Noord

Noord is a barely populated small village south of Aruba and pretty near the country's major tourist infrastructure. Palm and Malmock, the two most coveted beaches around where a considerable chunk of the island's hotel compounds are located, are not far from there. Noord is also outfitted with recreational and entertainment spots. A few miles northward, travelers will find the California Lighthouse, built on the premises after a freighter crashed into the island. Almost under the shadow cast by the lighthouse lies Tierra del Sol Club, the most famous 18-hole golf course both in Aruba and under the sun. The course is tucked next to a beautiful hill overlooking the sea. In the surroundings, somewhat far from there, there's a cluster of historical-religious buildings like Santa Ana Church and the picture-perfect chapel of Alto Vista built over the ruins of a Catholic church formerly constructed by Spanish missionaries back in 1750. The city's nightlife branches out into the shows staged in hotels and numerous discos, cafés, bars and casinos, let alone an array of restaurants serving the best food with top-quality service. On the other hand, its stores and shopping malls showcase their best offers money can buy for your items of choice. One of the most interesting places to go scuba diving in Noord is Antilles, a German vessel lying in the bottom of Malmock Beach, alongside the historic California ship, the only boat that received the SOS beamed out by the distraught Titanic. The California never answered the emergency call and wound up sinking off Aruba's shores.