Alto Vista Chapel

Alto Vista Chapel stands alone on a low rise above the rough north coast, a tiny mustard-yellow building with a simple bell and a cross, and it marks the spot where a Spanish missionary first brought Catholicism to Aruba's Indigenous people in the 1750s. The present chapel was rebuilt in 1952 on the original foundations. The approach is part of the experience: a winding lane lined with small white crosses leads to it, and the setting, with only cactus, divi-divi trees and the surf beyond, is a complete contrast to the resort coast a few kilometres away. It remains a place of pilgrimage and quiet prayer, and the door is usually open to anyone who wants to sit inside for a moment.

History

The first chapel was built here in 1750 by Caquetio Indians and Spaniards, before the island had a priest, through the work of the Venezuelan missionary Domingo Antonio Silvestre of Santa Ana de Coro, who paid for it himself; it had stone walls and a straw roof, was dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary and is said to be the first church on Aruba. After an epidemic killed many of the people of Alto Vista the survivors moved to Noord, where the island's second church was built, and the chapel stood abandoned from 1816 and fell into ruin; its old cross is now in St Ann's church in Noord, and the present chapel was completed on the same site in 1952 (Wikipedia, Alto Vista Chapel).

What's there

• The chapel itself - the small yellow building and its plain interior.
• The pilgrimage lane - the row of white crosses leading up to it.
• The north coast setting - cactus, divi-divi trees and the surf below.
• The hilltop view - across the arid interior to the sea.

When to go

Any time of year; December to April is the dry season. Early morning and late afternoon are cooler and the light on the yellow walls is best. It is quietest outside cruise-ship days.

Things to know

It is very small and a visit is brief; the appeal is the setting and the atmosphere rather than any grand architecture. The surrounding roads are rough and best driven with care in a normal car, or reached by tour. As an active place of prayer, quiet and respectful behaviour is expected.

Nearby

The Bushiribana gold mill ruins and the Natural Bridge area are along the same rugged north coast.

Key facts