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One Happy Island
The Exotic Allure of Aruba
By Sue Marquette Poremba
For such a small island (Aruba is approximately 17 miles long by 6 miles wide), there is a wide range of activities. On the south side of the island, there is a nature preserve with the famed Natural Bridge. On the western side of the island, there are the beaches and water-related activities. To the north, there is a lighthouse, and there are sand dunes, where we saw a number of people enjoying horseback riding, four-wheeling and a safari-type tour in jeeps. The capital city of Oranjestad, with its shopping district and restaurants, is located between the airport and the hotels.
Aruba FunBecause we were only there for a few days, my husband and I couldn't do everything we would have liked (that's what future visits are for), such as visiting the Natural Bridge. Researching various activities before leaving on our trip, we decided the things we wanted to do most were snorkel, ride bikes around the island and take a sunset sail.
Jolly Pirates provided two of the activities for the price of one. They offer a five-hour snorkeling cruise on a schooner that looks like a pirate ship, which includes dinner, drinks and the sunset. We stopped at three dive spots, including one over a shipwreck, for approximately 40 minutes of snorkeling time each. At the last stop, a rope swing was lowered from one of the masts, and guests had the chance to swing off the boat and plunge into the water as often as they liked. A barbeque supper was delivered to the boat, where we ate while the crew entertained us with dancing and diving. Finally, as the sun began to set, we sailed back to Palm Beach, the sun setting in pink and purple hues behind us.