What’s all the fuss about the Cunucu?
It is hard to believe that anything could be more beautiful than Eagle beach and the other beaches on the resort side of the island, but the truly unusual natural beauty of Aruba is best seen on a trip through the “Cunucu.” Cunucu (pronounced Coo-noo-coo) is the local word for the “outback” and rough areas of the island beyond the more developed resort areas. We think that it is one of most memorable sightseeing and adventure trips you will ever have!
You’ll see 20 foot tall cactus, the ruins of the old gold smelting plant, Indian caves and ancient drawings and drive along a coastline that will take your breath away at every turn. It’s well worth a day off the beach and parting with some of your vacation fund, trust us!
Ok, I’ll leave my beach chair for the day, what’s the best way to experience it?
There are a few ways that you can explore this wilder side of Aruba, either as part of an organized tour or on your own in a 4×4 rented jeep. Both have their benefits and drawbacks and we can’t say one is better than another, so read on and see what might suit you and your group.
Our recommended tour companies
First, you can take an organized jeep or “Drive it yourself ATV” tour that includes a trip to the Natural Pool in addition to all the other major sites on this side of the island. NOTE – this is the only way that we recommend going to the Natural Pool. We strongly advise against driving yourself without a guide to the Natural Pool as it is pretty risky, with steep hills, large boulders and loose gravel making the drive quite treacherous. We have witnessed broken axles and stuck rental jeeps firsthand. In spots, the boulders you will drive over are 2 feet tall, no kidding. It is a great off roading experience and better enjoyed in the right kind of vehicle, with a good driver or guide at someone else’s risk! The tour jeeps or the ATVs you can drive are big and built for this type of terrain. Plus, the benefit of a tour is that everyone can sightsee and not worry about messing up a rental jeep.
There are so many great tour companies on Aruba, both large and small and you can hardly go wrong with any of them, but we’ll give you our opinion for what it’s worth! At this time (Summer 2017) our top recommendation for larger groups is to arrange a private jeep tour through ABC Tours. Currently, for up to 8 persons in the jeep, they are advertising a cost of $400 for 4 hours and $500 for 5 hours and this is really a great deal in our opinion, both economically and for the experience. They will start the tour when you want, go to the places that you would like to see and stay at them as long as you would like. You set the itinerary, which is really great! So if you want to stay longer at the Natural Pool for instance, or take a lunch break on the beach, no problem. We have done this with family and friends and just had a blast on our own private little safari!
If you don’t book with ABC, there are many, many other good tour operators on the island of course! And you may find a better deal in the local paper or in some of the tourist publications, or from your neighbor at the beach or bar. We would recommend any of the following companies and note that if you do have a bad back and can’t take a lot of jostling around, you should skip the one to the natural pool, but you should be fine on any of the other tours.
http://www.abc-aruba.com – Book 7 days in advance online and save 10% and they also have family and group rates as mentioned above. They also have a UTV drive it yourself supervised tour in a kind of souped up beach buggy that fits 2 people – great for the more adventurous!
Dushi Car Rental & Tours http://dushicarrental.com – Several of our guests have also gone with Dushi Car Rental & Tours and highly recommend them for smaller tours with really cool ATVs and 3 wheeler motorcycle type things! If you have drivers under 23 years old (with a valid US drivers license btw) this may be one of the only companies that allows this age group to drive. They also have a facebook page with videos and pics of the tour.
Depalm Tours. http://www.depalmtours.com – This is the biggest tour company on the island and also very good. They also offer ATV tours where you can drive your own ATV – take a look at their videos on the site. One caution on the ATV tours – you get absolutely filthy and will probably need to wear a dust bandana (which they provide) but everyone says it is worth it!
Can I really drive myself?
Yes, you can! If tours are not your thing, then do it yourself, with the exception of the Natural Pool.
If you want to be adventurous and strike out on your own to drive the North Shore it is definitely doable! This would be a more leisurely trip as you will likely want to stop at a few points for pictures and to admire the views. You’ll drive past the snorkeling areas at Malmok and lovely Arashi Beach, up to the lighthouse, on to the Gold Mine, the Alto Vista Chapel, and the remnants of the Natural Bridge. Then, if you want to go on a bit further, head on into Arikok National Park to see the Indian Caves and the exotic wilderness of the park. Be sure to stop at the restaurant in the park, called Boca Prins, to have a refreshing beverage or lunch overlooking the ocean. It makes for a really unforgettable day!
You can easily do this trip on your own in a 4WD – do not do it in a regular car! You will get stuck in the sand or ruin the car. For us the most fun way to go is to rent an open top jeep from somewhere like Amigo Car Rental http://www.amigocar.com for about $75/100 for the day which holds 4-5 people making this a fun and economical way to see the North Shore. We would advise renting the jeep from 4pm-4pm and picking it up the day before so that you can head off first thing in the morning when the sun is not so hot.
If you have a larger group, get 2 jeeps or rent a few ATVs from a place like George’s (which is very close to the Penthouse) http://www.georgecycles.com and have your own “Mad Max” caravan! Take a cooler with lots of water and some snacks and plan for a full day out.
The link below is a good description of the Northern “Do it Yourself” Tour of the island – if you are coming from the Divi and the Penthouse, just head north on the main 4 lane road (Irasquin Blvd) towards the California Lighthouse and follow the directions from there. Don’t be in a hurry and be sure to bring your camera! AND, don’t stray off of the paths into the dunes or onto the beaches – it is forbidden and damages wildlife! http://www.arubabound.com/aruba_driving_tour_north.htm