Oranjested, Aruba
Overview of My Trip
Morning: Private Tour- Glen Tours Aruba – Private Tours Aruba
- Casibari Rock Formations
- Eagle Beach
- Butterfly Farm
- Drive Bys
Afternoon: UTV Tour- De Palm Tours | Aruba Excursions & Adventure Tours
- Animal Sanctuary
- Oldest Chaple
- Diamond Mines
- Baby Bridge & Cliff Jumping
Known as the ‘Happy Island’ Aruba is a paradise on Earth located off the coast of Venezuela. The perfect mix of beach and desert makes it ideal for the adventurers and vacationers alike. Whether you’re planning on spending a week at one of the many resorts or hopping off a cruise ship for a few hours – here’s my guide to Aruba!
Oranjested, Aruba
Private Half Day Tour
Welcome to The Happy Island
Thank You Glen!
Bon Bini! Welcome to Aruba! Aruba is a desert island originally home to Dutch colonists… until 1986, but now operates as its own country. With most locals choosing to stay their entire lives it’s easy to find a true native to take you around the island and even easier to find one that speaks English as its one of four required languages: Dutch (colonies), English (School language), French, and Papiamento (the local language)!
I love learning from locals and hearing their stories and perspectives on the country where they have their pride. We start off our day meeting up with our local guide, Glen. He picked us up from the cruise port and started the day out of the tourist center to visit more hidden sights of Aruba!
Before I tour you around the island, I want to clear up a misconception I even had before visiting. ARUBA IS NOT ALL BEACHES! In fact, very little of the island looks like the pictures I saw online of turquoise waters and plush sand. Aruba is basically the Arizonia of the Caribbean – let me take you around my favorite Caribbean Island… which is saying something because there’s a lot of them!
Tours By Glen
Want to follow my exact trip? Here’s the tour I took!
- Local Tour Guide
- Various Tour Lengths
- Iconic Spots Around the Island
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Casibari Formations
Contrasting the flat land of Aruba Casibari rocks are boulders which when climbed allow 75% of the island to be visible. Known as one of the highest points of the island that helped early settlers to decide on the location of Oranjested.
Check out the Ayo rock formations for similar views and geological features.
Climbing up can be physically strenuous with steep stairs and climbing through short passages.
Eagle Beach – #2 in the World
Let’s get beachy! While many people consider me an adrenaline junkie in constant need of adventure, I love a relaxing day at the beach just as much. After climbing the Casibari rocks a walk along the shoreline helped me catch my breath and a breeze. Eagle Beach is known for two distinct features 1) The “sand” and 2) the wildlife and animals. There actually isn’t any sand on the beach! The white colored grit is ground up coral covering the entire surface even preventing the “sand” from burning in the sun. No need to worry about burning my feet before getting my tan! But if tanning isn’t quite your thing take a look for flamingos… the animal of Aruba!
Butterfly Farm and Gardens
Butterflies & Flowers
Coming from almost every corner of the globe (Asia, Australia, South America, and Africa) the Butterfly Farm (no, there isn’t a more creative name), the butterflies showcased here are truly a diverse group! Beyond the butterflies you can find cocoon centers and caterpillars capturing all the stages of the butterfly life cycle.
Unexpected Stop
Driving past a rainbow sign for a ‘Butterfly Farm’ is pretty hard to pass up! The partially outdoor and indoor facility brings the tropics to the desert. I walked along a pathway through various gardens of flowers and butterflies landing on my shoulders as I walked. For the low price of $10 for an infinite amount of time among the beauties and a tour of various species… well let’s just say I wish it wasn’t such a secret spot!
Extra Information
California Light House: Named after the USS California ship which sunk off the coastline of Aruba, the lighthouse of the same name sits at the north end of the island! Standing for over 100 years it’s worth a stop for the dining experiences from vendors around, views from the top, and appreciation that lighthouses now guide the way for ships.
Volcanic Rocks: Many will leave Aruba without realizing they just left the work of a grand volcano! The island was formed similarly to others such as the Hawaiian Islands with a build of cooled lava making the surface of the land. Take a look around at the jagged rocks and cooled lava still visible especially around the California Lighthouse.
Cashew Trees: With many of the plants being imported to make the island more appealing to a resort eye, the palm trees barely feel of note! However, along the sides of the road are cashew trees where the fruit (yes, the nut comes from fruit!) are grown.
Aloe Vera: The singular export of Aruba, aloe vera is found all over the island protecting any unsuspecting tourists from sunburns. The pointy plant is almost always an arm’s length away to break off and rub on a burn. Want a true Aruban souvenir – try visiting one of the aloe shops for a lotion or bath product!
Flamingos: For years visiting my local zoo, I’ve wondered where a wild flamingo would be found… well it’s not Aruba! The pink birds have become a symbol of the island since a private resort company (Renaissance) brought them to their beach. It may be worth it to see a ‘wild’ flamingo away from a zoo just keep in mind… they aren’t actually native!
Back Country, Aruba
UTV Tour Afternoon
Can you tell what my pick was for the day – a UTV tour across Aruba’s back country! The rugged terrain and bumpy ride is everything I love for a true ‘Off Road Adventure’!
Saying goodbye “Ayo” to Glen we were dropped off at Phillips Animal Garden to start off the tour! Waiting for the ride to start we wandered around the strangest collection of animals ranging from camels and horse to snakes, macaws, goats, monkeys and turtles! I may or may not have been chomped on by the camel (what can I say I’m a snack)! Cleaned up from that ordeal I hopped alongside my 82-year-old grandpa… the guy is still up for any adventure with me… and revved the engine for a tour of a lifetime!
Within only four hours a lot was crammed into the route, so I’ll quickly describe all the stops! First was the oldest chapel on the island- Alto Vista Chapel. Originally founded by Spanish colonists the chapel was renovated for tourism though occasionally holiday services are still hosted in the cliffside beauty. Diamond mine ruins were up next as an old mining site turned into a tourist hiking spot complete with crumbling bricks and some fairly unstable foundations. Nature sites included the natural baby bridge and a local beach not commonly visited or seen by tourists. With 15-30 minutes planned for each stop it can feel a little intense and rushed!
Cliff Jumping Away
All the stops were lively and photogenic but only one fulfilled my bucket list dreams! Arguably the best part of the afternoon and day in Aruba was the chance to go cliff jumping into a cave pool! Parking the UTV’s on top of the rocky shelf I couldn’t see the so-called pool below us. After climbing down a ladder… definitely in need of a few repairs… I was at the ledge. The adrenaline pumping experience was worth the cool off in the water and dust being long gone!
Aruba is filled with experiences to become the happiest person on the ‘Happy Island’ and I left feeling like I had taken full advantage! Tourism is Aruba’s’ ONLY industry meaning all the locals I met are depending on people like me and you to go and visit their island. With a little something for everyone add this wonder to your bucket list! Check out cruise itineraries (less crowded in the summer) for an easy getaway to this paradise and many more! Catch me in Aruba maybe by the time you visit I’ll be fluent in Papiamentu (the local language!) Danki! Ayo!
