Aruba Diverse Destination
The attractions of Aruba extend well beyond the beaches. There are the coves of Andicuri and Dos Playa. The quaint countryside houses and the colorful birds at Frenchman’s Pass. The chapel of Alto Vista. The graves of early settlers at Seroe Patrishi. Fort Zoutman, the old Protestant church, and the ornate, hand-carved neo-Gothic altar in the church of Santa Anna at Noord.
On the wild side are the old California lighthouse and the sand dunes of California and Boca Prins. The Natural Bridge our number one tourist attraction before it collapsed in August 2005. Visitors can still enjoy the Baby Natural Bridge right next to it. The grotto of Guadirikiri. The gold-mill ruins at Bushiribana and Balashi. The rock formations of Ayo and Casibari. The painted Indian petrographs in the cave at Fontein, on the rocks of Arikok National Park, and elsewhere.
NATURALIST PURSUITS
Arikok national park
A day of discovery is as easy as a walk in the park, with the island’s Arikok National Park providing a glimpse into the island’s past and enjoyment of its natural beauty.
A rich blend of colors and textures are found in the awesome features of Aruba’s untouched landscapes. The azure blue of the Caribbean Sea at the horizon is thrown in contrast to the rolling green of cactus-studded hills, the dark hues of pockmarked limestone plateaus and the stark white of undulating sand dunes. Its beauty, though raw, rivals the orderly environs of the carefully manicured gardens of the island’s resorts.
Finding the park, a protected area that encompasses almost 20 percent of the island’s landmass, is easy. Deciding on which trail to plot can be an overwhelming yet tempting task. Officially set aside as a protected area in 1997, the park foundation is now planning the construction of a Visitor’s Center, which would help illuminate for the visitor the park’s many natural, historic and cultural treasures.
Accompanied by the constant wind and the occasional cry of the Aruba’s "prikichi" parakeet, hikers can appreciate the diversity of Aruba’s native flora species with park rangers helping to point out examples of Aruba’s 48 different types of native trees, some species of which are so scarce that they can only be found in the confines of the park.
Other discoveries can be found in the animal species that find refuge under the park system, including the "shoco," an endangered burrowing owl, and the tiny "blenchi" hummingbird.
Leisurely adventure is found in the 20 miles of walking trails that have already been blazed through the park and take travelers past the island’s most interesting sites. Suggested trails include the Miralamar trail (translating literally as Sea View) as it is a place where you can appreciate Aruba from all sides, with views of the sea on both the north and southern coasts, and with the trail also leading past the remains of an old gold mine.
Other highlights include the picturesque Cunucu Arikok trail that leads visitors on a stroll past a hundred-plus year old "Casdi Torto" adobe home (one of only three examples of which still exist on the island) as well as huge tonalite boulders on which can be found Indian rock drawings.
Similar Aruban rock drawings can be found on the roof of the Fontein cave, the trail to which also leads to the Fontein plantation, site of a fresh water pond and the original weekend refuge for the island’s early Dutch Lieutenant Governors.
Rangers are regularly stationed at different locations, including the Fontein cave, ready to explain the attraction for the curious visitor. Intrepid travelers can recharge at the snack shop found along the road to the Fontein cave.
Photo by Jessica Wilt
Arikok National Park includes a number of important and diverse natural and historical areas including:
Arikok Center, the mid-section of the park with access possible from the main road through Santa Cruz, is an area that features the Arikok hilltop, which at 184.5 meters above sea level, is the second highest point in Aruba. The area also features examples of early Native Aruban art and artifacts, and domestic and farm facilities (traditional "cunucu" (countryside) houses and "cas di torto" mud-covered homesteads). The island’s only fresh water source found here facilitated plantation farming of coconuts, aloe and fruit – with the remains of the Prins Plantation and the still-functioning Fontein Plantation as visual reminders of early agriculture. Fontein cave, which contains clear indications of Indian rock drawings, is also found in this area. Jamanota Center, located south of the Arikok Center includes the 10 11 highest hilltop in Aruba (Jamanota at 189 meters), and the remains of an old gold mining operation at Miralamar.
The park is also home to other important natural areas including the beach cove of Dos Playa located on the coast of the island’s windward side, south of which are the caves of Quadirikiri and Huliba (Tunnel of Love).
More information contact the Arikok Park Foundation, e-mail address: pna@setarnet.aw
Aruba Ostrich Farm
Located on the road to the Natural Bridge by the Bushiribana Gold Mill Ruins, this five-hectare large ostrich farm provides an educational experience with an incubator-cum-hospital on site.
Guided tours provided every half hour from 9am until 4 pm.
Features also include Savanna Lodge bar and restaurant, open for lunch and dinner, and Authentic African Art Store.
Butterfly farm
J. E. Irausquin Blvd.
Home to 32 different species of butterflies from around the world, visitors have the opportunity to appreciate and learn more about these fanciful winged creatures. Guided tours are given of this real working farm, where butterflies are raised from egg to caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly. Open every day, 9am to 4:30pm. One payment — US$ 10 for adults, US$ 5 for children — ensures a free pass to the farm for the length of a visitor’s stay.
Bubali Bird Sanctuary Or Bubali Plas, is an official nature preserve. This fresh water lagoon is located not far from the hotel strip and represents an important nesting site for the Blue Heron, Green Heron, Cattle
Egret and the Snowy Egret. A tower, located just at the edge of the cattail marsh, across from the Mill Resort, offers a vantage point for viewing a variety of different bird species year round, especially during late fall when the birds migrate to the South.
Tern Island
Terns, also known as sea swallows can be found in breeding colonies along the reef inlets near the Valero Energy Corporation in San Nicolas. Seven different terns, including the Royal Tern, the Sandwich Tern, the Cayenne Tern, Common Tern and the Least Tern, can be found in this area.
Other birding locations on Aruba include the saltpans at Palm Beach and Malmok, the California lighthouse, Tierra del Sol Golf Course, Spanish Lagoon and, of course, Arikok National Park. Both resident and migratory species are abundant but, as one would expect, water birds are some of the most plentiful on the island. Dainty sandpipers, dashing along the shoreline feasting on brine flies and other small insects, can be appreciated as can the sight of pelicans sitting together in small flocks. Aruba represents an important refuge for these birds, in particular for the brown pelican, which is found on all of the ABC islands, but is known only to breed consistently on Aruba. More colorful native species include the Yellow Oriole (Trupial) and the Barica Geel (Banaquit). Aruba is also home to birds of prey — the Kinikini (falcon) and the Warawara (vulture).
The island’s most ubiquitous inland bird species include the Mofi (Black-faced Grassquit), Chuchubi (Tropical Mockingbird) and the Totolica (Common Ground Dove).
Sea Turtle Nesting Season: Four species of sea turtles, the leatherback, green turtle, hawksbill and loggerhead, nest on Aruba each year, March through September. Aruba, as a member of WIDECAST (Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Network), compiles data and works to protect nests and hatchlings.
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HISTORICAL HOMES AND CULTURAL SITES
Aruba history
Aruba’s earliest inhabitants came to the island from the South American mainland, in small vessels, about 4,000 years ago.
These first Indians were hunters and gatherers who lived in small, scattered groups. The crop-growing Caquetio Indians of the Arawak tribe, many of whose artifacts can be seen in Aruban museums today, arrived about 1,000 A.D. and settled in three large villages on the island.
The first European to land on Aruban shores was the Spanish explorer Alonso de Ojeda, who is thought to have arrived about 1499. The Spanish had exported the Indians to Hispaniola and put them to work in the copper mines, although many later drifted back to work in the island’s cattle- and horse-breeding industries.
During the years that followed, ownership of the island changed hands several times. In 1636, near the culmination of the Eighty Years War between Spain and Holland, the Dutch took possession and remained in control for nearly two centuries. In 1805, during the Napoleonic Wars, the English briefly took over the island, but it was returned to Dutch control in 1816.
A picture into Aruba’s different epochs, from its Indian inhabitation, through colonial times and into the modern era, can be appreciated at the island’s varied
MUSEUMS:
Aruba Historical Museum
Get an idea of how the island’s first settlers lived and worked with numerous antique farm implements and household goods on display. The museum is housed in Oranjestad’s oldest structure of Fort Zoutman, built in the 1700’s. Small fee required for entry. Fort Zoutmanstraat z/n
Numismatic Museum Aruba
Provides a view of Aruba’s first coins, including the "yotin" and "dipchi," as well as monetary tender from around the world, and also features rotating art exhibits.
The museum is housed in the historic yellow house found behind the Oranjestad bus terminal, and next to the Royal Plaza Mall. Small fee required for entry. E-mail: numisaruba@hotmail.com, www.museumaruba.org
Aruba Antiquity Museum
Private collection display of island antiques. The museum is housed in a private home but is open to the general public on a regular basis by appointment. Timbalstraat 11 Tarabana.
Aruba Model Trains Museum
Private collection display of model trains and memorabilia. The museum is housed in a private home in San Nicolas, near Costa Riba restaurant, just before Seroe Colorado on your way to Baby Beach.
Aruba Aloe Museum Tour
Aloe is thought to bring good luck and health and can be found hanging from the ceilings of island homes. The plant was also the key to the island’s early prosperity with Aruba once largely a collection of farms. Tours are offered throughout the day. Website: www.aruba.aloe.com
City Hall (Stadhuis)
Erected between 1922-1925, it was the former home and professional residence of Doctor Eloy Arends. In 1986, the property was purchased by the government and was later restored to its former glory. The salon of the house is where civil wedding ceremonies are carried out. The stadhuis is connected to the former Hotel Colombia, which forms the island’s census and civil registry offices.
Fort Zoutman And Willem III Tower
The fort is the island’s oldest surviving historical structure, built in 1796. The fort was named after Johan Arnold Zoutman, a rear admiral in the Fourth English War in which the English were forced to retreat in August 1781. The former Dutch stronghold is now home to the Aruba Historical Museum.
