Arashi Beach
Arashi Beach | |
|---|---|
Beach | |
 | |
.svg)  Arashi Beach Location in Aruba | |
| Coordinates: 12°36′34″N 70°3′11″W / 12.60944°N 70.05306°W | |
| Sovereign state | Kingdom of the Netherlands |
| Constituent country | Aruba |
| Region | Noord |
Arashi Beach (also spelled Arasji) is a white-sand beach on the northwestern tip of Aruba, in the Noord region. It is located near the settlement of Malmok and the California Lighthouse. The beach's calm waters are popular among sightseers, swimmers, and snorkelers.
Etymology
[edit]Arashi is a toponym of indigenous origin. One possible etymology is that Arashi is the singular form warashi, meaning "bonefish" in Papiamento. Arashi is one of the best locations in Aruba to catch bonefish, which was an important part of the indigenous Caquetio diet.[1]
Another possibility is that Arashi is a bastardized form of arasi or araci, in which case the components ara and ci would mean "people" and "head", respectively. In this case, the name Arashi would then have the meaning of "head of the people" or "people's head".[2]
Location
[edit]Arashi Beach is located on the northwestern tip of Aruba. Administratively, it is part of the Noord region.[3] The settlement of Malmok and the historic California Lighthouse are within walking distance of the beach.[4]
Tourism
[edit]Arashi Beach is a popular destination for tourists because of its calm waters and scenic beach. The beach is a favoured spot to watch the sunset or pelicans diving for fish; the former activity has earned Aruba's northern coast the nickname "the Gold Coast". There is also shelter from the sun in the form of free-to-use thatched beach huts called palapas. The reef off the southern coast of Arashi Beach is frequented by snorkelers, while fishing is commonplace in the rocky areas nearby.[4][5]
Preservation
[edit]Arashi Beach is a part of the Aruba Reef Care Project, an annual eco-awareness campaign to clean up reefs, shallow waters, and public beaches. The Foundation for Environmental Education has given Arashi Beach a "blue flag" certification, meaning the beach has met particular quality, safety, and public educational standards.[4]
Transportation
[edit]Arashi Beach is accessible by car and public transport. Arubus Route L10 provides a direct route to the beach, which has a parking lot next to it.[4]
References
[edit]- ^ Buurt, Gerard Van (2014). Caquetío Indians on Curaçao during colonial times and Caquetío words in the Papiamentu Language. Fundashon pa Planifikashon di Idioma & University of Curaçao. doi:10.13140/RG.2.1.3883.6649. Archived from the original on 22 April 2023. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
- ^ Frank, Vivienno L. (2019). Aruba en een keuze uit haar toponiemen [Aruba and a selection of its toponyms] (in Dutch). Aruba. p. 59. ISBN 978-0-359-65900-5.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ "Arashi". VisitAruba.com. Retrieved 10 June 2025.
- ^ a b c d "Everything You Need to Know About Arashi Beach". Wonders of Aruba. Archived from the original on 1 May 2021. Retrieved 9 June 2025.
- ^ Henderson, James (2005). Caribbean & the Bahamas. Cadogan Guides. ISBN 9781860112126. Archived from the original on 5 July 2018. Retrieved 3 June 2018.