ABC Islands Caribbean
The Dutch Caribbean trio off the Venezuelan coast - start with Aruba's resort beaches, cross to Curaçao's UNESCO-listed Willemstad and its Creole culture, then finish on quiet Bonaire, one of the world's great shore-diving islands. Sun-sure and below the hurricane belt, the three are linked by short 20-minute island-hopper flights.
8–15 days · Point-to-point
When to go
- WeatherBelow the hurricane belt (year-round) — The ABCs sit south of the main Atlantic hurricane track, so direct hits are rare - a big reason they stay reliably sunny while the rest of the Caribbean rides out storm season
- WeatherShort rainy season (Oct - Dec) — The wettest, most humid stretch (heaviest Nov - Dec) - showers are brief but the seas can be lumpier; the islands are semi-arid and stay dry the rest of the year
- FestivalCarnival on Aruba & Curaçao (Jan - Feb (weeks before Lent)) — Weeks of parades, tumba music and the Grand Parade - festive and vivid, but flights and hotels book out early, so lock dates well ahead
- NoteInter-island hopper flights (Divi Divi Air / EZ Air) — book 1-3 weeks ahead - the planes are small, daily frequencies are few, and seats sell out in season
The ABC islands - Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao - are the Dutch Caribbean's dry, sun-sure trio, strung along the Venezuelan coast well south of the hurricane belt. They're close enough to chain into one trip and different enough to be worth it: Aruba is the polished beach-resort arrival, Curaçao is the cultural heavyweight with UNESCO-listed Willemstad and its own hidden coves, and Bonaire is the nature-and-diving finish where the reef starts a few steps off the road. The catch is the connections - the islands are separate jurisdictions linked only by small hopper planes (there's no dependable ferry), so this is a fly-between-islands trip you book ahead. Nine or ten days does the trio justice; two weeks lets you slow right down.
This route's vibe
What you get across the whole trip, blended from each stop's strengths.
Stop by stop
The route
Adjust trip length, budget, and travel style — the stops, transport, and cost update to match.
- 1
Aruba
3 nightsThe easiest arrival: the best US air links of the three, plus the postcard beaches - Eagle and Palm - reliable trade winds, and Arikok National Park's cactus desert and windward coast for a day off the sand.
Skip / overrated: The high-rise Palm Beach resort strip is convenient but generic; rent a jeep for a day in Arikok and the wild north coast to see the Aruba beyond the hotel loungers.
View Aruba guide→Getting there· ~113 kmBorder crossingFlightRecommendedA ~25-minute island-hopper (Divi Divi Air / EZ Air) is how everyone does it - several short flights a day, but small aircraft with tight baggage limits.
Book: Divi Divi Air / EZ Air (airline sites) — these are separate customs/immigration jurisdictions, so it's a full international hop - small planes sell out in season and enforce strict baggage weights, so book ahead and pack light
BoatThere is no dependable scheduled passenger ferry between the ABC islands - occasional private charters and day-trip boats exist, but treat sea crossings as a novelty, never your connection.
Book ferries - 2
Curaçao
4 nightsThe biggest and most characterful island: UNESCO-listed Willemstad with its candy-coloured Dutch waterfront and floating Queen Emma bridge, plus dozens of hidden west-end coves (Playa Kenepa, Cas Abao) and its own good reef diving.
Skip / overrated: The much-photographed 'floating market' is a shadow of what it was - give it a passing look, and spend your real time in Otrobanda's backstreets and the wild coves out west.
View Curaçao guide→Getting there· ~79 kmBorder crossingFlightRecommendedA ~20-minute hop (EZ Air / Divi Divi Air), the shortest of the trip. Bonaire is a Dutch special municipality, so you clear immigration on arrival like a border crossing.
Book: EZ Air / Divi Divi Air (airline sites) — frequencies thin out midweek and planes fill fast around weekends and Carnival - reserve this leg early and don't stack it same-day against your international departure
BoatNo reliable scheduled ferry runs this crossing either - the water link is aspirational, not a plan; fly.
Book ferries - 3
Bonaire
3 nightsThe quiet, nature-first finish: a marine-park island ringed by shore-diving sites you reach by driving to a numbered yellow rock and walking in, plus flamingo lagoons, salt pans and world-class windsurfing at Lac Bay.
Skip / overrated: Don't expect nightlife or big beaches - Bonaire is about the water and the wild. If you don't dive, snorkel, windsurf or want flamingos and stillness, it's the one to trim on a short trip.
View Bonaire guide→
Lodging + daily spend only — excludes flights & intercity transport.
What to skip
Don't try to squeeze all three into under a week - you'll spend it in tiny airports clearing customs. If you're short on time, pick two: Aruba plus Curaçao for beaches and culture, or Curaçao plus Bonaire for reefs and quiet.
Practical tips
Book the inter-island hopper flights (Divi Divi Air / EZ Air) before you arrive - small planes, few daily departures, strict baggage limits. Rent a car on each island; Bonaire's whole point is driving between numbered shore-dive sites. Aruba and Curaçao use their own florin, but Bonaire is on the US dollar - carry some. Keep a buffer day before any international departure so a bumped hopper doesn't cost you the flight home.
Best for
Common questions
How do you get between the ABC islands?
Short island-hopper flights - about 20-25 minutes on Divi Divi Air or EZ Air. Each island is a separate customs and immigration jurisdiction, so it's a small international hop each time. There is no reliable scheduled passenger ferry, so plan to fly and book the seats ahead.
When is the best time to visit?
The ABCs are dry and sunny most of the year and sit below the hurricane belt, so almost any month works. January to August is the driest and most reliable; October to December brings the short rainy season with brief showers. Time it for Aruba or Curaçao Carnival (Jan - Feb) if you want the festivities, but book early.
How many days do I need for all three?
Nine to eleven days is comfortable - roughly three or four nights per island. You can do a tighter week if you trim a night on Curaçao and Bonaire, and two full weeks lets you go deep on diving or culture without rushing the hops.