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!

Travel Guide Series: Aruba (Part I)

As you can tell, I'm introducing a Travel Guide series. One day I would love to be a photojournalist for a travel magazine (my favorites to read are Islands and Caribbean), and I've been wanting to write a travel synopsis of my trip to Aruba since I got to know the island pretty well, so I'm going to write a few travel guides for fun. Maybe they'll come in handy one day or you could share them with a friend traveling soon. I'm including lots of pictures because in my opinion that's the best way to get to know a place besides going there firsthand.
Where are we going first? The idyllic Caribbean island: Aruba!Where is Aruba? About 20 miles north of Venezuela, in the lower Caribbean. The islands closest to it are Curacao and Bonaire, together known as the ABC islands. These islands are part of the Dutch Caribbean - the Netherlands Antilles. They speak English, Dutch, and their own language - Papiamento.Orientation: The island is only about 16x6miles - definitely small enough to explore in a week, or even if you're only there a few days. You will fly into Oranjestad, the capital, where you can find great shopping - including designer stores like Cartier. Climate: Aruba has the quinessential Caribbean beaches - warm, clear water year-round that flows onto the softest white sand your feet will ever step on. If you spent all your time on the north coast or inland, however, you would never know this perfect beach existed. The climate is dry and arid, and instead of sitting under the shade of swaying palm trees, the land is filled with prickly cacti. Where a soft white sand beach doesn't compliment the beautiful waters, the menacing coast wards off visitors with craggy rock too sharp to traverse in just a pair of flip-flops. (This picture shows the contrast between comforting beaches and a less-welcoming inland.)Where to Stay? The two most popular beaches to crash at are Palm Beach and Eagle Beach. Palm Beach is where all the action is at. High-rise hotels, all-inclusives, and tons of activities. Eagle Beach is its quieter, less populated companion with the same entracing beaches but with less of a fight for a lounge chair in the morning. Both of these beaches are situated on the western coast, so you will get to experience beautiful sunsets at night. If you care more about shopping than beaches, stay in Oranjestad. You can stay on the water but with a lesser quantity and quality of beaches. Eagle Beach: I stayed at the Aruban on Eagle Beach. This was the view walking from the pool across the street to the beach.Eagle Beach in the morning around 8am. The ocean at Eagle Beach. Stop searching for the perfect beach - Aruba has what you've been looking for. Take off your shoes ASAP so your feet can sink into white sand as soft as flour. If you can pull your feet away from the blanket of sand, jump into the refreshing, warm water which is clear underwater as the outside reflects light in the most perfect array of turquoises and teals. When I was there, the full moon illuminated the shore so you could relax under the stars. It was so bright you could even stand in the water up to your knees and still see your feet!Looking back on the most northern side of Eagle Beach. Looking towards the northern side of Eagle Beach from around the bend (see map). From the beginning of Eagle Beach, you can walk all the way around the bend to find more lounge areas, hotels, and restaurants.Palm Beach: A view of the beginning of Palm Beach from the southern side. Big hotels and lots to do!Palm Beach is where the nightlife is at. Behind the Marriott and a few other big-name resorts, there is a street with restaurants and shopping. There are chain American restaurants as well as other nice restaurants. Off the street, there is a really nice mall area with a cluster of shops and restaurants. If you have kids, you can let them jump in the pool & fountain to take a break from shopping if they have their swimsuits on. Stick around at night to watch the fountain light show play to Disney tunes.Getting Around: Even if you're staying in an all-inclusive, you will want to rent a car so you can get around and see everything. All the beaches are public, so get in your car and explore! If you're staying in a hotel, make a run to the grocery store on the first day to stock your fridge with fresh fruit and lunch meat to make breakfasts and lunches. Don't forget to buy brats or steak to grill out by the pool. Details: Out of all its interesting facets, Aruba is often identified by just one thing: the Divi Divi tree. This icon is a short tree with a twisty, swirly trunk. It rests by the edge of the water for fantastic photographs.Where a soft sandy beach isn't there for the waves to crash on, you will find sharp moon-like craters. If you want to explore the island, make sure you pack tennis shoes to switch out for thin flip-flops when the ground gets tough. Once you're equipped with tougher shoes and walking around, beware of blow holes! The surface appears to be a flat surface but underneath the waves break through in certain areas, spraying you if you're not watching out.On the mystical side, there are hundreds and hundreds of stacked rock towers. Some say dwarfs come out at night and build them as magical homes, and if you knock one down you kill the magic. Another more plausible theory is that tourists build them with a wish in mind, and when you knock one down their wish comes true. Which story you believe will lead you to decide to knock one down or leave it standing up.One last cultural detail I'll leave is a hidden secret beach with a wealth of treasure. On my trek from Eagle Beach to Palm Beach, I stumbled upon a shore FILLED with conch shells. You know, the rare shell that everyone tries to find - and if you find one it absolutely makes your day. Well this beach had thousands of them! Some broken but lots still in tact. So if you're a collector, make sure you explore the badlands in between the two main beaches so you can take home a conch shell...or ten.Now that you know the basics of Aruba, look for the second installment, coming soon, to learn about activities and adventures to experience on your trip!