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Honeymoons > Research A Trip Aruba
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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