One of more popular Caribbean vacation destinations, Aruba certainly lives up to the hype. Bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to its east, crashing unto dramatic cliff face and the Caribbean Sea lapping in gently on its western beaches, this island is the perfect destination for sun and sea lovers. First discovered by the Spaniards in 1499, they deemed it useless and was left to the native people of Aruba. During the war between Spain and Holland, Aruba was seized by the Dutch in 1636. The Dutch settled in the islands soon after. It wasn’t until the 19th century though, that gold was discovered in Aruba. This brought on a new surge of immigrants, mainly from Europe and Venezuela.