Sunday Drive: Noord to San Nicolas
It takes under an hour to drive from Noord to the southernmost point of the island in San Nicolas. I learned this invaluable tidbit from flipping through maps of Aruba and plotting imaginary routes. From then on, I began to get familiar with the roads on the west coastline. Nay, I made it my personal mission to get familiar with the roads on the west coastline.
— Kylee Ross — Photography Kenneth Theysen
Apart from the obvious fact that driving the West Coast offers unbelievable views of the Caribbean Sea, you may be asking yourself, “What’s so special about driving the coastline?” And to that I’ll answer: “Nothing beats treating every car ride like a Sunday drive. No set destination, just a direction and the willingness to stop along the way.”
I tried to infuse all the time spent in my rental car with this Sunday-driving attitude. It wasn’t always possible, but it gave me a taste of the exploring I wanted to do even in the middle of the week. By the time the weekend rolled around, I was ready to take a literal Sunday drive.
Noord
First stop: Noord. I didn’t have far to go before I hit the tip of the island (accessible by paved road). A five-minute drive past Malmok Beach, Boca Catalina, and Arashi Beach led me toward the outskirts of the Arashi Dunes, through the twists and turns up to the California Lighthouse. The ride gave me time to take in the desert terrain: cacti, large rock formations, peaking white caps in the Atlantic Ocean on the East Coast.
Once at the top of the hill—and the bottom of the lighthouse—I parked to walk around. Not only is the lighthouse a scenic landmark, but the views of the entire island are also hard to capture from any other vantage point.
Next, I started to make my way South. I didn’t plan on stopping in the low-rise hotel area since I wasn’t ready for a meal (there are lots of restaurants with full lunch menus: Terrazza Italiana, Ricardo’s Restaurant & Bar, Water’s Edge Restaurant & Bar). I was, however, compelled to stop at a coconut vendor on the side of the road. You can often find them around hotel areas selling bottled coconut water or whole coconuts.
Oranjestad
With fresh coconut water in hand, I immediately knew I hit the capital city when I spotted a docked cruise ship in the distance.
I drove along the waterfront and had to sit in traffic on L.G. Smith Boulevard. It offered a chance to peek into the hotel lobbies, tourist shops, luxury stores, and stare out at the marina and pastel harborside buildings. But at the first opportunity, I turned around to go down Paardenbaaistraatt and find street parking.
Most of the hustle and bustle on the streets comes from the cruise ships—whose passengers rarely mosey away from the main strip. So I made a point to walk a few streets back from the water and through the narrow sidewalks to photograph the quaint, colorful buildings and houses.
On my way back to my car I stopped in at The Local Market across from the cruise ship terminal to pick up kitschy souvenirs for friends and family. Walking through the tented market is a feast for the eyes with tables covered in crafts and garments—with more pieces also hanging from the ceiling.
Savaneta
I was ready to stop at a beach and slow the rest of my day right now. Next plotted stop: Mangel Halto. I had seen pictures of the beach when I was first perusing maps. It looked different from any other beaches I had come across. This was the exception to the Sunday drive rule: no set destination.
Mangel Halto is a shallow beach where you can walk out and spot parrot fish, yellowtail snapper, sergeant majors, and blue tangs snorkeling. I opted to walk through the shaded area of the beach and set up near a small mangrove cove.
With some downtime on my hands, I texted Kenneth (Menu International’s long-time photographer) for recommendations beyond Mangel Halto. “You’re on the right track,” he replied. “You’ll see Zeerover shortly. Nice place for deep-fried fish.” I was sold.
I waited in line to order my food: three pieces of shrimp, one piece of tuna, plantains, pickled onions, tartar sauce, and a locally brewed Balashi. The fresh fish was chucked into a plastic bag and brought to the deep-frying in a plastic basket. Within minutes, the basket was brought to my table filled with a small pile of fried seafood.
San Nicolas
While at Zeerover I decided I would spend the rest of the afternoon at Baby Beach and then walk around San Nicolas. On the way, I stopped by a vendor to buy peanut brittle and Cajun boiled peanuts. I sampled a few of the treats with the kind vendor and fed peanuts to donkeys roaming the hills. It’s worth the stop to take in the view of the ocean—especially from the Seroe Colorado Anchor.
Baby Beach was busy but I managed to find parking. I walked the beach in the opposite direction from Big Mama Grill until I found a secluded spot by the sea brush. I packed up a few hours later to hit the San Nicolas murals at golden hour.
At every quiet street corner I was blown away by the detail in murals tucked in an unexpected location. The paint is so vibrant against the sun-faded walls of San Nicolas. I walked around making sure to collect Instagram handles tagged at each mural.
For my final stop before driving back up the coast, I walked for nine minutes to Saco Di Felipe. I was first in line when the small window opened for service and ordered the pork chops. Saco means sack or bag so the entire meal is served in a brown paper bag: pork chops, plantains, potatoes, Johnny cake. I sat in a nearby square and dug into the greasy, Aruban comfort food.
Tired—and honestly quite full—I drove up the coast for the final time before the end of my trip. I passed by many of the stops I had made that day but this time I was able to enjoy it under the glow of the Caribbean sunset for the perfect end to my Sunday drive.
Kylee Ross
is a Halifax-based food and travel writer.
