The lighthouse was built between 1914 and 1916 and named for the steamship California, wrecked off this coast in the 1890s. It stands on Hudishibana, the rocky rise above Arashi Beach, and it has been the island's classic sunset viewpoint for a century.
For kids, the real attraction is the ground around it. The hill is a tangle of low sand dunes and coral rock you can scramble on, with big views in three directions: the calm turquoise west coast on one side, the crashing north coast on the other. Ten minutes of running about here buys you a peaceful drive home.
The tower itself has been open for climbing in recent years for a small fee, but access has come and gone over the decades, so treat it as a bonus rather than the reason for the trip. There is a restaurant beside it if you want to time dinner with the sunset. Book ahead, because everyone else has had the same idea.
Pair it with Arashi Beach, five minutes downhill, which is one of the better calm-water snorkel beaches on the island.
Named after a ship called the California that sank nearby, this 1916 lighthouse guards Aruba's wild northern tip and has the island's best sunset view.
A lighthouse is a faro in Papiamento, the same word Spanish uses, one of hundreds Papiamento shares with its neighbors.
More finds nearby
Alto Vista ChapelA tiny yellow chapel at the end of a road lined with white crosses.
Kitesurfing at HadicurariThirty kites in the sky at once, from a beach where kids can paddle.
Snorkeling With Sea TurtlesTwo calm coves where kids can shore-snorkel with wild green turtles.
Turn the list into a treasure hunt
Buska gives kids 75 Aruban treasures to find and photograph (this one included) and turns the trip into a keepsake book. Free to start, no ads, private by default.