Sunset
The favourite time.
Jeroen Lucas — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Janine Flanegin — CC BY 4.0 · Photokid17 — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Marvin thiel — CC BY-SA 4.0
The California Lighthouse is a stone lighthouse on a limestone plateau at Hudishibana, at the north-west tip of Aruba, about 10 km in a straight line north-west of the capital, Oranjestad. Islanders call it «Faro», the lighthouse, and it stands near Arashi Beach and the sand dunes. It takes its name from the British steamship SS California, which sank off the coast in 1891, before the lighthouse was built. It went up between about 1914 and 1916 to prevent similar disasters, and was restored in 2016 for the centenary of its completion. Around it lies dry, rocky ground that looks like the surface of the moon, dotted with scrub and cacti, with wide views over the north coast, the dunes and the sea on both sides. Visitors come especially at sunset, and a restaurant beside it overlooks the scene. Visiting the site is free. The ground around the lighthouse is rough and rocky, so wear sturdy shoes; winds are strong up top, and sunset is the best time to visit and take photos.
The favourite time.
Near the lighthouse.
Just south.
Hudishibana, Noord, Aruba
After a British ship that sank nearby in 1891.
At sunset.