Over the years, many people have told me to go to
Aruba. They usually rave about it. Of course, they are quick to add that much
of the island is like a desert, that it is flat, and that they mostly stay at
their beach resorts while on the island. Having covered the whole 26 mile
island by bike, you certainly have a different take on the island than the
resort dwellers.
If I ever went to Aruba again I would take my bike
despite somewhat limited biking opportunities. Tourism is about the only
industry other than one unsightly oil refinery, and the casinos. The weather in
Aruba is predictably hot and dry, and it lies too far south for
hurricanes. Once you get away from the
(well watered) tropical resorts, the island really does take on a desert feel. There are cacti everywhere and parts of the
eastern half of the island resemble the American Southwest. Divi Divi trees were only found on Aruba at
one time, but have now been imported by other Caribbean Islands. The Divi Divi grows in the opposite direction
of the wind, allowing you to use them to help tell direction.
A member of the Netherlands Antilles, you drive on
the right side of the road. You will
often see quite large American SUV’s that barely fit on some of the roads. Road conditions are fairly decent, but
decline once you leave the main routes.
It is nearly impossible to get lost.
Having said that, I once stopped to check my position with a police
officer. Showing him a map, he laughed
and said, “You got lost on a 26 mile island?
You must be from New York!” At
this point we both started laughing.
Staying with the positive, there is no question that
Aruba has some of the finest restaurants and shopping in the Caribbean. If you prefer “American” restaurants, you
will even find Hooters, Wendy’s, and Taco Bell. I might add that the parking lot at Hooters was always full
! Safety is quite good on Aruba. The
police seem to be numerous and visible.
One local told me he had applied to become a policeman but was not
accepted because he was not lazy enough!
In the case of an uprising, there are 250 Dutch Marines stationed just
east of Oranjestad.
Oh, yeah.
This is supposed to be about biking.
Most of Aruba is as flat as a pancake with considerable winds. Route 1 Southeast of Oranjestad is basically
a death trap…..narrow with very high-speed traffic. That limits the riding possibilities to the north and west.
It is a fairly nice ride from Oranjestad north to
the California Lighthouse, which offers a great view. Along the way, divert to the coastal road
past Eagle Beach, Palm Beach and Fisherman’s Huts. These beaches are amongst the finest anywhere. When resort hotels are some of the better
sightseeing opportunities on an island, you know something is lacking. So be it on Aruba. Stop at Fisherman’s Huts and you might see some world class
windsurfing. It is renowned as the
best destination in the Caribbean for windsurfing because of the shallow water
and high winds.
Most of the “mountains” in Aruba lie in the Arikok
National Park. It is somewhat
amazing to me that Aruba does not do more to promote this natural
wilderness. There are a dozen or so
“peaks”, with Jamanota Mountain the tallest at 188 meters. There is an interesting ride you can do
through the park out to the Boca Prins Sand Dunes. Along the way you climb
up to about 100 meters through the rolling hills. I did this as an out-an-back trip despite
the map showing the possibility of making it a loop. I knew I would have to ride on (dreaded) Rt. 1 to return. On the way back, you can weave your way up
to the “Natural Bridge”, a large arch cut out of rock by the sea. It is possible to climb/hike down the cliffs
to the arch, but certainly not with your bike.
I must say that Aruba reminded me quite a lot of
Costa Rica in terms of the living conditions.
Every small house seems to have one or more very mean looking dogs, a
poor mans version of ADT (and probably more effective). At one point I was riding along thinking to
myself “Boy, am I glad all these dogs are chained up”. An instant later I heard barking, loud and
menacing. When I looked over my
shoulder, I saw three dogs at full gallop chasing me! As I applied some emergency power to the pedals, the dogs gained
on me. Eventually they quit, but the
experience left me nearly exhausted.
Little did I know I would repeat the same “sprint” quite often on
Aruba. I started practicing a technique
of using cars as moving shields whenever passing a known “dog zone”.
I highly recommend a side-trip to Baby Beach
on the southeastern end of the island.
It is a gorgeous little bay of shallow turquoise water and perfect
sand. If you snorkel through the
opening to the sea you will find a reef with some of the most amazing fish in
the Caribbean. A small shack at the
beach rents snorkling equipment at reasonable rates. On weekdays, you may have this whole beach to yourself! Enjoy, but because it is on the eastern end
of the island, don’t go there by bike.
So, sure, go for a ride or two in Aruba. While it is a bit difficult to make nice
riding loops, some of the out-and-back routes can be very enjoyable. After a couple hours of riding, head for one
of the many outdoor cafés and enjoy the sunshine. The people are friendly. You are on vacation so what is not to
like?