Aruba, is a location that’s less considered in the mainstream tourism boom. It’s a more laid-back destination that’s perfect for honeymooners or someone that just needs a retreat.
Turquoise water, fine white beaches, all-inclusive resorts, that’s all there. However, there’s a much more charming side to Aruba. Here are all the things you can do to see this side of the island country.
Pay a visit to Pelican Beach
Outside of the hustle and bustle of the hotel and resort zone, you can journey off with a quick drive or walk to find this immaculately untouched beach where countless pelicans come to sleep before sunset.
Go for an evening art walk
Aruba is known as the street art capital of the Caribbean. Everyone you look, you’re bound to see vibrant, colorful murals on the street, sides of the buildings, and if you’re lucky, there are some local artists that will you let you view their personal collections if you ask in advance.
Explore The Arikok National Park
This isn’t the type of national park you’d expect; there are no lush green plants or trees around. This park looks more like a wasteland of red rock and cacti. This national park consists of about 20% of the island’s total area. A particular and interesting attraction in this national park is the scorched rock art left there by the locals.
Dine in at Papamiento
This is hard to forget the experience. The Papameiento Restaurant is surrounded by a lush garden, treetops filled with little twinkling lights, and a gorgeous, sparkling pool. The property is filled with intriguing, European antiques that date all the way back to the 1800s. There’s attention to detail and personality that went into making this restaurant a once-in-a-lifetime dining experience.
See the flamingos at the Renaissance Island resort.
These majestic, pink birds lounge on the shoreside Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino. If you want to catch some amazing photos, catch them at sunset. Once in the sun goes down, book a massage at the shoreside spa. Go ahead, treat yourself, you deserve it.
Stay in a casita
What is a casita you ask? It’s a small house or cottage. Aruba is filled with high rise hotels, flooding with so much bright light, you can feel like you’re enduring sensory overload. Sensory overload can be a good thing, if it’s in nature, of course.
Down by the boardwalk, you can find countless, brightly-painted casitas. A view of the beach and green tropical foliage definitely makes a nice change of pace. Another nice thing about these casitas is that they’re usually family-owned giving you a hand-crafted experience and a staff that treats you like a close friend.
Drive out to the Californian Lighthouse
This is one of the more known landmarks in Aruba. Sitting at the northwest tip of Aruba, there is a unique lighthouse. The reason it’s called the Californian Lighthouse is that it’s the location of where a wooden vessel, the S.S California became shipwrecked.