At our hotel, Bucuti & Tara Beach Resorts, Happy Hour is twice a day – 4:00-6:00 and again from 9:00-10:00. Just another thing we enjoyed at this wonderful place in Aruba.
Snacks – chicken tenders with dip, chips and salsa, jalapeno poppers were among the choices featured during the 4:00-6:00 Happy Hour. Add the sun, moving ever lower in the sky and setting right around 6:30 each evening, gave us the most spectacular sunsets as the trade winds swirled around us. Add to that, our favorite bartenders and servers – Jessica, Geraldine, Greg to name a few, who knew Spence likes the Aruba-brewed, Balashi and I either the Prosecco or when they ran out one evening, that same pink champagne that we enjoyed at check in. Here’s a few of our Happy Hour and sunset photos over our nine days in paradise.
One of the comfy and attractive seating enclaves situated adjacent to the circular Sand Bar, not a bad seat at the bar or in these areas, while the Steel Drums were played for our entertainment.
Happy Hour indeed!
These birds were at the Sand Bar
This guy would scream “Whatz up???” over and over when the Steel Drum musician showed up to do a set during Happy Hour. Hilarious!
One night they had local artists as a special part of Happy Hour and I bought this sweet bracelet.
Spence returning from the Blue Umbrella smoking area on the beach. Not a bad view.
Just dropping down on the horizon…
Going down…
Sandpipers running along the water’s edge at sunset.
In anticipation for the 6:00 seating of the romantic dinner under the stars. 5 Courses and wine for two, these Tiki huts were draped each evening with a gauzy white fabric and candlelight was added to make this the most romantic experience in every way.
One of the couples, seated and enjoying the sunset!
Another night, lounging about with a Pina Colada
A Balashi for this guy! Looking relaxed and happy!
Standing at the water’s edge, looking back at Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort. The sole blue umbrella is one of three designated smoking areas, much appreciated by Spence.I’ve been sharing our exploration of the island of Aruba in the last few posts of this series and there’s more to come. The best part of the trip, by far, was staying at Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort. During the majority of days, we came down late for our amazing complimentary breakfast (served till 11) and then after picking up our towels and covers for our shaded sunbeds, it was beach time. The white sugar sand is kept immaculate by the resort, there are more than enough sunbeds for every guest. With an adults only resort, these were set up in twos – perfect as this is a romantic destination for couples. Many were honeymooners, celebrating anniversaries, birthdays or just spending quality time, relaxing at a place designed for just that purpose. Everyone we met spoke as we did – in awe of this magical place, the attention to special details in the rooms, restaurants and the property – all designed for a superior stay.
Our view while on the beach
Looking to the right
Behind us, the pool, beyond the hotel.
Used during the day for beach time, each evening they are draped and set for a 5 course romantic dinner under the stars.
This is how easy is was to get beach beverage service:
Just raise your flag!Robert and Orville were our servers, whenever we raised our flags, they would appear and in short order bring back iced buckets of Aruba’s Balashi Beer for Spence and banana daquiris or pina coladas for me. And on top of that, at the most perfect time – they would bring trays of cold, damp rolled towels to refresh with and at other times, bringing cups of chilled melon as a lovely treat. Perfect!
On of the things you see on the island of Aruba are Divi Divi Trees. Due to the tradewinds, the trees look unique as they grow with the wind.
Aruba’s trademark: the Divi Divi or watapana tree. An interesting observation is that attempts to plant this tree in other parts of the world have proved futile – it seems the Divi Divi is most comfortable in Aruba! (source: internet search)
Both at our charming boutique hotel, the Bucuti & Tara Beach Resorts and at every turn, we saw so many flowering plants and trees. This is a sample of the beauty:
Cacti and palm trees grow everywhere, endless varieties. Around our hotel, many of the cacti, trees and flowering shrubs have small signs identifying them which was thoughtful (and informative) for a gardening buff such as myself.
I had to chase this iguana around and around these cacti as he wouldn’t pose for a picture. Finally got him in profile!
Just up the road, situated along the coast between the low-rise and high-rise hotel areas in Palm Beach Aruba, is the Butterfly Farm. Spence and I spied it on our way to the California Lighthouse and decided we would go there the following day.
Arriving around noon, we entered through a nice gift shop with lots of pretty butterfly related items. A young man met us and said a tour was ready to start and that if we’d proceed into the butterfly farm, we could pay the tour fee when we were done.
Our guide was a very knowledgeable and exuberant Aruban girl. With her sparkling personality and beautiful smile, she taught us about mating practices, laying of eggs, different phases of the developement stages of the butterflies, showing us actual examples of these attached to certain plants. So much more than caterpillars! We learned of the different types of butterflies that have been brought to Aruba and the two climate zones within the farm – some with more sun, others shaded, water features and certain plants that butterflies need for food and propagating. And all this while butterflies were flying and landing on or around us. Spence and I spent many years in Costa Rica so that when we saw not one or two but countless Morpho Butterflies fluttering by us, we were thrilled. Morphos are like iridescent royal blue holograms in flight.
Being midday and given the water features, it was very steamy and by the time we exited, we looked as though we’d jumped into a pool fully clothed. That said, it was totally worth it and should be a place for young and old to visit while in Aruba.
Feeding on banana wedges
Very large specimen in the tree
Morpho in flight
Flowering plants for butterflies
They were everywhere you looked
More fruit for food
A hatching area
2 Morphos in flight
When they’re wings are up, Morpho’s look entirely different and are camouflaged
Morpho
Just lovely
Morpho
Turtles and koi living in one of the ponds
Just outside the gift shop, this bird feeder was very popular with colorful birds who were feeding on sugar.
The video is just a few of the many Morpho Butterflies in flight.
Our next stop in Aruba was to visit the quaint Alto Vista Chapel.
From Wikipedia: Alto Vista Chapel is a small Catholic chapel also known as “Pilgrims Church” that stands on the hills above the north shore of the sea and to the northeast of the town of Noord, on the island of Aruba, 27 km north of the coast of Venezuela. The church painted on the outside in stark bright yellow colour makes it a conspicuous religious monument for people to visit. The present Chapel of Alto Vista was completed in 1952 and stands in the same location as the original chapel, that was built by Domingo Silvestre, the Venezuelan missionary from Santa Ana de Coro, Venezuela, in 1750.
The Alto Vista Chapel was stated to be the location where conversion of Aruban Indians to Christianity started.
The chapel interior, intimate and charming. While we were visiting the chapel, local parishioners were setting up for a service. The outdoor pews arranged in a semi-circle expand the seating beyond the interior of the chapel and allow a view of the ocean beyond.From Wikipedia: The original church was constructed in 1750 by Caquetio Indians and Spanish though the island did not have a priest yet. The pioneering work of establishing the church and converting local Indians into the Catholic Christian faith was the sole work of Domingo Antonio Silvestre of Venezuela, which he achieved with his own funds. It is said to be the first church to be established in Aruba. This first church was built with stone walls and a straw roof. It was dedicated to Mother St. Mary, the “Mother of the Rosary” and hence considered exceptional in Aruba. A one-foot cross, which was brought from Venezuela by one of the priests, was installed here. Subsequent to Domingo Antonio Silvestre’s death Miguel Enrique Albarez (a son of the second fiscal) took control of the church, and then by Domingo Bernardino Silvestre son of the pioneer priest of the church. When the tragic plague stuck the place, many of the inhabitants of Alto Vista died and the remaining residents vacated the place and moved to Noord where the second church of Aruba was built. The Alto Vista Church was deserted from 1816 and went into ruins and the old wooden cross went under possession of many priests. This cross which was at the original altar is now seen in the St. Anna church in Noord. However, Francisca, a school teacher in Aruba, with single-minded dedication proceeded to revive the historic church of Aruba by locating it amidst the ruins after she came across by chance a picture of St. Mary’s with flowers. She collected funds of about 5000 Florins from local Arubans, got a statue of St. Mary’s made in Netherlands and brought it to Alto Vista and installed it at the new church built at the site of the old chapel, between March and May 1952, after obtaining permission from the Bishop in Curaçau. The statue was adorned with a golden crown studded with gem stones in 1954 with donations contributed by several Arubians. Unfortunately this statue was vandalized by a maniac. The statue has since been replaced by a new one. With this chapel, Catholic religion made inroads into Aruba.
The present day church, rebuilt in 1952, is visited by Christians and non-Christians for meditation. Services are held weekly by the priest from Noord.
The new chapel was redesigned and built in 1952 by the Dutch engineer J.A. Hille, deputy head of the DOW (Departamento di Obra Publico), at the same location of an old chapel that measured 50x16ft and with the same orientation. The chapel is encircled by semicircular pews. There are also stone pews on the outside in order to accommodate additional worshipers. It has a few crosses enshrined in it; the ancient Spanish one is one of the oldest European pieces of art in the Dutch Caribbean. An altar statue of Virgin Mary installed after the earlier one was vandalised has local devotees. The structure does not have any stain glass panelled windows but presents a very serene atmosphere for offering prayers. At the border of the old chapel marked by stones, a few graves are also seen. White graves with crosses marking the stations of the Cross surround the chapel. Graves of Domingo Antonio Silvestre and Miguel Enrique Albarez are located near the chapel.
When the chapel was initially built in 1752, priests visited it from Coro three times every year. People used to wait eagerly to celebrate mass and perform Catholic Services such as baptisms and marriages.
A pilgrimage is undertaken on foot by local Catholics of Aruba on Good Friday from Oranjestad to Alto Vista Chapel.
Initially Spence and I weren’t going to rent a car in Aruba but a few days before leaving, we changed our minds. I hadn’t been to Aruba for thirty years and Spence had never been. I knew there were sights I wanted to see again and introduce to him. Driving out of the Low Rise Hotel area (where we stayed at Bucuti & Tara Beach Resorts), passing the high rise hotel area, we headed out to the remote California Lighthouse.
The California Lighthouse is located near Arashi Beach on the northwest tip of Aruba, named for the steamship California, which wrecked nearby on September 23, 1891.
Immediately adjacent to the lighthouse is a restaurant called La Trattoria el Faro Blanco (English: The White Lighthouse Restaurant) where we stopped for a cocktail enjoying lovely views from this vantage point.
Sweet view
A cool Pinot Grigio, overlooking a spectacular view
This would be a great spot for dinner….
The color of the water is ever changing depending on the sun, clouds and time of day.
How do you choose the prettiest sunset picture? This was our second Aruba sunset at Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort. Standing on this beach, looking at the sky took my breath away. With the sand in my toes and the trade winds blowing it was a glimpse of heaven. I couldn’t choose from these photos and decided to share them all.
After a fabulous nights sleep in the best hotel bed, we awoke after 12 hours. While Aruba is the same time zone as Michigan, we were zapped after a long day of travel.
The view from our balcony.
Out to the balcony to enjoy my tea, Spence joined me wearing one of the robes provided by the hotel. What a view.
Breakfast is included at Bucuti and Tara Beach Resort and for late risers such as Spence and myself, runs till 11:00. And what a breakfast.
You can sit inside Elements Restaurant with floor to ceiling, spotless windows and a view of the beach and ocean, or outside on the deck. The breakfast has more choices than I could list and needless to say, we indulged. Not unusual for me but Spence rarely eats breakfast and he made up for a lifetime of missed morning meals. Here’s just a small sample:
Spence enjoying fresh pineapple, melon and fresh orange juice along with his bagel, lox, cream cheese, onion and capers….I think he had an omelet, bacon and sausage before this plate. Seriously.The papaya was the best I’ve had since our years spent in Costa Rica and yes, that is Eggs Benedict, one of the daily special treats found at the breakfast buffet.
Our first evening after a long day of travel, included a dinner reservation at the French Steakhouse at the neighboring Manchebo Beach Resort. We were greeted by the manager and seated promptly. I chose the Keshi Yena appetizer (a local dish to Aruba) which was more than ample for a light dinner, accompanied by crispy polenta and plantain.
Spence chose the Blackened Mahi Mahi with jasmine rice and broccoli with a Creole sauce. Along with delicious rolls, it was perfection.
Adding to the ambiance, Eddy played piano splendidly, romantic music and gained two new fans. As we had settled our check and were preparing to leave, we were ushered back to the table where they brought a chocolate cake with a giant sparkler and sang happy birthday to Spence. Satiated, happy and tired, we walked the short distance back to Bucuti and turned in for the night.
Here’s my recipe for Keshi Yena, a true Aruban dish (and the story behind making it) – it’s incredibly delicious!
Spence and I have spent the most glorious vacation in Aruba for the last nine days. It has been 30 years since I was last here and his first time. Ever the world traveler, it was the only time since I met Spence that I’d been someplace first.
Arising at 2:45 a.m., we reached the airport by 4:30, dropped the car in the long-term lot and shuttled to the airport. Checking our large bags, we silently prayed they’d make it safely after changing planes in Atlanta (they did!)
In Atlanta, waiting for our flight. Though tired, we are excited.
We arrived, cleared the airport, picked up our rental car and headed for the Bucuti and Tara Beach Resorts. Located in the low-rise hotel section, right on the ocean is a 14 acre paradise. We were checked in by Sylvia, given cold, lavender scented towels to refresh with and offered pink champagne while she gave us an orientation. What a way to start. After 2 glasses each and properly refreshed, Nicole brought us to our lovely room and gave us the tour of the features. We found that because we were celebrating both Spence’s birthday and our anniversary that the resort had gifted us with a bottle of Chardonnay, on ice, a beautiful round of Gouda, Carrs Garlic Herb Water Crackers and a bar of chocolate from Holland. Nicole also showed us a bottle of pink champagne chilling in the minibar that was a gift from the hotel as well as 2 engraved champagne flutes and 2 aluminum water bottles as gifts to use while here and take upon our departure.
Just a few of our gifts!
We chose a standard room which was exquisite – perfect for us. We were beginning to understand why this resort is rated #1 on Trip Advisor.
Yes, that’s a TV inside the bathroom mirror!The resort is “green” and instead of a ton of little plastic bottles, supply bath gel, conditioning shampoo and lotion made in Aruba. The products, Aruba Aloe, are first class!Love this chaise! All the comforts including an air purifier, dehumidifier and Sirius Love Channel on our huge flatscreen TV, which added to the romantic ambiance.Super comfy bed and pillows, we slept so well here.Real orchid in the bathroomSweet view from our balcony…..Next year, we’ll add the tag “We’re glad to have you back” which we saw on many guest doors…..
