Anchorage· Aruba· Other Caribbean
Arashi & Malmok Day Anchorage (Aruba)
12° 36.2′ N · 70° 3.3′ W · approximate
The open roadstead off Malmok and Arashi at Aruba's northwest tip, near the California Lighthouse: clear water, snorkelling at Boca Catalina and the Antilla wreck a short dinghy ride away, and few other yachts.
Practical
Anchor in about 2.4-15 m (8-50 ft); some patches are a thin layer of sand over smooth rock - if you drag, move and let out plenty of scope (Aruba Cruising Guide). The buoys close inshore off Malmok and Arashi are charter-boat moorings, not for yachts. Day stop only - exposed to the northwest, and ground swells reach this coast in hurricane season and with Atlantic storms from January to April (Aruba Cruising Guide); not an overnight anchorage except in very settled weather (Virgintino). Reach it in daylight: shoals with 4-7 ft and coral heads lie off the hotel strip between the inshore and offshore routes. Coordinate approx: about 400 m off the OSM shoreline between Malmok Beach and Arashi Beach.
Best for
Lunch, snorkel and wreck dive at the northwest tip
Season
Settled trade-wind days; avoid in northwest ground swell