March 13, 2011

Travel Guide Series: Aruba (Part II)

Are you ready to explore Aruba?? Now that you know a little about the country overall, let's check out what activities you can get into if you can't sit still on those lovely beaches.

This aerial shot depicts the landscape. Look a little different from the last post? The land is dry and arid, as is the north coast. We'll start in Eagle Beach (the low-rise beach on the southern side of the west coast). Beach-to-Beach Hike
Because all of the beaches in Aruba are public, and because Eagle Beach and Palm Beach are close by, you can hike from one to the other. I originally saw the lighthouse at the far end of Palm Beach, so my goal was to walk all the way there, but you would need a full day, not just a morning or afternoon. I'm not great with distances, but this view represents about 1/4 or so of the walk. It's not too far. I started after breakfast at about 9:30am and got to Palm Beach in about an hour and a half in time to cool off in the sweet water before chowing down on my packed lunch. You could easily do the hike in about 1/3 of the time, as I spent a lot of time stopping in awe of the view, taking tons of pictures, and wading in the water whenever I could. As you can tell, the coast is not very welcoming. There are lots of jagged rocks (actually that's probably made up of some kind of coastal material, not rock, but I don't know what it is exactly). You will definitely want to wear tennis shoes or hiking boots, not flip-flops. Tevas would be ideal, so you could dip your feet in the water when you get hot!One of the cute little bays you'll cross. They might lure you to just quit and rest in them, but resist the temptation! Getting all the way to Palm Beach will be worth it for sure.
Traversing the North Coast
"Wait, why is there a picture of a desert? Aren't we in tropical Aruba?" Yes, this desert is a major part of Aruba. Cacti and desert sand are the stars of the north coast. In order to really understand an island, you need to experience all of its parts - the good and the bad. Although the north coast is extremely hot and dry, I loved it! The best way to trek the north coast is with a rental car. You can pay 100 bucks for a tour, but it will only be a few hours long and you won't be able to stop at the cool sites you see or linger and explore the places you do stop. It's an easy drive, as the road just loops around the island. It would be pretty sad if you got lost trying to find your way, and there are plenty of people around in case you got a flat. (If you need a car rental company, the cheapest one is Amigo, which is actually pretty reliable.) There are tons of these shorelines along the coast that you will awe at from your car and want to pull over for. Definitely stop to see one or two of them, but don't let them distract you from the other sites if you're on a time constraint (or just constrained by daylight).Again, don't forget your tennis shoes! You don't want to cut your feet on this stuff.An awesome wave!When you look west when you're starting out your journey, Bushiribana Ruins will surely catch your eye. Check it out! It used to be a gold smelter, and it lies right on the water. You can walk up about 3 stories, wander around the old rooms, and catch a nice ocean breeze while you're at it.After heading east, make a stop at the Natural Bridge. What a beautiful display of God's artwork. There's a gift shop and a restroom, so this could be a great lunch stop, or snack break. Other than walking across and taking some pictures, there's not much else to do, so don't plan to spend all your time here, though it's definitely worth a look.Not pictured here are the caves. Just using the standard road map that you can grab at the airport or from your hotel, you can navigate yourself to some caves. There are at least 3 different ones that you can check out. We went in one that had a tour guide waiting to show us around. It was a short cave, so you had to bend down a little bit, but there were some cool ancient paintings on the walls. It was kind of interesting, but not a must-see. It definitely wasn't spelunking. This picture here is of a bay nearby the caves. It was the perfect oasis after a long day of walking around and driving in the hot sun. Swimming wasn't allowed due to the strong current, but if you stand on those rocks the waves will splash and soak you. It's also nice to throw off your shoes and sink your feet in the soft sand. Another important site to note is the Natural Pool. To get there from the caves, it's about a 20 minutes drive (lots of speed bumps). This was number one on my list of sites to see, but since we had to be back at our hotel by 4 or 5, we didn't have enough time, as it is about an hour hike to get there, so plan accordingly. If you're not burnt out, you could schedule a sunset sail in Palm Beach to enjoy some rum & punch and relax on the open seas. Or you could book a snorkel trip for a different day with Jolly Pirates. You'll snorkel in 3 different spots with about 40 other people. Enjoy free drinks while you sail, and at one spot you can try to do a back flip off the rope on the side of the boat. (Also, if you collect coconut heads from foreign countries like I do, you can buy a sweet pirate coconut head for your collection.) One thing not to be missed is windsurfing. Aruba is famous for its wind. I know, that sounds weird, but the wind in Aruba is absolutely perfect for sailing. It's constant and light, which makes it ideal for beginners to learn to sail, windsurf, or kitesurf. I took a lesson with Vela Windsurfing one day, and it was the best decision of the trip. I finally felt like I was getting all I could out of Aruba. I felt so in tune with God by making use of the wind - something I've never done before! Vela is an excellent company. I thought I was being on top of my game and signed up for a lesson at 10am. Turns out windsurfers are lazy and most don't get out on the water until about 4pm (hmm, that would have worked better for me). My reward for waking up early was a private lesson! I thought that windsurfing in Aruba was perfect, and when I tried it in Curacao I realized how perfect it really was. If you think you would EVER want to windsurf, and you have the opportunity to in Aruba, DO IT! At Vela, you have great instruction (the teachers are extremely knowledgeable, experienced, and clear), the water only comes up to your chest (makes falling off easier), the sand is super soft (nice when you're standing there learning), and the water and sky are absolutely gorgeous to sail across. And again, Aruba is famous for having the best wind, so take advantage of it. Have I sold you yet?Now that you know all about Aruba, I'm sure you've figured out there's something for everyone. If you're still running out of ideas to fill up your time, you can always check out the lighthouse, go shopping, or try out different restaurants. But don't forget to relax!

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