Page 13 - AHATA

Friday 7 November 2025 locAl
A10

Today Is Going To Be A Good Day

(Oranjestad)—Here’s why: Nature Calls with a richness of animals
Aruba Today collected The Arikok National park is living in it. The Aruban whip-
some things to do BEYOND worth the ride. We love the tail lizard (cododo), Aruban
the beach. Yes, we know. hikes that are guided by cat eye snake (santanero)
Aruba, located 15 miles the park’s rangers whose and endangered rattle
north of Venezuela in the job is to maintain trails and snake (cascabel) are just
warm waters of the south- protect natural resources. some of them, you can also
ern Caribbean, is home The flora and fauna are admire these close in the
to beautiful white-sand beautiful and the histori- park’s Visitors’ Center.
beaches, 82-degree days, cal sites tell you about the For more information, visit
and thus ideal for the per- island’s indigenous roots. the website www.acf.aw
fect beach day. But we The guided tours are even
are also blessed with some free of charge. If you are The Lighthouse
of the warmest people in not up to walking, you can No, you would not think
the world and our island is drive through the park, one of this as a hidden gem.
19.6 miles long and 6 miles way or another this park is The California Lighthouse
across, with a total area of a great place to spend an is actually one of the most
70 square miles. Bit more entire day. Cruising through known highlights in Aruba
to discover than the white the landscape you end up and many repeated guests
stretch on the coastline we at some of the most stun- most probably took the ride
say. Let’s mention some of ning beaches like Dos Pla- uphill already. But, there is
these hidden gems. ya or Daimara Beach. In To- a significant change to this
tal the park consists of 7907 tower. Since September
acres protected nature 2016 you can climb the

top. In 2015 Stichting Monu- tip to ships with its light.
mentenfonds started the
restoration of the Califor- Kayak in the Mangroves
nia Lighthouse. The project Mangel Halto at Savaneta
finished in September 2016 is definitely a place not to
and the Lighthouse is now miss out on. The beauti-
open for visitors to enjoy ful beach with the natu-
the beautiful view from the ral mangroves is simply a
top. The construction of the beauty, but if you are into
California Lighthouse start- a more active way to enjoy
ed in 1915. The name ‘Cali- the nature: take a kayak.
fornia’ came from a vessel While you are doing some
of the West India Company workout -as it might get a
and Pacific Steamship Co. little windy and rough-, you
called ‘California’ that will see the island from a
shipwrecked in the area in different perspective. You
1891. Therefore they came can even make a stop to
up with the idea of building do some snorkeling at the
a lighthouse that could in- reef. Its fun, it’s healthy and
dicate the island’s eastern for sure something else.q

Forgotten gems: Open air movie theaters

(Oranjestad)—During the span of Colony in Sero Colorado also had
over 100 years, Aruba only saw their piece of the pie with their The last and most recent open air
five open air movie theaters. Now Open air Theatre, which formed theater was constructed in the
practically obsolete on the island, part of the Esso Club, also known form of a drive-in theater. A popu-
these theaters were once frequent- as the Pan-Am Club. It was at this lar American concept, the Drive
ly visited by locals and migrants in theater that “Talkies” were first Inn located in Balashi was a hot
the 20th century. streamed, movies with sound. This spot for teenagers, who had the
theater mostly streamed Ameri- habit of cramming all their friends
The first open air theater was con- can blockbusters for the American in one car to go see the movies.
structed in 1920 and was commis- expats, this way making sure that For this phenomenon there was
sioned by Shon Eduard (Eddy) de these migrant were not missing out a separate price that you had to
Veer. This theater was located at on entertainment from their home pay called the “car crash”.
the Hotel Colombia in Oranjestad, land.
which is now where the Aruban This theater closed around 2012,
census office is located. The the- In the 1950’s and 60’s, Savaneta but was re-opened during the
ater was simple; it only consisted of saw their own open air theater, pandemic in July 2020, where you can still see the stacked con-
a screen, and visitors had to bring located in front of the Marinier’s movies were streamed on a gigan- tainers when you drive near the
their own chairs to enjoy the popu- Kazerne (Marine Barracks). This tic screen set up in front of stacked bridge in Balashi.
lar silent movies of the time. theater was mostly visited by the containers. However, this nostalgic
neighboring marines, who didn’t form of entertainment did not last Source: “De kolibrie op de rots en
American migrants who worked in have much entertainment other very long as it was closed again meer over de geschiedenis van
the refinery and lived in the Lago than movies at that time. only a year or two later. Nowadays Aruba” by Evert Bongers.q