🇦🇼Aruba · Places to discover
What to see in Noord?
21 places selected by the community - landmarks, nature, hidden restaurants and activities.
Landmarks & heritage
4 places
1Wikipedia · CC BY-SALandmark
Alto Vista Chapel
A charming pink chapel perched on the northern hills, built in 1750 by the island's first missionaries. Panoramic views sweep across the wild coastline, with an atmosphere of pure serenity.
2Wikipedia · CC BY-SALandmark
California Lighthouse
Aruba's iconic northern lighthouse offering sweeping 360° views across the coastline and sand dunes. Named after a nearby shipwreck, it remains the island's most photographed landmark.
- 3
Landmark
Landmark
Tierra del Sol Residential Windmill
Decorative Dutch windmill marking the entrance to the Tierra del Sol residential neighbourhood, a symbol of the island's heritage. The neighbourhood itself, with its luxury villas and cacti, offers an unusual walk through the north of the island.
- 4
Landmark
Landmark
Bushiribana Gold Mill Ruins
Windswept ruins of a 19th-century gold foundry on the wild northern coast. A haunting reminder of Aruba's brief gold rush, set against an almost lunar landscape.
Nature
4 places
5Wikipedia · CC BY-SANature
Vader Piet Wind Farm
Wind farm supplying a significant share of Aruba's energy needs. Walking amongst the turbines at sunset with the parched landscape stretching behind creates a visually striking experience.
- 6
Nature
Nature
Aruba's Cunucu Landscape (Noord District)
The cunucu is Aruba's rural heartland: giant kadushi cacti, twisted divi-divi trees carved by trade winds, and free-roaming goats. Noord district offers the finest vistas from dirt tracks threading between traditional farms.
- 7
Nature
Nature
Wariruri Beach & Blow Holes
The island's north-west tip, where natural geysers are created by swell funnelling into rocky cavities. The spectacle is particularly dramatic in rough seas.
- 8
Nature
Nature
Ayo Rock Formations
Colossal diorite boulders scattered across the landscape, adorned with ancient Arawak petroglyphs. This sacred ancestral site, ringed by towering cacti and unique reptilian fauna, holds powerful cultural significance.
Viewpoints
4 places
- 9
Viewpoint
Viewpoint
Ruinas di Bushiribana (Northern Coast, Sea Views)
Distinct from the mill, this natural viewpoint at the foot of the coastal ruins offers vertiginous views over the churning Caribbean. Waves crash spectacularly against black basalt rock in a visceral display of sound and fury.
- 10
Viewpoint
Viewpoint
Tierra del Sol Golf Course Viewpoint
The golf course itself is incidental, but the promontory at its northern tip offers a panoramic vista of the California Lighthouse and the island's russet sand dunes, visited by remarkably few tourists.
- 11
Viewpoint
Viewpoint
Sunset at Malmok Beach
A small rocky beach in the north, a local favourite for watching the sunset with a Balashi in hand. No bar, no sunbeds — just the orange sky and the sea. True Aruban luxury.
- 12
Viewpoint
Viewpoint
Divi Divi Tree Trail (Tierra del Sol)
A nature trail in the island's north, lined with divi-divi trees — Aruba's iconic emblems, bent by trade winds towards the south-west. A living symbol of the island, each tree pointing the way to the sea.
Activities
5 places
13Wikipedia · CC BY-SAActivity
Antilla Shipwreck
The Caribbean's largest shipwreck: a 120-metre German cargo vessel scuttled by its own crew in 1940. Accessible by snorkelling in calm conditions, it remains Aruba's most impressive dive site.
- 14
Activity
Activity
Aruba Marriott Surf Club Reef (Palm Beach North Reef)
Discreet fringing reef north of Palm Beach, accessible by swimming from the public beach. Less known than Mangel Halto, it shelters stingrays, barracudas and healthy coral just 100 metres from shore.
- 15
Activity
Activity
Aruba Night Market (Paseo Herencia)
A lively nocturnal market and musical fountain at Paseo Herencia Mall in Palm Beach where locals gather with family for free entertainment, authentic street food, and genuine Caribbean festivity.
- 16
Activity
Activity
Aruba Butterfly Farm
Enclosed garden harbouring hundreds of tropical butterflies in flight, with explanations of their life cycle. Less celebrated than the beaches, it offers a peaceful interlude just off the main road.
- 17
Activity
Activity
Aruba Ostrich Farm
A unique ostrich farm in the Caribbean, set inland on the island, offering guided tours and the chance to feed the animals. Surprising and authentic — a local curiosity beloved by Aruban families.
Beaches
3 places
18Wikipedia · CC BY-SABeach
Arashi Beach
An intimate white-sand beach on the north coast, quieter than Palm Beach, with a coral reef just offshore ideal for snorkelling. Bring your own mask—sunbeds aren't available for hire.
- 19
Beach
Beach
Boca Catalina
A sheltered, shallow cove between Arashi and Palm Beach, ideal for family snorkelling. Sea turtles frequent these waters regularly and the sea remains remarkably calm even in north-easterly winds.
- 20
Beach
Beach
Andicuri Beach
A white-sand beach nestled between limestone cliffs on the windward coast. A discreet surf spot and nesting ground for sea turtles — visit early morning for the best chance of spotting them.
More to discover
1 place
- 21
Place
Place
Zeerovers Harbour (Hadicurari Fishermen's Pier)
Working fishermen's pier at Hadicurari where boats return in the early morning with their catch. Authentic atmosphere with the opportunity to buy fresh fish directly from the boats, well away from the tourist trail.
Also 🇦🇼 in Aruba
