Have you ever wondered what Aruba looks like? It was definitely not what I expected.

Aruba looks like Arizona was swallowed up and surrounded by the crystal clear, blue Caribbean ocean.

There are so many cacti on it’s rugged terrain. It’s a truly a unique landscape! Let’s explore.

Casibari Rock Formation

My first stop was the Casibari Rock Formation. It’s a steep hike, but pretty short. Once at the top you are treated with a 360 degree view of Aruba.

Aruba looks like it is mostly flat, but it has a few of these interesting rock formations scattered around the island.

Casibari Rock Formations have huge tonalite boulders. I drank in the desert landscape and listened to the local birds melodious songs.

This area is nestled in a residential area and you can also get a great view of local life such as my cover photo at the top.

Below are some photos from the area at the base of Casibari Rock.

California Lighthouse

Next stop was the California Lighthouse. It was named for the S.S California that wrecked nearby in 1891.

It is the tallest structure in Aruba and open every day from 9:00am to 7:00pm. You can climb the lighthouse for a $5 fee and no reservations are required.

It’s a gorgeous place to watch an Aruban sunset! Check out some of my photos below from the lighthouse. The clouds that day were absolutely spectacular!

There is a nice looking restaurant near the lighthouse, Faro Blanco. Although I didn’t have time to go, I will definitely try it out on my next visit.

They serve Italian food which is one of my very favorite cuisines. Faro Blanco received good online reviews and who could beat their stunning views! I’ve included the website below.

Home Page

I traveled to Aruba on a Holland America Southern Caribbean cruise. My ship, the Nieuw Statendam had some mechanical trouble and my port day in Aruba was flip flopped with my Curacao port day in order for the ship to be serviced.

You can read my review of Holland America’s Nieuw Statendam’s food, drinks, state rooms and entertainment or learn more about Curacao by clicking the links.

I wish I had more time to explore this lovely island and see more of what Aruba looks like. I got into Aruba at about 5pm and only had two hours before the sun would set.

I had scheduled a tour with an independent cruise company, but it was cancelled due to the date being switched and since there would not be enough time to see everything on the tour before it got dark. How do you make the most of your time? Try a bus tour!

Bus Tour

All kinds of tours can be found through tourist information stalls at the port. If you don’t have your heart set on a particular activity this can be a great way to save money instead of booking a pricey cruise excursion.

My friend and I wandered around for a few minutes to see what might be available.

There was an independent tour guide advertising a bus tour for $30, but he only took cash. It’s always a good idea to carry some cash with you a lot of smaller places don’t take credit cards. We scrounged in our purses and found just enough cash to jump on the tour bus and pay the driver before he left.

The tour bus seemed full and even though the bus looked a little crazy we decided to go for it! At least this guy admits he’s a crazy driver. LOL

The driver turned out to be quite a character. He had crazy curly hair, a tie-dyed t-shirt and rolled his R’s in an exaggerated way every time he said Aruba.

The bus had no glass in the windows, but on the plus side you did get to feel the refreshing Aruban breeze. He also was rocking some eighties hits on the radio, so it kept things fun.

Sometimes you just have to go with the flow. As much as a try to plan and research every detail to make for a smooth and enjoyable trip some things are uncontrollable and you just have to make the best of things.

My friend and I had a great time on our whirlwind tour of the Island of Aruba.

On the way back to our ship we got to see all the classy Aruban resorts and these beautiful homes as we watched the sun disappear into the shimmering water. Arriba Aruba!