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Aruba Attractions & Sightseeing
Arikok National Park
Surrounding Mt. Arikok near the center of the island is a natural preserve which features some of the oldest Arawak drawings, as well as trails that showcase Aruba's great variety of plants and animals like the divi-divi and kwihi trees, rare and exotic cacti, aloe, tropical flowers, birds and iguanas. There's also an old Aruban "cunucu" house, "cas ditorta," made of mud and grass. Together with the Coastal Protection Zone, Arikok National Park encompasses 25 percent of the island.
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Alto Vista Chapel
The chapel was built in 1952 on the site of the original, and first, Catholic church built in Aruba in 1750 by a Spanish missionary, Domingo Antonio Silvestre. The bright yellow chapel is reached by a winding road lined with white crosses marking the stations of the cross. It is a special place for peace and contemplation, surrounded by the Aruban countryside.
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Bushiribana Ruins
The remains of a gold smelter that was built of natural stone in 1825 and functioned for most of the 19th century. The ruins, mainly crumbling walls and graffiti, are interesting for their historical value, but the site has no guides or explanatory material. It's said that the smelter, in it's 90 years of operation, produced some three million pounds of gold.
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California Lighthouse
The lighthouse was named after a ship called the Californian, which has the distinction of having been in proximity of, and having received distress signals from, the Titanic, as she went down in icy waters in 1912. The Californian's radio operator was off-duty and asleep at the time of the disaster, and this small piece of bad karma perhaps sealed the Californian's fate. She went down in rough seas off the Aruba coast a few years after the Titanic sank, and to this day the ship is a popular dive site. Around the lighthouse are acres of stoned-filled flat land, and a area called California White Sand Dunes is very popular with kids who go dune surfing. Don't ask; it involves sliding down the dunes in any way that seems comfortable. Just wear strong jeans or trousers.
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De Oude Molen / Windmill
This old windmill was first built in 1804 in Holland and then shipped to Aruba piece by piece and reconstructed in 1960. It now features a moderately-priced restaurant that specializes in continental dining.
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Fort Zoutman And Willem III Tower
The oldest building in the country, this Dutch fortress now houses the Historical Museum of Aruba, where Caiquetio artifacts from the prehistoric past are now on display alongside remnants from the Dutch colonial period and other items of local interest. Museum open Mon-Fri from 10 a.m. to noon and 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.
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Natural Bridge - (collapsed on September 2, 2005)
This was one of Aruba's most popular attractions. The bridge was a formation
of coral limestone cut out by years of pounding surf, and was one of the largest of
these types of spans in the world. It standed some 23 feet (7 meters) above sea level
and spans more than 100 feet (30 meters).
There is no admission fee or set hours for visiting, but you'll find a few refreshment stands
nearby open daily.
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Natural Pool
The Natural Pool or "conchi" called "Cura di Tortuga" is a secret, hidden pool on the windward coast surrounded by rocks and is a perfect getaway for a moment of total relaxation.
The location of the pool is surrounded by some of Aruba’s most rugged terrain, so visitors truly gets the feeling of having "discovered" something when their eyes focus on the site. Diving from the rock cliffs into the protected pool of ocean water is the main reason why so many venture here off the beaten path.
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Oranjestad
The capital city, located on the southern coast near the western end of the island, is extremely picturesque with its Dutch colonial architecture in pastel colors. Along the wharf, merchants come to sell fresh fish and produce right off the boats every morning. The downtown area with shopping malls surrounding it is the primary shopping area on the island.
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Quadiriki Caves
Here you can see Arawak petroglyphs. The name is is also of Arawak origin. This isn't the only place on the island where the Arawaks drew their likenesses of people and fish and other objects, but it is the most accessible. The caves, located high in the wall of a limestone cliff, house many deep passages. The first two chambers, about as far as you can go, are damp and dark, filled with bat guano and dripping stones and graffiti along with the petroglyphs. At the front of the cave is a small concession that rents high-intensity flashlights, a definite must if you haven't brought your own. The concession is open daily 10am - 6pm.
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