Ambitious Itinerary: Aruba

To help my cousin, Christine, who is planning a trip to Aruba this month, I decided to start up a new series on my blog called "Ambitious Itinerary."  Basically, I'll provide a quick rundown of several places that we were able to fit into a visit to a certain place.  I call it ambitious because we often cram a lot into a short period of time and cover a lot of ground.  So without further ado, here is my first Ambitious Itinerary for the island of Aruba:

California Lighthouse

Day 1:

California Lighthouse - While not as epic as other lighthouses we have seen, it's still a nice spot to visit in Aruba.  This place is more about the area rather than the lighthouse itself, as there are views of the ocean and walking trails to help take in the warm Aruba breeze and atmosphere from the top of the hill.  If they cleaned up the lighthouse, it would be a much better place to visit.  We didn't get to try it, but supposedly the Italian restaurant, La Trattoria el Faro Blanco, adjacent to the lighthouse is pretty good.





Day 2:

Semi-Submerged Submarine Tour - Even though we didn't stay at the Aruba Marriott Resort, we stopped in there to book a submarine tour out of the Palm Beach area.  The submarine would not fully submerge underwater, so half of the vessel would be above water at all times.  This gave us a chance to see the undersea wildlife up close and also take a look at the Antilla, the World War II German freighter and largest shipwreck in the Caribbean.  This 90 minute tour was enjoyable, where we saw a ton of fish and divers exploring the wreckage of the ship.

Keeshi Yena

The Old Cunucu House - We ate dinner here one night to get a taste of the Aruban cuisine.  I was recommended to try this place over the popular Madame Janette because it was considered more "authentic." I can't compare because we didn't try both places; however, at the Old Cunucu House, we ordered the famous local dish, keeshi yena - a chicken dish baked with cheese, peppers, raisins and other veggies.  I'm glad we tried it, but honestly, it was not as memorable as I would have liked it to have been.



Day 3:

Moomba Beach Bar & Restaurant - This little beach bar and restaurant was our morning stop for brunch.  It's located near the Holiday Inn and Marriott Surf Club, right on Palm Beach.  The place has no walls, so you are engulfed in the fun beach atmosphere.  The food was nothing unique, and I'm sure this place is better and more lively in the evening.

Aruba Sign - For the tourist in you, you can stop here for a quick photo.  This is somewhere in downtown, and you should be able to see it from the main road in downtown Oranjestad.  It certainly promotes the Aruba logo and slogan, "One happy island."  There wasn't really anyone around when we stopped during midday, so we were able to take a bunch of shots.

Baby Beach

Baby Beach - Likely considered the best beach on Aruba, this place is located at the southeastern corner of the island.  It was about a 40 minute trek from where we stayed but was well worth the visit.  The waters here are clear, calm and shallow enough for you to walk further out or sit down to cool off underwater.  You can also have your beach chairs sit right in the water!  The white sands also offer a soft, warm texture at your feet.  We were lucky to grab an unoccupied hut where we could park our towels and get some shade.  However, you can also rent cabanas and chairs from the local lady for a hefty price: $40 was the quote I was given.  Baby Beach is a must - and worth spending a few hours relaxing and enjoying.

Natural Bridge - This place requires a car (or an ATV) to get to.  It's on the north end of island toward the center.  You'll need to drive on a dirt road area near cliffs with a view of the Caribbean Sea.  At the end of the road, you'll find a small parking lot next to the famous "Natural Bridge" site.  Unfortunately, you'll find that the coral bridge collapsed back in 2005, so you'll see ruins of where the bridge used to lie.  In addition, there is still a cove where water run under a big portion of land, so it's kind of like a bridge!  Beware: we originally followed the GPS here, and it led us to a dirt road neighborhood with a dead end!

Alto Vista Chapel

Day 4:

Alto Vista Chapel - This nice little chapel at the top of a hill on the northwestern part of the island.  Noord, it's a beautiful structure that marks the spot where many Arubans converted to Christianity.  Pictures don't do this place justice.  We visited it twice during a week stay in Aruba, and while both times the weather was overcast, it was still a nice landmark to see.  Also, don't miss out on seeing the Peace Labyrinth behind it.

Philip's Animal Garden - This place is kind of a hidden gem, especially for animal lovers.  The place is a nonprofit organization that takes in rescued animals from zoos and other regional places that may have shut down.  They take care of the animals and allow people to visit and feed them.  I took my kids here and spent about 2 hours seeing different animals from local islands, including peacocks, goats and other animals.  We got a kick out of feeding carrots to the animals!

Aruba Aloe Factory & Museum - No trip is complete without picking up some famous Aruban aloe lotion.  We made a quick stop here to see the museum and buy some aloe products in their gift shop.  Unfortunately, we didn't have enough time to take the factory tour, but the museum offered us plenty to see and understand how Aruba became known for its aloe products.

Downtown Oranjestad - Next to the cruise port offers lots of shopping and restaurants.  We stopped here for a little souvenir shopping on one of our last days.  You can walk around the different shops, and they usually have a swap meet and vendor stands that offer you less expensive deals on gifts to bring back home for family and friends.


Pin Stops Ranking: 5 Pins

There was much more that we crammed into our trip to Aruba but difficult to get them all down in this post.  There is just so much to experience like seeing the famous Divi Divi trees and spending a lot of time just relaxing in the pool or on the beach.  I can see why many people return back to Aruba several times to enjoy its warm weather and great island atmosphere.  Personally, it feels like Aruba is a common destination for East Coasters where those on the West Coast tend to head to Hawaii for their island adventure.  I would definitely go back for another vacation in Aruba!