Aruba
Mesmerizing sunsets, a windblown park, fantastic wreck-diving and romantic dining on the beach: just a few reasons travelers find this island in the southern Caribbean so irresistible.
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For decades, thanks in no small part to the Beach Boys’ song “Kokomo” (“Aruba, Jamaica, oh, I wanna take you”), Aruba has been synonymous with paradise for American travelers. Even though Aruba sits just north of Venezuela, in the far south of the Caribbean, that doesn’t dissuade cruise ships from stopping at the island’s capital city, Oranjestad, or time-share vacationers from filling up its resorts. But while the resorts that line some of its beaches might make the island seem like many other vacation hot spots, around its edges, Aruba, a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, contains unique treasures: a windblown national park of volcanic crags and raging waves; a revitalizing town lined with mosaics and murals; and an offshore shipwreck considered one of the best wreck dives in the world.
With boutique hotels offering individualized experiences, and restaurants that offer memorable dining experiences — be it on a beach or in a parking lot — there’s a lot to explore in Aruba. Early risers are rewarded with flurries of brightly colored birds (like the orange-and-black troupial), roaming packs of donkeys and empty beaches. The western side of the island, from top to bottom, is dotted with restaurants, beaches and piers with unobstructed views of the setting sun hitting the water in a blaze — and sometimes, if you’re really lucky — or really tipsy — a green flash. Getting around Aruba is pretty easy for visitors: Roads are well-signaled and in good condition, and although Aruba’s currency is the Aruban florin, United States dollars are widely accepted.
Friday
1) 3 p.m. Beach-bumming
If you’re in Aruba, you’re probably interested in the beach, so waste no time in setting yourself up with a chair in the sand. Eagle Beach, sandwiched between the cruise terminal in Oranjestad and the high-rises in Palm Beach, has some of the most beautiful turquoise water and white sand on the island — or even in the Caribbean — in a low-key setting. Don’t forget to snap a selfie with the photogenic, wind-bent divi divi tree at the north end of the beach. One of the most chic ways to enjoy the sunset is by lounging at the bar of Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort hotel, right at the point on Eagle Beach, where the sand juts into the ocean. Although the chairs in the sand are reserved for hotel guests, anyone can post up at the bar. Grab a gin and tonic and settle in for a stunning sunset between palm trees.
36 Hours in Aruba
2) Aruba’s food language
Dive into Aruban cuisine with a meal under the trees at Papiamento, an upscale Aruban restaurant named for the local language. Housed in a traditional Aruban home, tables are arranged around a central pool, and diners can sample the classic Aruban dish, keeshi yena, a casserole of chicken stewed with olives and raisins and covered in cheese, or surf and turf served on a sizzling stone. Reservations recommended. Dinner for two, from about $100 to $150.
3) Tropical sports
Saturday mornings in Aruba are for high-intensity activity, so get out there by either going up (kite-surfing or windsurfing) or down (snorkeling or scuba diving). Hadicurari Beach is the best spot to find windsurfing and kite-surfing options; Aruba Active Vacationsoffers a two-hour package for beginners for $60. Aruba’s waters are also packed with colorful sea creatures, and Mangel Halto beach is known for its snorkeling. Scuba divers flock to Aruba for the wreck-diving around two sunken airplanes and the Antilla shipwreck; Aqua Windie’s can set you up with either snorkeling or scuba diving.
4) Barbecue, what else?
The ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao) love their ribs, and right in the center of Oranjestad, Babyback Grill has some of the best. A no-frills, open-air, cheap-eats barbecue joint in a parking lot, it’s the perfect place to devour an early, post-water-sport lunch with cold Amstel Brights (a Caribbean Amstel Light) in the bar, while old-school Aruban music plays through the speakers, and billows of smoke waft off the grill. Try the pork ribs but don’t forget the macaroni salad either. Lunch for two, about $30.
After a day in the sun, you might want to treat your sunburn with some of the aloe Aruba is famous for, so swing by the Aruba Aloe Factory and Museum Tour. Aruba Aloe is the most popular cosmetic brand in Aruba, with stores up and down the coast. Find out how aloe is raised, cut and processed with a free guided tour of their aloe fields and production facility, and save some time for sampling the goods in their chic store full of great gifts.
6) Road trip
It’s quite fun to tour around Aruba in a rental car, from top to bottom. For a tour of the top part of the island, called Noord, start first by loading up on Dutch snacks at Super Food Plaza, a supermarket that stepped right out of Holland and into the tropics, featuring not just a vast selection of Edam and Gouda cheeses, but also a stroopwafel (waffle cookies) station, also known as heaven. Next, cruise by resort row in Palm Beach where all of the big chain resorts are lined up and where the walking district comes alive at night. Keep driving up the beach road, taking in the views from the various beaches along the way, before reaching the California Sand Dunes, where rocky beaches and dunes display Aruba’s wild side. Pop by the California Lighthouse and climb up the 127 stairs to the top, or simply enjoy the view from the bluff it is situated on. If the climb made you thirsty, pop into Faro Blanco Restaurant, at the base of the lighthouse, for a glass of wine to go with the panoramic view over Noord.
7) Toes in the water
Head south to Savaneta for a romantic dining experience at Flying Fishbone. Diners can call ahead to reserve a table that sits either in the sand or the water and watch the sunset barefoot. Try the creamy corn and shrimp soup, and the blackened local red snapper when it is the catch of the day. Dinner for two, about $100.
8) Dutch breakfast
On the road from Oranjestad to Arikok National Park, the quaint little bakery Huchada serves up Dutch and Venezuelan baked goods like waffles and pan de jamón, and also crowd-favorite Aruban treats, like pastechis (hand pies) stuffed with meat, cheese or chicken. Wash it down with a coffee frappé or fresh soursop juice. Breakfast for two, $15.
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- EMAIL #JessKalinowsky JESS@FriendsTravel.com 24|7|365
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