Never a dull moment in Aruba!
Apr 22 '01 (Updated Apr 23 '01)
The Bottom Line Allow time for sightseeing (you must rent a car) and exploring this island. Great shopping, water sports, and beautiful beaches are sure to keep you entertained during your visit.
Aruba is great for sightseeing, shopping, and a variety of water sports. You should plan on renting a car to explore the island. A four-wheel drive is usually a good idea. All the cars are pretty small here and gas prices are high. You'll find prices in liters, not gallons.
Here are some of my favorite activities while visiting Aruba.
Sightseeing:
California Lighthouse
This old stone lighthouse stands at the north end of the island. It is named for the ship, California, that wrecked off its shore. This area has gigantic rolling sand dunes and a very rocky coast line. This is a great place to watch the waves crashing ashore. You'll also see where hundreds of tourists before you have stacked up loose rocks in various configurations. Yes, we had to stop and make our contribution, as well.
Sunset Dining - You get to eat and sightsee simultaneously!
There is a nice restaurant right next to the lighthouse. You must plan on having dinner here on the balcony one evening to watch the sunset. The island is pretty flat and this restaurant is on one of the highest points overlooking the ocean. The sunset is spectacular from here. (I wasn't overly impressed with the food, but the service was good.)
You can also see stray goats wandering around outside. They are used to having people come up and feed them table scraps.
This area is a favorite tourist photo spot. You can get great shots of the beach, the dunes, or the nearby golf course.
Tierra del Sol Golf Course
You'll see the golf course from your vantage point at the lighthouse. The golf course was designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr. and is also a wildlife preserve. You never know what you might see there.
The golfing is challenging and windy here, but the course is beautiful and well-maintained.
Natural Bridge
A must see on the northeast side of the island is Natural Bridge. You'll see wild donkeys as you drive along the road and begin to wonder where you are... just keep on going. You'll soon be there.
When you arrive at Natural Bridge you will be amazed. This unique coral structure stands 25 feet above the sea and spans a hundred feet. The waters below are filled with boulders. Hundreds of years of crashing waves have literally carved out the coral beneath, leaving an arch across the water. This is probably the most photographed sight in Aruba.
You can take pictures from the top or walk down to the small beach and get the vantage point of the sea beneath the arch. Either way, you'll get some great photos!
There's also a store and souvenir shop in the area. Believe me, that's all there is in the area.
Antilla Wreck (Snorkel or dive)
When you leave Natural Bridge and make your way back around the point past the California Lighthouse look out into the ocean. There you'll see part of the Antilla Wreck rising from the water a couple of hundred yards offshore. The wreck is shallow enough to be a great snorkeling destination. It is also provides open access for diving. It's well worth the dive or snorkel.
This German freighter was sunk in 1945 when the Germans invaded Holland during World War II. It is the largest wreck in the Caribbean (400' long) and great for diving. The compartments are large and open. You can even see a toilet on the ocean floor. We saw a beautiful sea anemone, along with lots of fish when we dove here. Night diving is said to be excellent here.
If you prefer to explore the Antilla while staying dry, you can try the Seaworld Explorer, a glass bottom boat, or the Atlantis Submarine. The Atlantis is a 46-passenger state-of-the-art submarine. You'll take a catamaran from downtown Oranjestad to reach the dive site.
Beaches
Hadikurari Beach is south of the lighthouse and has great snorkeling.
Palm Beach has beautiful calm waters and is in front of the high-rise hotels. There are plenty of places to rent water sports gear in this area. The sand is beautiful and the palms are plentiful (of course!)
Eagle Beach is a popular public beach. You'll see lots of locals there windsurfing. It's fun to go there and watch them. There are also shady picnic areas and you can park right off the main road.
Baby Beach is on the southeastern end of the island and worth a drive to visit. Its calm, shallow waters make it perfect for an easy, relaxing swim. You'll see lots of children here because of the calm waters.
Warning: Pack some high-powered sunscreen! I think I used SPF 45. Aruba is a lot closer to the Equator than your backyard and the sun's rays can be very powerful. The constant tradewinds will help keep you cool, so you might not even realize you are burning.
Shopping Downtown
Aruba is quite the shopper's paradise. You'll find a variety of designer stores, lots of jewelry stores, and an abundance of souvenir and gift shops. In the downtown Oranjasted area there is a shopping center by the harbor with a variety of shops and restaurants. There's also a movie theatre.
Along the dock area, the locals set up their wares. Quite a variety of handmade goods is available here. Yes, you can haggle without offending anyone. T-shirts, souvenirs, and the ever-famous Aruba "One Happy Island" license plates can be found here.
Walk across the street to a 3-story shopping center filled with restaurants,jewelry stores, clothing and gift shops, art gallery, a bar or two and even a place to check your email.
You can find watches and electronics in this area, as well as further into the downtown area. You can pretty well walk all around this area and get to most of the shops and department stores.
Word of Caution: If you're buying electronics, cameras, or watches, find out if the warranty is good in your country. I bought a video camera that is not sold in the U.S. When it broke, JVC would not warranty it in the U.S. (Save your receipts and use a gold card to charge these purchases. Their Buyer Protection Plan paid to have our camera repaired.)
Gambling
Yes, there are several casinos in Aruba. One is downtown right in the Sonesta Shopping Center. I had gotten hot from walking around all afternoon and wandered into the casino from the shopping center. The next thing I knew I found myself sitting at a slot machine and actually winning some money. This worked out great for me, I had dropped my husband off at Tiera del Sol to play golf and had spent the afternoon buying souvenirs to take home. I won enough at the casino to pay for my shopping that day.
Scuba Diving
You'll find some really good diving in Aruba. The water is very clear and warm and there are many beautiful reefs, teaming with marine life. Red Sail Sports is located near the dock in downtown Oranjastad. Stop by and talk to them about diving. I highly recommend them. You can also see my detailed reviews about diving in Aruba and Red Sail Sports.
Sunset Cruise
This is another "gotta do" in Aruba. Red Sail Sports has a great catamaran cruise that offers hors d'oeuvres and an open bar as it takes you sailing. The sun is spectacular as it drops into the ocean as you are sailing along in paradise.
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
diverpam
|
 - Top 200 |
|
Member: Pam
Location: Collierville, TN
Reviews written: 263
Trusted by: 347 members
About Me:
~~~~So many oceans...so little time!~~~~
|
|
|
© 1999-2008 Shopping.com, Inc.