air will do you good -- and every reveler gets maracas. Prepare to sing a solo and do the Macarena. The carousing attracts a mixed crowd with a surprising number of folks over 40; the minimum age is 18. The price of $59 per person includes champagne at sunset, an Aruban dinner under the stars, and the first drink at each of three watering holes. The carousing begins at 5pm and lasts until about 8pm, Monday through Saturday. Pickup and drop-off is at your hotel.

In the same vein but without dinner, the Banana Bus (tel. 297/593-0757; www.bananabusaruba.com) rolls Tuesday through Friday from 8pm until midnight. After your guide and driver rounds up the gang, you zoom away to three local bars. For $37, you get free drinks on the bus, door-to-door transportation to three bars, and a free drink ticket at each destination.

Movies

Aruba now has two indoor movie theaters. One is at the Renaissance Cinema in the Renaissance Marketplace shopping mall in downtown Oranjestad, L.G. Smith Blvd. 82 (tel. 297/583-0318; www.thecinemas.aw). The six-screen complex shows first-run films -- mostly Hollywood blockbusters -- in English. Midnight flicks are popular on Friday and Saturday. Tickets range from $5 to $7.50. There is also a six-screen multiplex at the Paseo Herencia mall where movies cost $8.25.

A real throwback to a simpler time, the E. De Veer Drive-In Theatre, on Kibaima, across from the Balashi Brewery on the road to Savaneta and San Nicolas (tel. 297/585-8355; www.seaportcinemas.com), is a rare treat. The chance to watch a film (usually American) in a vast field under the stars? In Aruba? That's exotic. Admission is about $4, but Thursday through Sunday are "car-crash" nights -- $6 admits an entire carload. Expect tons of Aruban teens, sweethearts, and families with kids in tow. Scheduling information is available online. A ticket at the Paseo Herencia cinemas costs $8.25.