aruba – The Roaming Roths

Snorkeling Adventures

I don’t have a lot of site seeing posts for this trip since this was really meant to be a relaxing low key vacation but we still managed to get in some adventures!

We hit two snorkel spots around Catalina Bay on a three hour boat ride. The first stop was above the SS Antilla ship wreck site. The Antilla, a German merchant vessel, is 400 feet long and sits in about 60 feet of water. This is a not a spot you can swim to as the currents are too strong and the water is choppy. If you are a first time snorkeler you may find this challenging and you have to be sure to jump quite a distance from the boat to avoid being sucked into the hull. The kids were tossed around a good bit but put their flippers to good use. The ship wreck was very clear and the fish were quite impressive. If you can get under the waves you will find fish bigger than yourself and may also see some scuba divers exploring the wreckage!

After the wreckage, we moved closer to the shore for a second dip in calmer waters that allowed for better viewing. After we loaded back into the boat, we rewarded ourselves with some rope swings before heading back to land. Of course we hand to finish off the trip with a ride on Old Mable.

The great thing about Aruba is that you can be as active as you’d like, or as lazy as you would like. In addition to these adventures, we walked a lot of beach miles, ate a lot of great island food, drank a lot of sweet island drinks, and spent many hours drifting along the lazy river.

All in all we thoroughly enjoyed this trip with great friends! Aruba is a nice international trip for first time travelers out of the country. American currency is accepted everywhere. The island is safe and easy to navigate. The people are exceptionally friendly and specialize in hospitality! And last but not least, the sun shines every day!

Off Roading in Aruba

The first two days of this were really detox days for me. Beach, pool, walking the streets. I have a hard time decompressing but Sunday afternoon I took a glorious nap by the pool and tackled my share of gin and tonics and Slippery Monkeys. We stayed at the Marriott Surf Club. Most people know I am not a fan of big resorts. I prefer the off the beaten path sort of place that is more authentic to the location, but during COVID, this place is operating at 35% capacity which makes it much more enjoyable. The pools, lazy river and bars are barely occupied so we get most of the place to ourselves. It is stocked with a pool, a lazy river and a pool bar serving happy hour drinks 2-5 pm.

We visited Tango Argentine Grill and the Pelican Pier for dinners to enjoy a red wine filet and some curry shrimp on the water. I highly recommend both places!

We ventured out in all terrain vehicles to explore the east side of the island. Our guide took us through the desert and dunes to some island highlights. Be prepared to be filthy from all the sand and drifting in the ATV’s. Bring your own bandana or buy one at the rental place.

Our first official stop was the California Lighthouse. It’s located at Hudishibana near Arashi Beach on the northwest tip of Aruba. This lighthouse was named for the steamship California, which was wrecked in this areas in 1891. You can enjoy a fresh coconut here while taking in the view!

Next up was the Alto Vista Chapel, a small Catholic chapel also known as “Pilgrims Church” that stands on the hills above the north shore of the ocean. The present Chapel was completed in 1952 and stands in the same location as the original chapel, which was built by Domingo Silvestre, a Venezuelan missionary in 1750.

We ventured to Black Stone Beach which is the only beach in Aruba with “black sand”. Erosion by the water not only created black pebbles but also rather sharp and edgy rocks that characterize this location. The pebbles are surprisingly smooth.

The last stop was at the Bushiribana Natural Pool. This is one of two natural pools on the island. Make sure to wear good shoes. My feet were slipping out of flip flops making it challenging to grip the rocks. You have to climb down a rickety ladder to the rocks below. Underneath is a cave like area with a natural pool.

Ladder to the underground cave area off to the right

The island is such an interesting blend of people. Locals have descended from Caquetio Indians, African slaves, and Dutch settlers, and various other groups that have settled on the island over the years include the Spanish, Portuguese, English, French, and Sephardic Jews. The culture is mixed, and the melt of various languages with Papiamento is pleasing to the ears!

Fun fact about Aruba…Aruba’s tap water is pure and meets the highest standards of quality of the World Health Organization. It’s some of the best drinking water on the earth!

Bon Dia!

My blog has been a bit stagnant these past few months due to the travel impacts of Covid 19. We had planned this trip to Aruba some time ago, but spent day by day watching the border situation as Aruba slowly welcomed Americans back to its island. This included day to day updates on cases and recoveries, hoping Aruba would not follow suit with the Bahamas in re-closing it’s borders again. The hoops for us to get here made the reward of arriving that much better. Covid testing was far from pleasant, but it was the gateway that allowed us to come. So after 12 hour of shuttles, flights, customs, and swabs, we are here. Join us as we spend the week exploring this gorgeous island!

For those who don’t know, with the Netherlands, Curacao, and Sint Maarten, Aruba is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, nestled in the Southern Caribbean just north of Venezuela. The waters are breath taking and the people of Aruba are friendly and excited for tourism to be alive and well again! Welcome to Aruba!