A Guide to Aruba: Restaurants, Bars, Shopping and Beaches by Melanie Reffes
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Marketed with the snappy slogan “90,000 friends you haven’t met yet,” the island sits twenty kilometers from Venezuela in the southern fringes of the hurricane belt. Cactus-studded, the Dutch territory entices with a bounty of restaurants, immaculate beaches and sizzling nightlife. With twenty-eight hotels, two-hundred restaurants and a repeat visitor base of 60%, Aruba is a must-go.
Appetites Rule
A potpourri of global recipes, Aruba’s cuisine is the quintessential Caribbean culinary experience. The national dish, Keshi Yena - meat baked in the shell of the red-waxed Edam cheese - is a hearty meal and for those with a sweet tooth, coconut cocada and Dutch chocolate aim to please.
New on the restaurant scene, De Suikertuin or Sugar Garden is in a historic mansion in Wilhelminastraat with a front porch bar and nooks and crannies for romantic dinners. In the South Beach Center, Café de Pijp opened in July with a lively tradition called Pelpinda where patrons are invited to toss peanut shells on the floor.
The Flying Fishbone goes beachfront one better by planting tables in the water for an immersive dining experience. In the town of Savaneta, the menu tempts with a scrumptious casserole of shrimp, shiitake mushrooms and blue cheese. Lobster and tuna are also good bets. A seashell away from the Flying Fishbone, Old Man and the Sea entices with papaya-seared catch of the day and an antique bed that doubles as a majestic dinner table.
Named after the dusty road it’s on, B55 is an open-air eatery with sweeping views of Arikok National Park and hefty portions of mahi-mahi grilled on a charcoal barbecue. At the Surfside Marina, Pincho’s is revered for Aruban Wahoo fillet while Salt and Pepper on Irausquin Boulevard kick-starts the morning with a Gouda omelet.
An island success story, Madame Janette started ten years ago with fifteen tables and today eighty tables are scattered across a backyard illuminated by glowing wicker-shaded pendants. Big portions include almond-crusted grouper with piece de resistance, the Austrian chef's savory apple strudel.
Testing the Waters
Palm Beach and Eagle Beach lead the pack of grand strands. Packed with tourists and hotels, Palm Beach buzzes day and night while south to Eagle Beach, the quieter shore is idyllic for swimming and shell-collecting.
Surfers throng to the east coast where rocky terrain meets crashing waves at Dos Playa while sunset seekers head for the northwestern tip to an area Arubans call Arashi Flats. On the eastern edge, the aptly named Baby Beach borders a flat bay and is ideal for families with young children, hence the name.
Wild Blue Yonder
Trade winds blow at a reliable fifteen knots making Aruba a windsurfing and kite surfing Mecca. Equipment shops along the south shore rent to beginners and experts.
Horseback riding tours navigate sand dunes and flat plains that are covered with cacti and distinctive divi-divi trees. First-time riders should ask for a Paso Fino horse that has a smooth and even gait.
For the independent traveler, four-wheel drive rentals explore thee roads less traveled on the northeastern coast. Sites along the way include the Alto Vista Chapel and the Bushiribana Gold Mill ruins. A lagoon has recently formed following the collapse of the Natural Bridge in September 2005 and is worth a stop.
Down Under
On the northern coast, there are two caves, Guadirikiri and Fontein, both decorated with century-old Amerindian petroglyphs visible on the cave ceilings. Sunlight filters through two inner chambers in Guadirikiri to a tunnel housing hundreds of bats.
Forty-two dive sites have earned the island a reputation as one of the top dive spots in the tropics. Red Sail Sports takes snorkelers to the Antilla, a German freighter that is also the Caribbean's largest wreck. The four-hour trip includes an open bar. Deep sea fishing trips, sunset sails and dinner cruises are sold at major hotels along Palm Beach.
Land Lubbers
The Explore Aruba Adventure on the open air Banana Bus is a four-hour tour that includes a swim and snorkel at Baby Beach.
On the northeastern coast, Arikok National Park is desert terrain with indigenous ‘shoco’ owl, giant cacti and a newly-opened Visitors centre. Hiking trails make it easy to explore as goats and donkeys graze on nearby brush trees. Nearby, locals ‘dune slide’ or surf on dry land at the Boca Prins Dunes. Honouring what was once the main mode of transport, Donkey Sanctuary is nestled in Santa Lucia where visitors can play with these chatty animals at no cost.
In Oranjestad, those who resist the call of the wild can tour the Historical Museum in the 18th-century Fort Zoutman, Numismatic Museum and Aruba Aloe Museum. Opened last July, the National Archeological Museum highlights 5,000 years of history through interactive displays. On the south coast, San Nicolas is Aruba's oldest village and now a tourist attraction with a few stores and the famous Charlie's bar.
Shop to It
Pastel-pretty, the streets of Oranjestad are lined with shops and although there is a duty tax, prices are competitive with duty-free destinations. The best deals are Delft pottery and cheeses from Holland.
The Renaissance Mall boasts a Louis Vuitton store where McDonald's used to be and at Paseo Herencia, the swanky mall in Palm Beach, chic boutiques like Gucci and Bulgari join a café, one of three Aruba Aloe stores, nightly fountain shows and movie theatre.
Swap a Beach Chair for a Bar Stool
A spirited beachside hut, Moomba Beach jazzes up the night with cheap drinks and live music on weekends. Surfers and scuba divers toast the sunset at the Caribbean Store on Palm Beach with a Friday night ‘two buck a beer’ party.
In the style of Old Havana, Mr. Jazz in the Paseo Herencia, is a magnet for those with a thirst for mojitos and frosty Balashi beer while the house band gets down with Afro-Cuban jazz. Behind Eagle Tennis Club, a red carpet flanked by fire leads guests inside Maison Madruga where servers outfitted as walking tables pour champagne and serve aloe-filled chocolates.
Feel like a high roller when you’re playing the nickel slots at a dozen casinos on the southwestern coast while Oranjestad beckons with a wide variety of classy night spots.