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Honeymoons
> Research A
Trip
Attractions
In Oranjestad--Aruba's capital, Oranjestad, attracts more
shoppers than sightseers. The bustling city has a very Caribbean
flavor, with part-Spanish, part-Dutch architecture. The main
thoroughfare, Lloyd G. Smith Boulevard, cuts in from the airport
along the waterfront and on to Palm Beach, changing its name
along the way to J. E. Irausquin Boulevard. Most visitors cross
it to head for Caya G. F. Betico Croes and the best duty-free
shopping.
After a shopping trip, you might return to the harbor where
fishing boats and schooners, many from Venezuela, are moored.
Nearly all newcomers to Aruba like to photograph the Schooner
Harbor. Colorful boats dock along the quay, and boat people
display their wares in open stalls. The local patois
predominates. A little farther along, at the fish market, fresh
fish is sold directly from the boats. Wilhelmina Park, named
after Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, is also on the sea
side of Oranjestad. The park features a tropical garden along
the water and a sculpture of the Queen Mother.
In Oranjestad
Aruba's capital, Oranjestad, attracts more shoppers than
sightseers. The bustling city has a very Caribbean flavor, with
part-Spanish, part-Dutch architecture. The main thoroughfare,
Lloyd G. Smith Boulevard, cuts in from the airport along the
waterfront and on to Palm Beach, changing its name along the way
to J. E. Irausquin Boulevard. Most visitors cross it to head for
Caya G. F. Betico Croes and the best duty-free shopping.
After a shopping trip, you might return to the harbor where
fishing boats and schooners, many from Venezuela, are moored.
Nearly all newcomers to Aruba like to photograph the Schooner
Harbor. Colorful boats dock along the quay, and boat people
display their wares in open stalls. The local patois
predominates. A little farther along, at the fish market, fresh
fish is sold directly from the boats. Wilhelmina Park, named
after Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, is also on the sea
side of Oranjestad. The park features a tropical garden along
the water and a sculpture of the Queen Mother.
In the Countryside
If you can lift yourself from the sands for an afternoon, you
might like to drive into the cunucu, which in Papiamento means
"the countryside." Here Arubans live in modest, colorful,
pastel-washed houses, decorated with tropical plants that
require expensive desalinated water. Visitors who venture into
the center of Aruba will want to see the strange divi-divi tree,
with its trade-wind-blown coiffure.
From Oranjestad, take Caya G. F. Croes (7A) toward Santa Cruz.
Soon you'll reach Hooiberg, affectionately known as "The
Haystack," Aruba's most outstanding landmark. Anybody with the
stamina can climb steps to the top of this 541-foot-high hill.
On a clear day, you can see Venezuela from here.
Aruba is studded with massive boulders. You'll find the most
impressive ones at Ayo and Casibari, northeast of Hooiberg.
Diorite boulders stack up as high as urban buildings. The rocks
weigh several thousand tons and puzzle geologists. Ancient
Amerindian drawings appear on the rocks at Ayo. At Casibari, you
can climb to the top for a panoramic view of the island or a
close look at rocks that nature has carved into seats or
prehistoric birds and animals. Pay special attention to the
island's unusual species of lizards and cacti. Casibari is open
daily from 9am to 5pm, with no admission charge. There's a lodge
at Casibari where you can buy souvenirs, snacks, soft drinks,
and beer.
Guides can also point out drawings on the walls and ceiling of
the Caves of Canashito, south of Hooiberg. You may get to see
some giant green parakeets here as well.
Near San Nicolas
As you drive along the highway toward the island's southernmost
section, you may want to stop at the Spaans Lagoen (Spanish
Lagoon), where pirates hid and waited to plunder rich cargo
ships in the Caribbean. Today it's an ideal place for
snorkeling, and you can picnic at tables under the mangrove
trees.
To the east, you'll pass an area called Savaneta, where some of
the most ancient traces of human habitation have been unearthed.
You'll see here the first oil tanks that marked the position of
the Lago Oil Transport Company, the Exxon subsidiary around
which the town of San Nicolas developed. San Nicolas was a
company town until 1985, when the refinery curtailed operations.
Twelve miles from Oranjestad, it is now called the Aruba Sunrise
Side, and tourism has become its main economic engine.
Boca Grandi, on the windward side of the island, is a favorite
windsurfing location; if you prefer quieter waters, you'll find
them at Baby Beach and Rodgers Beach, on Aruba's leeward side.
Baby Beach offers the island's best beach-based snorkeling.
Seroe Colorado (Colorado Point) overlooks the two beaches. From
here, you can see the Venezuelan coastline and the pounding surf
on the windward side. If you climb down the cliffs, you're
likely to spot an iguana; protected by law, the once-endangered
saurians now proliferate in peace.
You can see cave wall drawings at the Guadarikiri Cave and
Fontein Cave. At the Huliba and Tunnel of Love caves, guides and
refreshment stands await visitors. In spite of its name, the
Tunnel of Love cave requires some physical stamina to explore.
It is filled with steep climbs, and its steps are illuminated
only by hand-held lamps. Wear sturdy shoes and watch your step.
Arikok National Park (tel. 297/8-28001) is a desertlike
ecological preserve that sprawls over some 18% of the island's
area, starting on the east coast and jutting inland almost to
the west coast. The island's rich crust makes it one of the rare
places in the world with geological origins you can trace with a
naked eye. Hiking trails make it easy to explore the preserve's
unusual terrain and diverse flora and fauna. Iguanas and many
species of migratory birds nest in the park, and goats and
donkeys graze on nearby brush trees. Some of the island's best
examples of early Indian art and artifacts are preserved within
its boundaries. If you're up for something new, try dune sliding
with the locals at the nearby Boca Prins dunes. At dusk,
parakeets and other birds bid a cacophonous farewell in
Jaburibari.
On the jagged, windswept northern coast, the unrelenting surf
carved the Natural Bridge out of coral rock. You can order
snacks in a little cafe overlooking the coast. You'll also find
a souvenir shop with trinkets, T-shirts, and wall hangings for
reasonable prices. |
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