Our plan for Day 3 in Aruba included climbing the Hooiberg mountain in the morning and exploring various Aruba beaches, specifically snorkeling at Baby Beach. We started our day with this incredible sunrise in our backyard.
Our backyard was blanketed with numerous cacti; a view that we enjoyed every day of our stay.
We really liked our condo’s grounds. So nice and neat! The best part was that there were very few tenants and on some days we had the whole place to ourselves.
Aruba is not a large island, so it didn’t take long for us to drive to Hooiberg, which is located at the approximate center of the island. Its 165 meter high classic cone-shaped volcanic formation is visible virtually from anywhere on the island. Hooiberg means “haystack” in Dutch, but its the Hooibergite rock found on this volcanic formation that gave this hill its name.
According to visitaruba.com, one of the contributing factors to Hooiberg’s popularity, and the often mistaken belief that it is the highest point, is the fact that it stands out as a solitary mountain surrounded by a flat landscape. Although Hooiberg seems like the highest point of the island it is in fact the second highest. Jamanota, a hill located in the Arikok National Park stands at 189 meters above sea level, and is the true highest point of Aruba.
The beautiful panoramic view from the top of this local landmark is the reward for climbing the approximately 587 steps that lead to the summit. On a clear day it is possible to see as far as Venezuela, and you are always treated to magnificent views of Aruba.
There is a gazebo located halfway up the stairs for as a rest stop. It is also an excellent spot to relax and enjoy the view.
Hooiberg is visited by tourists and locals on a daily basis who come to enjoy the beautiful view, or get a nice workout. We saw a few athletes working out on the stairs. Most of these stairs are pretty steep.
Geologists have discovered that Hooiberg is made up of a distinctive variety of quartz diorite only found on Aruba. Due to the fact that Hooiberg is made up of this distinctive rock, this variety was named Hooibergiet. I thought that this was an interesting fact, but actually, I wanted to show this cute lizard that we saw on our way up. Dave did a great job by taking this picture with the telephoto lens.
As we climbed the steep concrete steps to the summit, we would stop and enjoy the island vegetation. Hooiberg is covered with kadushi cacti, the famous windblown divi-divi trees and some Kibrahacha trees that will flourish and decorate the mountain with beautiful yellow flowers after a heavy rainfall.
At the top of the mountain we found two small buildings and some radio antennas. One of buildings belongs to a radio station and the other to the local telephone company SETAR. All cellular phone signals are sent through the SETAR building as well as radio or television broadcasts from other countries.
There are many bulky rocks on the top. Some of them have graffiti.
From the top of Hooiberg we had the well-earned bird’s eye view of the island and the sea. I heard that on clear days you can even see Venezuela to the south. We didn’t see the Venezuelan coast, but we took some nice vista pictures with the telephoto lens. Hooiberg was a worthwhile discovery for us.
Aruba’s fabulous beaches are the pride of the island. They are all beautiful with wide open white sandy spaces and clear aqua water and they all are public. We were not disappointed in Aruba’s beaches. In fact, these are the best beaches we have visited so far. Aruba has numerous beautiful beaches suitable for everyone’s taste: from calm family beaches to rough wavy beaches for surfing.
Our favorite beaches in Aruba are Eagle Beach, Baby Beach and Arashi Beach. We didn’t go to Arashi beach on this day, but I posted this picture from the day before for comparison.
By the time we finished our Hooiberg climb, it was really hot. We threw our snorkeling equipment in the car and drove to Baby Beach. It is named Baby Beach as the water is so calm it is safe for very small children. It is a shallow, sheltered man-made lagoon located in Seroe Colorado, on the southeast end of the island of Aruba.
This authentic Aruban experience is accompanied by small snack shops; cabanas and beach chairs are also available for rent.
We found some nice shade under a fofoti tree and settled there. It felt so good there, especially while enjoying the ripest sweetest papaya from our cooler for a snack.
The beach is popular mostly due to the lack of waves and the shallow water. The Valero oil refinery is within sight of Baby Beach. However, because of the direction of local currents, Baby Beach still has very clean, clear water.
The snorkeling at this location is great for children or travelers new to snorkeling. Although it is advised to be very cautious if venturing outside the lagoon, very dangerous currents often exist there.
The water level is generally waist high on the inside, but towards the inlet, it deepens significantly. We did some snorkeling near the closest corals and saw different kinds of fishes there, but the best place to snorkel was introduced to us the next day during our Arikok Jeep Tour. Recent beachgoers recommend spending time snorkeling near the left, rocky side of the beach.
Marine life in the lagoon include barracuda, squid, parrot fish, blowfish, angelfish, eels, and many other small fish. The range of most of these animals is limited to the inlet. I wasn’t successful in getting a decent picture of the fish below :). It is such a cute fish, but very fast and blends with the surroundings very well.
Returning to the condo, we took a break from Baby Beach and drove to Eagle Beach that afternoon. Eagle Beach is the local’s beach of choice for partying and picknicking on weekends. It’s seemingly endless white powder sand, gentle surf and crystal clear water make it ideal for leisurely walks or invigorating jogs and it’s one of the best places to catch a spectacular Aruba sunset.
Dave and I visited this beach almost every day!
This beach was the closest beach to our condo, although pretty much all Aruba beaches are located in close proximity. Here, it is allowed to park your car at the edge of the beach.
The road lined by palm trees runs all the way parallel to the beach.
We noticed this beautiful restaurant on the beach and made a reservation for our Anniversary in couple days.
