Aruba, the Beaches We Dreamed of for Months

ARUBA THE WHITE BEACHES WE DREAMED OF FOR MONTHS…

Dates: 26 March / 2 April 2005 Travellers: Mum, Dad, Selene, Sara and Antonio from Milan When we decided that we would spend Easter at the seaside… one of my many dreams had come true: convincing my whole family that the 11-hour flight would not be wasted, because a place like this is simply something you dream of. Departure at 10:45 from Linate airport with KLM, an excellent airline, which will take us to Amsterdam and then straight on to the best-known island of the Dutch Antilles: ARUBA. Since we have a timeshare, we chose the Caribbean Palm Village, not on the sea but in the northern hinterland. The accommodation turned out to be excellent, because we didn't have an all-inclusive package but our own kitchen in the apartment!

Aruba lies about thirty kilometres north of the Venezuelan coast and is rightly regarded as the "pearl" of the Lesser Antilles. Aruba, one happy island, is the slogan that appears on every licence plate on the island; everyone welcomes us in their language, BON BINI ARUBA, just like the stamp you get in your passport on arrival at customs. For a strip of land thirty kilometres long and six wide at most, the island has a lot to offer… you just need to rent a 4x4, essential for reaching the most scenic spots in the north, and set off along the coast to see how, as soon as you leave the area where tourist development is concentrated, the island is largely wild. The first curiosity is the trees they call divi divi here, which, because of the trade winds that blow constantly, take on such strange shapes that they look like gigantic bonsai.

The splendid waters of Eagle Beach, Palm Beach… made us fall in love; these lie along the shoreline of the "thousand resorts", while Coco Beach and Baby Beach are on the opposite side (San Nicolas), all so beautiful as to make the whole world green with envy… underwater, that is. The waters have wonderful colours, hard even to describe: they shift from emerald green to azure… with a strip of fine, dazzling white sand. A spectacle. The capital, Oranjestad, shows strong Spanish and Dutch colonial influence, along with the indigenous peoples who shaped the local customs and buildings. In town we can admire the monument to Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands and the old Willem III Tower lighthouse, wander among the various souvenir stalls and shops; the people are truly very friendly and kind, always ready to give you a smile.

The iguanas that camouflage themselves in the trees are beautiful... Another important stop is the Aruba Aloe factory; its production has been part of Aruba's history for many years. A guided tour inside the Aruba aloe balm factory lets you see the production process first-hand, from the aloe leaf to the finished lotions and creams. Another landmark is De Olde Molen, this old windmill was first built in 1804 in the Netherlands, then shipped to Aruba and rebuilt in 1960. It now houses a moderately priced restaurant specialising in continental lunches. We can't see all the countless attractions… so we start with the California Lighthouse, an enormous white lighthouse marking the beginning of the north coast. We continue our tour and notice that the landscape is completely different from the other coastline… no more luxury resorts and no restaurants..

just plenty of wild vegetation and black rocks of volcanic origin... Every corner of the coast is more beautiful than the last.. every spot promises to make an interesting souvenir photo. A few more kilometres and we find the small Alto Vista Chapel.. It is very pretty, a shame we can't find a single unlit candle, but the important thing is to pray. We drive much of the way inside Arikok National Park, a jewel made of unusual rock formations, giant cacti, remains of Indian settlements, no asphalt at all; luckily we rented a 4x4 jeep, truly the only way to visit the interior of this fantastic island. The road we follow is always along the coast, and the gusts of wind that crash violently against the volcanic rocks, reaching impressive heights, are a little frightening, yet at the same time the sea views are unforgettable.

We reach the Natural Bridge, which lies halfway along the north coast and is surely the most photographed spot on the island. It is an arch of land over thirty metres long that rises almost ten metres above the waves.. what a thrill to sit on top of it.. beautiful! Sara decides to go on a horse ride along the coast, reaching the Natural Pool (which, out of fear, we didn't reach by jeep on the second day, because honestly the terrain was very impassable.. just imagine without a jeep..). The rest of the family, including me, instead opt for a SunSet Cruise.. aboard a beautiful catamaran; a shame that beyond a glass of Coca-Cola we got nothing else. The music... The people... The white seagulls flying around us, and then how could we forget that sunset…

Aruba will remain forever among our fondest memories. Saturday 2 April '05, last day, last photos. What can we say, we want to thank all the people who made us feel good and gave us so many smiles! Since we have a timeshare, we chose the Caribbean Palm Village, not on the sea but in the northern hinterland. The accommodation turned out to be excellent, because we didn't have an all-inclusive package but our own kitchen in the apartment! We recommend 2 restaurants: TEXAS DU BRASIL & AMAZONIA! A bit pricey.. but the meat is delicious, accompanied by baked pineapple and sweet bananas! What a delight... P.S.: THE TEARS... WET MY FACE.. we're going home... back to Milan's traffic.. Thank you Mum and Dad for letting us experience this unforgettable island together.