• Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Jill Robinson

Writer, Photographer, Adventurer

Header Right

  • Home
  • About
    • Awards
    • Interviews
    • Speaking & Teaching
  • Writing
    • Articles
    • Books
  • Blog
  • Subscribe
  • Contact

The Dusty Side of Aruba

July 2, 2010 By Jill Robinson

Gorgeous turquoise water, soft sand, high-rise hotels, kiteboarding and umbrella drinks. Yes, Aruba’s got it all. But the “one happy island” also has a wild side, and even though I like my lounging time, I tend to prefer the wild side of things.

On my recent trip to Aruba, I went on the Natural Pool Jeep Adventure with De Palm Tours. It’s a good thing, too, because I spied plenty of people with rental cars trying to drive the rugged route along the northeast side of the island. Let’s just say they were a tad frustrated. On my Jeep tour, which was in a Land Rover, we stopped at the California Lighthouse, the ruins of a gold mill and along the road to stack rocks—the tourist’s idea of wishing stones. No, I won’t tell you what I wished for.

We also stopped to swim and snorkel in a natural pool at the edge of the island. The craggy rocks encircled the pool full of reef fish, and the occasional crash of a large wave made the otherwise calm pool fill with fizzy water. This sweet spot isn’t unknown to tourists. If you find the pool full of splashing people, it’s just not the same thing as getting it to yourself. It’s worth it to hang out until you get some quiet time.

While the splashing coast, stacked rocks and dusty terrain made for great memories, one of my favorite scenes was a small, colorful beer stand outside the gold mill ruins. Just a painted trailer and the pretty Aruban flag—as simple and refreshing as that part of the island.

I was in Aruba as a guest of the Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino, but the opinions in this article are my own.

Filed Under: Aruba Tagged With: Aruba, aruba adventure, de palm tours

Get Jill’s updates by email!

Primary Sidebar

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Spotlight

An Overdue Update

John Muir, National Parks and Civil Rights: An Interview with Shelton Johnson

How are you holding up? We're eight months into the pandemic in the United States, and many aspects of our lives have … [More...]

Get a Look at My New Book!

As quickly as it came, summer’s nearly gone. While I’d love to say I’m finally coming up for air from a hectic period of … [More...]

Epic Summer

7 Epic Trips

Summer Solstice was just yesterday, and yet it feels as if it's been summer for a while now. At least, I've been … [More...]

More Spotlight

Jill’s Updates

Jill’s Work

  • Writing
  • Books
  • Awards
  • Interviews
  • Speaking & Teaching

From The Blog

  • An Overdue Update
  • Get a Look at My New Book!
  • Epic Summer
  • Pop the Champagne!
  • Announcing @tinylittlevictories
  • Farewell to Winter
  • A Fresh Start for 2018
  • Passports With Purpose 2014: Win Icebreaker Clothing
  • Passports With Purpose: Win Icebreaker Clothing
  • 2012 in Travel Awesomeness
  • Home
  • About
  • Writing
  • Blog
  • Subscribe
  • Contact

Copyright © 2023 · Jill Robinson · All Rights Reserved.