Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Touring the Island
Y
ou can tour tiny Aruba in one day. However, you will
need to abandon the gorgeous leeward beaches for at
least part of two or three days to explore the island well.
Many interesting sites can be reached on paved roads in a car,
but consider renting a four-wheel-drive vehicle if you want to
investigate the untamed windward side of the island. You'll be surprised
at the difference between the suave resort areas and the striking outback.
Getting Oriented
Many paved roads and all unpaved roads on Aruba are
not named and have no street signs. Locals give direc-
tions by landmarks, which is not helpful if you don't
know the island well. Also, Aruba is positioned in the
sea at a tilted angle to true north, so the cocoon-shaped
island's coastlines are neither north-south nor east-
west. The residents of San Nicolas say their town is on
the sunrise side (east) of the island. Most people, looking
at a map, would say San Nicolas is on the southwestern
coast. This topic uses the following terms for identifica-
tion of and directions to various sites:
The longest coasts are east (the
windward outback
) and west (the
lee-
ward developed side
).
California Lighthouse
is on the northern
point;
Colorado Lighthouse
is on the southern tip.
High-rise
and
low-
rise hotels
are on the sandy beaches of the curved northwest coast.
TIP:
Highways are numbered and lettered A or B.
The letter signifies the direction of traffic, so High-
way 1A is the same road as Highway 1B, with each
going in the opposite direction. Road signs will dif-
fer depending on which direction you are traveling.
Guided Tours
De Palm Tours
is the principal tour operator on Aruba. Their
representatives will probably greet you as you exit the airport
or step off your cruise ship. The 4½-hour Discover Aruba tour
stops at most of the major sites and includes a swim and snor-
kel at Baby Beach. Other half- and full-day tours include sight-
seeing aboard a large air-conditioned bus, off-road excursions
to remote areas of the island in yellow Land Rover Defenders,
visits to private De Palm Island, combo land-water-underwater
adventures, off-island day-trips, and nighttime jaunts to the
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