The Chapel of Aruba

Stone pews line the chapel front

To continue off our Ambitious Itinerary from Aruba, I thought I'd share a series of stories about our visit to the island in the spring of 2013.  We will start on the north end of the island where we can find a small chapel known as the Alto Vista Chapel.  The chapel is located in the northeastern end in the city of Noord (which translates as "North" appropriately) and is accessible by a short drive up to the top of a hill that faces a view of the ocean.

Alto Vista Chapel has been standing since 1952 and was apparently built on the same location of the original Catholic chapel from the 1700s.  This chapel has religious and historical significance to the area as it is considered the location where many Native Arubans had converted to Christianity.  On our drive up, we passed through dirt and partially paved roads and saw stations of the Cross posted on a different points along the path.  These all lead up to the top where parking is located next to the chapel on an open dirt lot.


When we arrived, we found the two big wooden front doors of the chapel wide open for all to enter and look inside.  The chapel itself is not very big - probably fits about 10-15 people that can kneel and pray.  There are no stained glass windows that you would commonly find on a church and its modest size provided just a small amount of religious artifacts.  Outside in front are stone pews painted in a creamy color to match the chapel that can accommodate more people if they choose to join for a mass.  These were great for sitting and taking pictures in front of the chapel.

Peace Labyrinth

The surrounding area makes you feel like you are in the middle of nowhere.  You can view the ocean and surrounding mountain areas with trails that lead in different directions.  Many of the ATV tours come up this way to stop at the chapel and enjoy the atmosphere.  In the back of the chapel, make sure you don't miss seeing the Peace Labyrinth, a rock maze that's designed to as a peaceful walk as you reflect on your own thoughts.  There was no one there when we visited the labyrinth, so I walked through it for quite a bit of time.  Supposedly, it can take about 10-15 minutes to walk through the entire path, allowing you to contemplate peaceful thoughts.

Pin Stop Ranking: 4 Pins

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.