Within minutes of arriving in Aruba, it became clear why it’s known as One Happy Island. Who wouldn’t be happy in early January in sunny 80 degree warm weather right? Part of the ABC Islands along with its neighbors Bonaire and Curacao, Aruba gets very little rain yet stays breezy all while residing outside of the Caribbean’s hurricane belt. This unique island offers so much more than your typical palm tree lined beaches and crystal clear turquoise water, though plentiful in what’s known as the ‘high rise’ hotel area. Most of Aruba is actually rugged desert terrain covered in cacti with wild goats roaming the coastal hillsides requiring a 4x4 vehicle and a sense of adventure. There are many things to do on the island from exploring the national park to snorkeling sunken ships, discovering the local towns to trying your hand at kitesurfing. Aruba really has something for everyone whether you’re looking to relax with a fruity cocktail or fill your days with activities which is what you’ll find below.
Traveling to Aruba from the US is very easy, especially with a number of direct flights from our hometown of Atlanta and around the country. Customs was super quick coming in using electronic passport inspection (sorry US residents only), and it’s only an hour ahead of Eastern Standard Time so no jet lag. It’s important to note that upon leaving, US residents will go through customs in Aruba and arriving at least 3 hours prior to your flight is generally recommended. There are Global Entry kiosks here which easily saved us an hour. Though the island is Dutch and the local language Papiamento (an Afro-Portuguese Creole), English is widely spoken, they accept and often post pricing in US dollars (otherwise it’s in local florins, be sure to check), the outlets and voltage are the same, and they drive on the right side of the road. Speaking of driving, many people rent cars here offering you the opportunity to explore beyond the hotel district, costing us under $200 for 4 days. When planning your trip and itinerary, it’s best to consult the cruise port schedule to avoid the crowds. For instance, one of the days we were there 3 large ships brought over 10,000 people to the small island, so we stayed as far south as possible and didn’t book the popular activities such as off-roading or snorkeling tours.
For us, staying outside the crowded tourist area in an AirBnB was a must, and I cannot say enough about our wonderful find in Anate Beach Apartments. If you haven’t used AirBnB before, click this link to receive a discount. Here in Pos Chikito, we were minutes away from Mangel Halto Beach, the Spanish Lagoon mangroves, and the best Savaneta restaurants. Being centrally located, we could drive to the furthest northern or southern beaches in less than 30 minutes. Staying in a local neighborhood with dirt roads and barking dogs offers the genuine travel experience we prefer. Hosted by the friendly and informative Ana Maria who lives in the adjacent house with her family and runs the gift shop Espacio Azul, Anate is a 2 unit modern townhouse with shared pool, lofted bedroom, and full kitchen, not to mention resident pets Orca the dog and Catalina the cat. There are many nearby markets to stock the fridge and save money on meals. We were also lucky to have great neighbors to share restaurant and activity recommendations. They will also rent you snorkel equipment for the nearby best snorkeling on the island and/or bikes for $10 for your entire stay. This more remote area isn’t for everyone and a rental car is definitely needed, but it was by far the best choice for us.
If you want to get out from under the palapa as they say (those are the straw umbrella tables common on the beaches) and explore the island, there is no shortage of activities and sites for all levels of interest. Some are independent and can be done cheaply and spontaneously while others require advanced planning and booking for a higher price tag.
Off-Roading/Arikok National Park: Though you can see much of Arikok National Park in a regular car, there are certain areas such as the backside of Sero Arikok down to Conchi Natural Pool that can only be reached with 4x4 vehicles (including Jeeps, $150/day). Seeking the adventure and complete experience, we wanted to visit the park as well as much of the island’s natural side on ATV. This can be done on an organized tour, but preferring to do things on our own timetable and without eating the dust of a line of vehicles in front of us, we opted for an independent rental. After reading reviews, we chose Arubiana which offers ATVs ($110 half day, $130 full day), UTVs ($199 half day, $229 full day), and motorbikes ($170 half day, $200 full day). They also have a gps based app with recommended routes and suggested stops though you could download this to use with any company. After a briefing on safety and how much screwing something up will cost you, their full day route takes you from their Palm Beach rental office (located in the 3rd floor of the parking deck) around the northern tip of the island to the east coast where you’ll find the national park down to the southern tip at Baby Beach and back around the west coast past Mangel Halto Beach. Since we rented a car and had seen much of the southern loop already, we went straight to the national park and returned via the northern tip, basically doing their half day route in reverse and hoping to avoid the crowds following the usual route and knowing one of the caves in the park closed at 3:30 pm. As a bonus, by traveling the island counterclockwise, we were on the coastal side of the road when there was one. We brought our own goggles and bandana face covers to avoid the cost of renting them (helmets are required and provided), but we found we did not need them. I also carried long pants and closed toe shoes in case rocks flew up, but again were not necessary. I wish I had thought to bring something to hold my phone around my neck so when navigating it was at less risk of falling and to use my towel sooner to prevent the seat from getting hot when stopped and chafing while riding in shorts. Otherwise, bring lots of water, sunscreen, watershoes and bathing suit for the natural pool, backup phone charging as the app can drain it, and ibuprofen!
After paying the $11 per person park entrance fee and receiving a useless map (download the ones from their website instead using the wifi in the visitor center), we turned left toward the Conchi Natural Pool. This route took us over Sero Arikok’s 360 degree views (‘sero’ or ‘ceru’ means hilltop) and down to the natural pool over bumpy rocks and twisty turns without much signage where the road and not the road looked about the same. It took us 30-40 minutes to reach the pool where there was a small crowd at all times. After going down the staircase, everyone just has to leave their things on the rocks to go into the pool where an employee will help guide you in. This is the only spot in the park where swimming is allowed and the park rangers stop you from climbing too far on the rocks here where a dangerous wave can suddenly come over. There is a second small pool on the far side of the bigger pool where an employee will help you up the rocks and allow you to jump off. From the parking area, you can see Moro Beach and though Daimari Beach lies beyond, we couldn’t figure out which of the ‘roads’ to take there. From there, we backtracked to the entrance and took the paved northern loop road to the limestone caves which took about an hour. Fontein Cave is small and dark with red Indian drawings on the ceiling while Quadirikiri Cave is larger comprised of multiple chambers with skylights (aka bat exits). It’s easy to imagine the native people living here for the shade, shelter, and cooler temperatures after being out in the heat fishing, hunting, and watching for pirates. Note flash photography is not allowed in the caves as it alarms the sleeping bats who will fly at your face, but you may see a few flying around anyways.
We’d hoped to do some hiking in the park with the extra time we’d have by cutting out half of the route, but the heat just sitting there was more than enough discouragement. We headed back out the main entrance though the full day route exits through the southern entrance near the caves, and grabbed a tasty pizza lunch at Urataka Center outside the park then filled up the gas tank in Santa Cruz. After lunch, the sun and effort of staying upright on the ATV had me pretty beat, so we basically just cruised by the remaining sites on the northern side including Ayo Rocks, an ostrich farm and donkey sanctuary, the natural bridge which has partly collapsed, Bushiribana Goldmine Ruins, Wariruri Beach with its small natural bridge (not on the app but on the route), Alto Vista Chapel, California Lighthouse, and Arashi and Boca Catalina Beaches. You can visit many of these sites by regular car and those were of course the more crowded ones. I had read there is another natural bridge called Tripod or Trinity Bridge beyond the collapsed natural bridge, but the path has water crossings and we were told specifically not to take the vehicle there (you can find it on maps.me). We had to gas up once again before returning and despite doing only the half day route with additional caves and 1 hour lunch stop and not stopping anywhere else, we still barely made it back in time. I’m not sure how you could do the whole route in the 8+ hours by ATV, but should be able to more easily by UTV which offers a faster and smoother ride under a canopy if you’re willing to pay more for comfort. It was still an amazing albeit tiring day with a little welcome rain in the end.
Snorkeling: Although there are many snorkeling tours by boat, that would only be necessary to see the offshore Antilla shipwreck (a 400 foot German freighter sunk by its captain in WWII rather than see it fall into enemy hands). Otherwise, amazing shallow water snorkeling can be reached from the beaches using rented or personal snorkel equipment (we just purchased our own before this trip, well worth the small investment!). By far the best snorkeling was right outside our door at Mangel Halto. It’s very shallow so the fish are super close, but be cautious not to stand on the coral which is a living and vital part of the ecosystem that can die when touched as well as cause you injury. There are sea urchins down there as well so only walk on the sandy entry paths. We saw all kinds of fish big and small from super colorful to completely clear and aren’t knowledgeable enough to identify them, but we were most impressed by the moray eels (look for their heads peeking out of the coral), long thin trumpet fish swimming symbiotically with larger fish, and a green creepy crawler somewhere between a sea cucumber and a caterpillar. Beyond the shallow area, the ocean floor drops off quickly and that is where you will find the sunken Kappel tugboat straight out from the middle staircase just before the yellow buoy. It’s very easy to see on a clear day from the surface and can be viewed closer by free diving if you are skilled. We also enjoyed snorkeling at one of the northern beaches called Tres Trapi. It’s a beautiful little cove known for lots of red starfish, though we only found one white one. Here we also saw a few sea turtles hanging near the bottom and going up for occasional breaths as well as long silver needlefish and a black and white spotted trunkfish. These were some of our favorite experiences!
San Nicolas Street Art: Another surprisingly fun outing was visiting the southern town of San Nicolas, the ‘street art capital of the Caribbean.’ We parked at the police station for safety as the town has a rough past it’s succeeding at overcoming. Much of this is due to the closing of the large oil refinery which continues to struggle as the US sanctions nearby Venezuela. As a way to bring the town back to life, the annual Aruba Art Fair began in 2016 leaving behind beautiful multi-story murals by talented local artists. You can purchase a tour or just use your own legs and eyeballs as we did, having even more fun discovering a new giant work of art around every corner. I think I took more pictures in an hour here than any other day.
Sero Colorado and Baby Beach: Just outside of San Nicolas is the rugged southern coastline of Sero Colorado and Baby Beach. Drivable by regular car although a bit bumpy, we explored the curvy roadways on our first evening without much of an objective and were blown away by the remote beauty of the desert cacti and hidden beaches at sunset. Even the deserted oil refinery and the island’s prison here look nice at sunset. This is where we happened upon Boca Grandi kitesurfing beach and a huge pet cemetery lined with makeshift crosses just beyond Baby Beach. There’s a large red anchor memorial to lost seaman and active wire cage lighthouse off the main road, and this is where we turned to explore off road while watching for grazing wild goats. There’s also another natural bridge here, but it requires a difficult climb and I’m not sure where exactly it is located. We returned on our last day, grabbing a drink at the adult only Rum Reef bar and infinity pool located in JADS Dive Center. We tried the large beachfront restaurant Big Mama Grill, but found it mediocre and very overpriced with our only rude server of the trip, even the bathrooms cost $2. The small Lago Colony Beach Bar at JADS is cheaper and the bathrooms are free. We saw some snorkelers but read that much of the coral here has died. Baby Beach and Rodgers Beach are still very pretty even with the oil refinery in the background and a great way to escape the crowds, especially when cruise ships are in port.
Get a Massage: You’ll need it after the ATV! Elada Spa is a cozy well decorated space in the town of Santa Cruz with a full array of services for both men and women at a fraction of the hotel district pricing. We met Dionne who was an amazing massage therapist and all around super sweet lady who even surprised me with a birthday gift. Although a second therapist wasn’t available for a simultaneous couple’s massage that day, waiting for each other during the consecutive massages was spent relaxing in the central treatment room or neighboring coffee shop. You’ll need to book an appointment online and note those prices are in florins, so the 1 hour massage is only $36 compared to the well over $100 you’ll pay at the resorts.
There are also a lot of things we didn’t have time to do. Kitesurfing is very popular in Aruba due to the windy conditions, and though more people choose the locations and schools near the hotel district in the north, we heard the Pro Kite School and Boca Grandi Beach in the south are much better. There are deep sea diving excursions, even if you’re not certified, to explore the deeper sunken ships. You can rent kayaks and join tours around the Spanish Lagoon mangroves as well as nearby hiking trails. Additional hiking spots include the many trails in Arikok National Park, climbing the 562 stairs at Hooiberg Mountain, and scaling the Casibari Rock Formations. Biking, horseback riding, and golfing are available as well. You can take a tour of the local Barashi Brewery, visit De Palm Island Waterpark, shop in the port area, or hit up the hotel casinos. Another popular Instagramable spot is the flamingo island owned by the Renaissance, but you have to be staying at that hotel or arrive very early to see if there is space for $100 entry fee, being an ‘Instagram model’ seems to help. Visit in February and you can experience the lavish parades and colorful festivals of Carnival. All of this on a 21 mile long by 6 mile wide island!
After all those activities, we worked up quite an appetite. We had some amazing dining experiences, mostly due to the ambiance and service. I’m a picky eater, but I found the food could be hit or miss, and was usually pretty expensive considering the seafood we were eating could be seen swimming by the table. Portions are typically large so we found splitting entrees to be a more reasonable option. Be sure to check if a service fee is included (10-15%, more likely in the hotel district than outside of it), but otherwise tipping is still fairly common and appreciated.
Zeerovers: This Savaneta restaurant is on every favorites list. Cash only and closed on Mondays, this unassuming building with dirt parking lot always has a long line out front. We waited in line for an hour on a Saturday afternoon, but passed the time enjoyably meeting locals in line and grabbing drinks from the bar. The menu is simple without prices listed: catch of the day and/or shrimp which is then sent to the fryer. There are a few sides to choose from such as fries, plantains, onions in vinegar, and cornbread. I was pleasantly surprised after ordering and finally stepping around the corner to see the large waterfront deck family style seating area full of people. We waited another 45 minutes for the food to arrive, and I’m disappointed and likely one of the few to say I did not care for it. We had the catch which was Mahi as well as shrimp, and I expected the Americanized version with breading and no eyeballs; I was wrong. Both were quite fishy (I know, I know, they’re fish right) perhaps due to being significantly more fresh than I’m used to. Overall the experience was still great despite the waiting and not liking the food, so that’s saying a lot for the place!
Flying Fishbone: Another Savaneta hotspot for sunset fine dining, reservations here are a must especially if you want the coveted waterfront seating, which depending on the tide can be IN the water. Definitely look up the time of sunset and plan accordingly. The tables are in the sand with shoe racks provided so plan to get dirty. We actually declined the first table offered which was not along the water (though we would have been right next to the sunset proposal that was about to happen), and beyond happy we waited for the best table in the restaurant on the right hand corner with water on two sides and no other tables between us and the views. The service and food were excellent as we tried the tuna tataki appetizer and halibut over sundried tomato risotto. They even surprised me with a sparkling chocolate birthday dessert. This restaurant is very expensive but worth every florin!
Marina Pirata: This was a pleasant surprise when looking for a last minute dinner spot near our AirBnB and walking in without a reservation straight to the last waterfront table in this small but very cute neighborhood spot. Our service and food were as wonderful as the view, enjoying calamari, escargot, and Aruban style grouper with fried polenta (what they call cornbread). This best kept secret doesn’t pop up on all the lists so let’s just keep it between us, ok?
Pinchos: We ended up here after not being able to find Aki Sushi having seen the dockside restaurant from the road. Without a reservation, we were still able to get a waterfront table, but it was on their secondary dock which at the time was closed off with a rain tarp on one side and was quite awkward. We moved to their bar but were disappointed they didn’t actually serve much in the way of pinchos, a favorite from our Barcelona trip. We still got our sushi fix by trying the tasty ceviche and ahi tuna, finishing off with key lime pie.
Bugaloe: We first popped in this beachfront bar by the RUI in busy Palm Beach for happy hour after turning in our ATV nearby, and immediately walked right out due to overcrowding and the purported live music being very loud karaoke and singing waitresses. We tried it again for lunch the next day and found it much more inviting, only because we arrived before the 1 pm snorkel boat’s return blocking the view and bringing in hungry droves of tourists. The views were nice at the end of De Palm Pier, and the ceviche was delicious. My boyfriend enjoyed his grouper sandwich but I didn’t like my grouper wrap, filling up on the curly fries instead (an $11 side not included with the already expensive sandwiches). The gelato next door was good, and the lady guarding the $1 bathrooms was nice enough to let me use it for free when I told her I would gladly use the ocean instead. It’s your typical over-priced touristy beach bar, and if you’re not able to venture out from the high rise district, it gets the job done.
Eduardo’s Beach Shack: This Palm Beach hut by the Hyatt was perfect for a quick healthy grab and go breakfast after picking up our ATV nearby. They offer smoothies, acai bowls, as well as vegan and gluten free options at reasonable prices.
Tia Rosa Snack: There are a lot of quick bite spots along the roadsides in Aruba, and this local spot in Savaneta serves South American style arepas and patacones at a good price though she was out of a few things and there’s really nowhere to sit.
O’Niel Caribbean Kitchen: We found this charming local spot while checking out the street art in San Nicolas. They have a cute shaded patio, delicious Caribbean/Jamaican style food (we loved the coconut shrimp and fish and chips), excellent knowledgeable service, and indoor AC when the streets of San Nicolas are just too hot.
Aruba truly is One Happy Island with its stunning beaches and rugged nature, but the true beauty of Aruba lies beyond its landscape: the people. Within our first few hours on the island, we met a rental car shuttle driver who picked us up though we were with a different company, a local man who surprised us with a round of drinks while waiting in line, and an older gentleman who played songs for me on the jukebox when I didn’t have any Aruban coins. This kindness continued with every local, ex-pat, tourist, and service provider we encountered throughout our stay. Unlike many Caribbean nations where huge resorts tower over the shacks where the real people live in poverty, you can tell Aruba takes care of its people and its proud welcoming people take care of their home, neighbors, and visitors. I hope soon you too will be hearing ‘Bon Bini,’ the Papiamento Aruban welcome.
Comments