Day 3 (November 12, 2022): Downpour on a Desert Island

The forecast had indicated a 30% chance of showers up to mid-morning.  When we headed to breakfast at 8AM, the odd raindrop was coming down.  By the time we sat down with our omelettes, a downpour the likes we have only rarely seen was happening.  Bearing in mind that Aruba - a desert island - only receives 15-18 inches of rain in an average year, it was an extraordinary weather event.  The resort told us they didn’t even have umbrellas to loan out “because it never rains here.”

Worried that the rain would continue throughout the day, we set out at 9:30AM to get our car from the parking lot and drive to the northern end of the island.  There were some interesting moments in that drive, such as the one shown below.

The lighthouse at the northern tip of Aruba is quite beautiful, and the area at this northern tip of the island makes for a great hike to the coastline, with boulders and sand dunes enroute.

After the northern tip, we did a 2.2km round trip walk on Aruba’s most famous beach: Eagle Beach.  It is the widest beach on Aruba and often receives accolades as one of the world’s best beaches.

Arriving back at the hotel at noon, we got lunch and headed to the beach for the afternoon.  Fortunately, the sun dried up the morning’s rain and it turned into a perfect day.  At 5PM, there was supposed to be a bingo game at the pool bar, so we sidled up to the bar, ordered cappuccinos and waited.  And waited.  No bingo.  Oh well!  Dinner was another delicious meal, and that was our day.  We truly rested up today, and it felt great.

 

Flash flood waters near our hotel after this morning’s incredible downpour.

Aruba’s licence plate slogan.  The place lives up to its name!

A sure sign of the link between Aruba and the Netherlands.

A local tour bus!

This 98-foot ‘California Lighthouse’ at the northern tip of Aruba was completed in 1916.   

Aruba is truly an island of cacti.

And those cacti are prickly!

An interesting round cactus on the northern tip of the island. 

The Arashi Dunes at the northern tip of Aruba.

Massive boulders on our walk from the lighthouse to the coastline in the north.  We found out afterwards that Aruba is home to the Aruba Rattlesnake, unique to Aruba.  We are glad we didn’t find that out until after our hike!

The rugged coastline on the northern tip.

The dunes at the northern tip are littered with amazing examples of coral rock.

 Shipwreck near the northern tip of Aruba. 

The entrance to famous Eagle Beach.

The stunning sands of Eagle Beach looking north to the high-rise hotel district (above) and south (below).

When we arrived back at our room at noon, our housekeeper, Jacquelin (from Dominican Republic) had just finished making this towel creation for us!

Our afternoon was spent under one of the hotel’s palapas on Palm Beach. 

The sunset was obstructed by clouds, but it still made for a beautiful sky.

The splashy and classy lobby of the Riu Palace.

Dinner was at the hotel’s Italian restaurant.  A wonderful meal to end the day.