ARUBA UNCUT

CALIFORNIA LIGHTHOUSE

The California lighthouse is one of the most popular tourist spots in Aruba. The lighthouse is not only a landmark but it’s also a locally recognized monument.

Aruba had two lighthouses in its history. One was located on Seru Colorado on the southeast side of the island and the California lighthouse, which is still located on the northwest side of the island at Hudishibana. 

The Seru Colorado lighthouse was demolished at some point and it was replaced by an electric pole, which is still functional today.

September 2018 the California lighthouse will turn 102 years old. The lighthouse is 40 meters high or 120 feet. It has 17 windows, 116 steps to the top and was constructed between 1914 and 1916.  

On September 3^rd, 1891, the steamship named California hits the rocks right off the shore on the northwest side of Aruba. It sinks and rests in approximately 40 feet of water. 

This steamship was on a voyage from Liverpool England to Central America, when it ran aground off the coast of Aruba. There were no casualties and everybody made it to shore.  

The area where the lighthouse is built is known as Hudishibana. After the completion of the construction the lighthouse was named after the steamer California and people also commonly refers to the area as California or lighthouse.

Along with the lighthouse a small house was also built where the lighthouse keeper lived. The first lighthouse keeper was Jacob Jacobs who came from the neighboring island Curaçao. The last lighthouse keeper was Federico Fingal from Aruba.

The lighthouse keeper basically had one task. Before sunset, he would walk up those 116 stairs with an oil lamp and light up the lighthouse light. He would walk back down the 116 steps and around sunrise he would repeat this again in order to put out the light. So twice a day he would walk those stairs for a total of 464 stairs every single day.

When the lighthouse updated with an electrical light, this was also the end of the lighthouse keeper era. The keeper’s house was sold and expanded with additional buildings, which became the current “Farro Blanco Restaurant”.

In 2015-2016 the lighthouse underwent a restoration and “face-lifting” process. A newer light system was also introduced.

Normally the light of the California lighthouse can be seen at 20km/12 miles away. With extremely good visibility the light can even be seen up to 40km/24 miles.

After the restoration, the lighthouse was placed under the management of the restaurant. This is also the first time in its history that lighthouse was opened to the general public.

Small groups and private tours are available. The general entrance fee is $10.00 per person.

The tour can take up to about 40 minutes. Inside the lighthouse, it can be a little hot but they have some of the 17 windows open, which lets the air circulate inside.

The stairs will spiral upwards and it gets narrower as you are ascending towards the top. Once you get to the first landing, there is a door that is opened and you will be in the “cage”. 

This cage is the meshed wire enclosure, from where you can have a 360-degree view of the area. At that height, you are well over 90 feet or 27 meters off the ground floor. The air is pretty cool up there. Actually, it can be pretty windy up there, especially if you walk around and do the 360 view. But oh what a view!

If you go back inside there are still about 10 or so stairs that will take you straight into the heart of the lighthouse. This is where the actual light is housed. 

At this point, you are between 100 to 120 feet or 40 meters from the ground.

A word of caution! Climbing the stairs can be a strenuous activity and should be considered before signing up for a tour. The staircase as it winds up becomes narrower and not everybody might fit going up. The stairs are steep and you must be cautious when placing your feet going back down. 

I have seen people climbing with little kids, please use common sense and good judgment.  

The view from the top is really nice and if there are no clouds the view is even more spectacular. The guide takes you through the tour in a very relax and easy going manner. 

I didn’t feel rushed at all, but it was only the two of us with the guide. (Private tour)

This I would definitely recommend doing this while in Aruba. Just remember to take it easy to the top, because you will still have to come back down.

Thumbs up!

Doc.