Here's my favourite route to cruise along in Aruba that you will make you feel like you are on a road trip (even if it is only a short one):
SAN FUEGO - BABY BEACH
1. Start in your 4x4 at the San Fuego entrance to Arikok National Park.
2. Head Southeast on Rte 7 towards the Northern Loop and enjoy the cacti dotted landscape along the way.
3. Turn left and make a pit stop at Dos Playa. This beautiful soft sand remote beach is the perfect place to set up a private picnic and pretend you are a castaway for a couple of hours.
*PLEASE NOTE* Swimming is not recommended here due to strong under tow/current.
4. Make sure to stop on top of the hill as you leave Dos Playa and join Rte 7 again just before you reach Boca Prins. The view from here is phenomenal and you will want to capture on camera for sure.
5. Turn right before the old Boca Prins Bar & Restaurant and follow the signs for the Fontein Cave. This cave is a great place to explore and see ancient petroglyphs left by Aruba's original inhabitants, the Arawak Indians.
6. After you leave the cave, walk to the right and follow the path in to the old abandoned plantation house Hofi Fontein. Here you can wander around the ruins, look out for turtles in the "sweet eye" of Aruba (fresh water pond) and even dip your feet in the cool stream and let the fishes give you a free pedicure.
7. Head back on to Rte 7 and continue on the Northern Loop, admiring the wild rugged coastline to your left as you make your way to the exit of Arikok National Park at the Vader Piet Wind Farm.
8. Once you have left Arikok, take the third road on the left, Parish Hillweg (dirt road).
9. Continue on this dirt road until the road forks then take the road to the left.
10. Keep driving straight ahead all the way to the Cascabel Airfield. When you reach the end of the road turn left.
11. Just before the road bends down to the right, be sure to stop on top of the hill for another spectacular vista. From here you can see the colourful ranches (beach huts) on Rincon Beach in the distance, where local families have been "staycationing" for decades!
*PLEASE NOTE* If you stop and explore these ranches, please respect them, do not litter, vandalise or damage them. Even though they may look abandoned they are actually frequented by locals on weekends and during special holidays throughout the year.
12. Turn right at the bottom of the hill and continue along the coastal dirt road. Look out for wild goats showing off their agility whilst climbing up and down the steep cliffside to your right and watch in awe as the kite surfers do their tricks at Boca Grandi to the left.
13. Pull over by the red anchor, a monument dedicated to all seamen. This is a one of those famous Aruba landmarks that you HAVE to take a picture at when visiting the sunrise side of the island.
14. Next stop... Coconut! Super Coco (Loco Coco on Google Maps) is located just opposite the red anchor and you can grab a fresh coconut to quench your thirst pretty much any day of the year here!
*TOP TIP* Sip it at the stand whilst it's still cold and then ask the guy to chop it in half with his machete so you can enjoy the dushi succulent flesh inside the shell.
15. Drive straight on the road towards Seroe Colorado but please go slow as we have wild donkeys roaming free along this stretch of road.
16. Turn left at the little white old bus shelter that says "I ❤️ ARUBA" and go to the top of the hill.
17. Turn right to go down hill and take your first left when you reach the bottom.
18. This road is one of the closest Aruba has to those you see on Insta with the travel girl or guy sitting in the middle, with a map and the long road stretching behind them (I have tried to recreate this kind of shot several times... Without much success might I add!). I recommend driving all the way to the look out point at the top because this is the tip of the island. You can't go any further in this direction. The 360 degree view from up here is pretty special and on a really clear day you can see the mountains in Venezuela perfectly!
19. Once you have admired the view, turned back and head down the winding road then take the first turn on the left. This dirt road will lead you to the back entrance of Baby Beach.
20. You have now reached your final destination: The world famous Baby Beach!
Take a dip, cool off, float, refresh, swim with turtles. After just five mins on this pristine beach you will understand why it is one of the best treasures in the whole of the Caribbean.
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BLOG PHOTOGRAPHY BY Edrick Krozendijk
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