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Named after the Dutch Royal House of Oranje, ORANJESTAD has been Aruba's capital since 1797. It's palm-lined streets are abundant with pastel-coloured buildings of typical Dutch design.
L. G. Smith Blvd. is the main street and dozens of shops and restaurants line the thoroughfare. You can buy Aruban handicrafts and T-Shirts at the dockside Bazaar, where bargaining is expected and US dollars or Florins are accepted.
It gets quite busy when a cruise ship is in town. Actually the Royal Caribbean cruise ship "The Adventure of the Seas" was docked when we were there. The cruise ships are very beneficial to the Oranjestad and Aruban economy.
Hans and I took the local bus, the "Arubus" to Oranjestad for $2.00 USD per person return. The trip from our hotel, the Holiday Inn, took about 20 minutes. Leave a Comment
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From the California Lighthouse, Herry took us in the direction of the NORTHERN COAST OF THE ISLAND. The "roads" which were just a little more than a path in the dirt were at times treacherous, so good thing we had an SUV. All along the remote, wild stretch of coastline are hidden coves and some beaches popular with surfers, but the current is very strong. Aruba's "outback" consists of beaches with volcanic rock formations. The foamy, majestic waves crash spectacularly against the shore. Also on the Northern Coast you will find what's left of the Natural Bridge which collapsed into the sea on September 2, 2005. Natural Bridge was created from centuries of coral limestone build-up and carved into a unique shape by the sea's persistent onslaught of waves and was revered by locals and was one of the most popular natural attractions on the island.
Also on the Northern Coast we came across areas which had literally thousands of rock sculptures, created by folks passing through the area. ( see my local customs tip ). Some were absolutely magnificent and very creative. I even built one little uninspiring little pile of rocks just to say I did.
We then made our way to the Alto Vista Chapel, which we could see from a distance. We passed much terrain filled with cacti and came upon three wild donkeys munching on what little grass they could find. Finally we reached the lovely little chapel. Leave a Comment
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Not far from the High Rise Hotels area and Palm Beach is the DE HOLLANDSE MOLEN or The Dutch Mill. I wanted to see it, so Ilona and Herry took us there. It is quite impressive and is now used as a Restaurant. In front is a plaque which I will quote from:
"The original windmill was built in Friesland (Holland) in 1804 for the purpose of pumping water from the lands that lay below sea level. After being damaged by a storm in 1878 it was disassembled and rebuilt elsewhere in Holland and used to mill grains. In 1929 it was again damaged by a storm and no longer used. In 1960 the remaining wooden structure was purchased by a Dutch merchant, brought to Aruba, 1961 March and rebuilt atop a two-story concrete structure to be used as a restaurant and museum." Leave a Comment
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THE best beach for snorkelling or learning how to windsurf is at MALMOK BEACH. The wreck of the Antilla , seen peeking out of the water, is a popular dive spot. This WWII German freighter was scuttled in 1940 and is the largest shipwreck in the Caribbean. Ten feet offshore, there are small coral bays filled with fish. The pirate ship Jolly Pirates was there at the time we visited. It is such a beautiful area. A group of big Pelicans just landed in the water and you could see them bobbing up and down with the gentle waves. Absolute paradise!! Leave a Comment
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The Government of Aruba has dedicated approximately 18 percent of the island to ARIKOK NATIONAL PARK. It has many walking trails that are well kept and open to the public. This massive protected area is teeming with unusual plants and wildlife.
It is located near Mt. Arikok and is a natural preserve which features some of the oldest Arawak Indian drawings, as well as trails that showcase Aruba's great variety of plants like the divi-divi and kwihi trees, rare and exotic cacti, aloe, tropical flowers, birds and iguanas.
There's also an old Aruban "Cunucu" house made of mud and grass. Cactus was used to make roof beams. A barn, pigpen area and outhouse can be found on the grounds of the old farm. The garden around the house "Casdi Torto" , is fenced off with a "trankera" a hedge made of cactus, to keep the goats out.
There is also an old Gold Mine ( Mina di oro ) which can be found along one of the trails.
There was no admittance fee charged.
Hans and I, along with Ilona and Herry thought we would explore the "Cunucu" house trail and thought it was a mere 600 metres. We were fine for the first half hour, but then it started getting soooooo hot as we climbed stairs and walked up the trails. The Cunucu house was only at the half-way point. Herry guided us back to the car and we all had a huge gulp of water. So don't do what we did - forgot to take water with us as we believed it was just 600 metres - it was actually a 1.4 km trail. Leave a Comment
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Aruba has an amazing number of BEACHES all with their own special qualities. These are some of Aruba's Best Beaches.
ARASHI BEACH
The most northern beach on the island, just below the California Lighthouse. It is usually not crowded and is frequented by snorkelers hoping to see some elkhorn and brain coral. No facilities except beach huts for shade.
MALMOK BEACH
The best beach for snorkeling or learning how to windsurf. The wreck of the Antilla, a WWII German freighter, is a popular dive spot.Ten feet offshore there are small coral bays filled with fish.
PALM BEACH
Most of the large hotels are here so there are excellent facilities like banana boat rides, parasailing,sailing and snorkeling. You want to be early to stake out your "palapa " beach hut.
SURFSIDE BEACH
A little shell-shaped beach on the edge of Oranjestad with shallow water and no waves.
EAGLE BEACH
Voted one of the ten best beaches in the world, this is one long stretch of white sand with a gentle surf, shaded areas and picnic spots making this the ideal family beach and the favourite of the locals.
MANCHEBO BEACH
Just south of Eagle Beach there is a discreet top-optional section. While topless bathing is not illegal it is not acceptable on most public beaches.
BOCA GRANDI BEACH
Accessible by four-wheel drive on the northeast coast, you can enjoy the pounding surf. It is a popular wind-surfing location. Absolutel no swimming here.
BABY BEACH
Man-made rock breakwaters created a giant wading pool with water no more than five feet deep. With powdery sand , this is the perfect beach for children. Leave a Comment
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This popular beach has miles of sugary white sand and wonderful palm trees. Most of the high rise hotels are here on PALM BEACH so there are excellent facilities. Enjoy beach volleyball, banana-boat rides, parasailing, sailing and snorkeling. Hans and I loved to walk along this incredible beach. The water temperature was in the 80's and I loved it (hate cold water). You could do the dead man's float in the salty seawater.
Get there early to stake out your "Palapa" beach hut as the sun gets very hot here near the equator.
Loooooved walking along Palm Beach collecting shells and pieces of coral. Leave a Comment
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Blessed with continuing and cooling trade winds and pristine beaches, the island of ARUBA is part of the Leeward group of the Dutch Caribbean Islands. A year-round paradise, Aruba is also well known for its excellent shopping and great restaurants.
The island is a mere 70 square miles - 19.6 miles long and six miles across its widest point. Highest elevation is Mount Jamanota at 617 feet. Located 15 miles north of Venezuela.
Papiamento, Dutch, Spanish and English is widely spoken. Their currency is the florin, but U.S. dollars are widely accepted ( app. 1.80 florin = $1.00 U.S. )
Electricity is the same as Canada / U.S. 110 volts
Climate: Annual averages - Temperatures 82 degrees F. Water temperatures 80 degrees F
Drinking water - Aruba's distilled/ purified seawater is very safe to drink.
Hans and I flew out of Toronto and the non-stop flight took approximately 5 hours.
For more information contact:
Aruba Tourist Authority
Tel: 905 264 3434 or
1-800-268-3042
www.aruba.com Leave a Comment
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Perched high atop a hill on Aruba's far northwest side, the CALIFORNIA LIGHTHOUSE is quite impressive. Views of the island are amazing from up here especially Malmok Beach with its turquoise coral reefs. The Lighthouse was built in 1910 and was erected on a plateau named Hudishibana. It was named after a steamship named California which went down just off the coast in 1891.The lighthouse is not open to the public. Leave a Comment
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Exposed to the prevailing winds, the DIVI DIVI TREE leans away from the wind and its top, growing mostly to the lee side, appears to be blown out horizontally in the wind. It grows to approximately 30 feet. The trunk and branches are gnarled with gray bark.
Aruba's most famous Divi Divi tree is located on Eagle Beach. The once picturesque tree, with the turquoise sea behind it, ( subject of many photographs ) was mutilated by some heartless person and is now half dead and very sad looking. What a shame!
I must say I was intrigued by these strange looking trees and even had Herry stop to take pics of some I saw along the way. Thanks Herry for your patience. You're the best! Leave a Comment
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