TOURIST TIME
If you manage to find some time during the day which you don’t spend windsurfing, it’s worth visiting the island’s tourist attractions. On the urban side you have Aruba’s capital Orajenstad with its waterfront, boutique shops, malls and colourful historic buildings. To see more of the natural side, head to Arikok National Park where you’ll see wild donkeys and goats, and if you’re lucky you might even spot a well camouflaged burrowing owl. Other sites worth visiting include Hooiberg, the Arroyo Rock Formations and the Bushiribana Gold Smelter Ruins.
The Aruban coast not only impressed me with its natural beauty, but also with its rugged shoreline. White sand, green Divi Divi trees and turquoise waters on the west shore contrast with natural bridges and pools formed by the powerful and relentless waves breaking on the eastern shore.