Caribbean
Discovering Aruba, the Caribbean's "happy island" in the Kingdom of the NL
Ema Bakalova
Sep 4, 2023
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We planned the trip to Aruba the night before the flight. We wanted to spend the week in a topical destination, where we could both visit a new island in the Carribbean while still being able to spend most of our days working remotely and being productive. While the allure of revisiting familiar destinations is understandable, I love travelling to and exploring new places whenever possible. The opportunity to experience new environments and immerse myself in unfamiliar surroundings has played a huge role in my personal growth and discovery over the past few years.
West side vs east side of the island
Upon arriving in Aruba, I quickly noticed that it was more tourist-oriented than I had initially expected. We chose to stay near Eagle Beach for its reputation as one of the most stunning beaches on the island. It's a large beach, lining the west coast of the island, where the majority of the popular beaches are, including Eagle Beach and Palm Beach. This is primarily due to the fact there are calmer water conditions, and better overall conditions for swimming and water sports. The west coast is where you'll find the majority of the island's luxury resorts, high-rise hotels, restaurants, bars, and nightlife. The area is more developed and tourist-centric, offering a lively atmosphere with a focus on entertainment and shopping.
On the other hand, the east side of Aruba has a more rugged and untamed landscape. This part of the island is characterized by rocky shores, rugged terrain, and the water is much rougher. Since the water here tends to be rougher, it makes it less suitable for swimming but ideal for surfing or simply enjoying the natural beauty. The east coast is less developed and less populated, but is home to the huge Arikok National Park that takes up about 20% of the island.
Morning runs on the island
Aruba offers excellent opportunities to stay active with your morning walks, runs, or bike rides. Our routine involved a morning run along J.E. Irausquin Blvd, which stretches alongside Eagle Beach and beyond, on the west side of the island. Notably, this was the first island where we encountered dedicated lanes for biking and running, separate from the main street. This definitely made it easier to stay active throughout the day.
"And because life is too short for bad coffee - Some notable coffee shops to try are.."
Driving through Aruba
Upon arriving in Aruba, we arranged for a car rental at the airport. Arranged in advance, the driver met us at the airport and dropped off the rental car within a few minutes of our arrival. It was a very convenient, efficient and hassle-free process.
We enjoyed driving around Aruba, there is little traffic, and it takes about 45 minutes to drive from the north tip of the island to the south, which makes it easy to explore the whole island in a few days. A noteworthy detail about driving in Aruba is the absence of traffic lights, roundabouts exclusively manage the traffic. This allows for a consistent flow of traffic throughout the island, and you rarely have to come to a stop.
Mangel Halto Beach
We drove down the west coast of the island, with a mission to explore different beaches along the coast. From all the recommendations I received, Mangel Halto was said to be one of the island's "hidden gems," particularly renowned for its excellent snorkeling conditions.
Due to the calm water and the extensive rock formations and corals beneath the surface, it is the perfect environment for thriving marine life. There are great snorkeling opportunities by the shore, but if you're a more advanced swimmer, you can also swim outside the edge of the reef. This exposes you to much longer swims, so it shouldn't be done if you are not a good swimmer. But, venturing beyond the reef is where you'll discover the healthiest, most vibrant corals.
Baby Beach
Prior to our arrival in Aruba, Baby Beach was already on our radar as a must-visit beach on the island. The beach is on the southern most tip of the island, and its light blue and clear waters is what sets itself apart from other beaches on the island. It is in the shape of a crescent, resembling a natural pool, and is sheltered by partially man made rock formations, that allows for the water to remain calm and gentle. It is actually one of the few naturally sheltered beaches on the island, and if you love to snorkel, the clear waters at Baby Beach are great for exploring.
The lagoon is home to an array of marine life, including colorful tropical fish, sting rays, and even some coral formations. We spotted large parrotfish swimming and jumping near the water's surface. It was amazing—you could actually swim among them if you found the right spot. You can find these rainbow patterned fish, along with a variety of others, swimming close to the corals just a few inches under the water.
Arikok National Park
Arikok National Park covers approximately 20% of the island of Aruba. It's a significant portion of the island's landmass and plays a crucial role in preserving and showcasing the island's unique natural and cultural heritage. The park is home to a variety of wildlife and plants endemic to Aruba, making it an important conservation area for the island. It is known for its diverse range of landscapes, including a rugged coastline and a desert-like terrain, making it a popular destination for people who want to experience unique cactus forests, the desert, and deep sand dunes.
We spent the day in the national park, beginning with a drive through cactus forests and winding roads, making our way to the desert lookouts, natural caves and rock formations and the Conchi Natural Pools.
Drive to Boca Prins (Northern Loop)
The Northern Loop is a scenic drive that takes you along Aruba's rugged northeast coastline, offering stunning views of the rocky shoreline and waters below. The journey starts from the Arikok National Park visitor center. We were advised to complete the northern loop first, before embarking on the trip to the natural pools. As the initial points of interest are conveniently located along the same road and in the same direction, exploring this route first is more convenient before heading to the pools, accessed from the opposite side of the park. The first stop on your drive along the Northern loop is Boca Prins. Composed of large limestone formations, you will find a small beach, that spans a mere 55 meters, situated within the Boca Prins Bay.
Once you park your car and approach the cliff's edge, you're greeted by expansive desert landscapes, a vast expanse of seemingly untouched land. With few people around, the sense of standing in the uninhabited desert was heightened. The Boca Prins Bay is surrounded by cliffs along Aruba's eastern coastline.
Drive through Arikok, the cactus forest
One of my favorite things about the National Park were the drives through the cactus lined roads. The diverse physical appearances and growth patterns of the cacti complement each other, allowing them to collectively flourish in the arid conditions typical of desert landscapes. We took a very slow drive through the park, since the bumpy, winding road naturally made us slow down, encouraging us to take a closer look out the window.
The Cactus
Tall, thin cacti like the Saguaro or Organ Pipe Cactus have a columnar, tree-like structure with slender upright stems and often have thick branching arms. Their ribbed stems allow for expansion and contraction based on water availability, aided by deep taproots that help reach water sources deep within the soil. These cacti are known for the spines along their ribs, adapting to their arid environment.
In contrast, small, rounded leaf cacti such as the Barrel Cactus or Prickly Pear usually have a compact, globe-like shape with thick, fleshy stems, and shallow, widespread roots that allow them to quickly absorb water from rain and dew. Some, like the prickly pear, possess flat rounded pads that are modified stems. Despite their differences, both types showcase vibrant flowers and fruits, each adapted to thrive in arid environments through distinct features in their physical structures and growth habits. Both types of cacti minimize water loss by evolving spines (in the case of tall cacti) or having modified stems (in rounded leaf cacti), to mitigate evaporation.
Fontein Cave
The next stop after Boca Prins were the caves, Fontein and Quadriki Cave. We first stopped at Fontein Cave, that is otherwise referred to as the Huliba Cave. The entrance to the cave is easily accessible, with no steep steps to climb, so you can walk right in at ground level. The cave has very impressive stalactite and stalagmite formations that you can walk through as you explore the inside. The interior of the cave is relatively well lit, and you can see ancient Arawak Indian petroglyphs that are drawn on the walls, estimated to be around 1,000 years old.
Quadirikiri Cave
Guadiriki Cave, also known as Quadiriki Cave, is notable for its unique skylight openings that allow natural light to illuminate the interior of the cave. This results in a unique play of light and shadow on the walls as you walk throughout the cave. It is a more adventurous experience, because it is much darker (completely dark in most areas), much deeper, and the ground is much more uneven than the previous cave.
Unlike Fontein Cave, accessing Quadiriki is slightly harder because you need to climb steep steps that lead you to a higher point to enter the cave, as opposed to the ground-level entrance of Fontein. The cave has striking formations, including large chambers and beautiful limestone formations. The skylights, formed by collapsed sections of the cave ceiling are home to hundreds of bats that you will see flying around as you walk through.
Guadiriki Cave features a variety of large and small chambers that widen and shrink as you move deeper inside. Guided tours are often available, allowing you to learn about the cave's formations, history, and other significant facts. Otherwise, exploring the cave independently was really enjoyable, and it added elements of uncertainty that were exciting. You don't need to book a tour to enjoy it!
Through this blog, I hope to inspire you to seek out unique traveling opportunities, spark your love for travel and discover beautiful architecture. If you liked this article, sign up to get notified whenever a new post gets published!
