Huchada Bakery & Lunchroom
Local bakery in a cunucu house near Santa Cruz, known for pastechi, goat soup and cashew cake; opens at 6 a.m. Monday to Saturday.
Huchada is a neighbourhood bakery and lunchroom in the centre of the island, near Santa Cruz, where you can try Aruban baking the way locals buy it: pastechi for breakfast, goat soup at lunch and cashew cake to take home. It opens at 6 a.m. most days, making it a useful first stop on a drive into the interior.
What is Huchada known for?
The Aruba Tourism Authority lists pastechi, goat soup and cashew cake as its specialities, along with sandwiches, natural juices, sweets and coffee, and describes a bakery in an authentic cunucu house, visited mostly by locals. Its motto is Biba Lekker — "live deliciously". Its own menu is split into breakfast and lunch, local bites, and cakes.
When to go
According to Huchada's website, it is open Monday to Saturday from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and on Sunday from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
How it fits into a day out
Huchada sits on the way between Oranjestad and the island's interior, so it pairs well with the Casibari and Ayo rock formations or a morning in Arikok National Park. See our Paradera & Santa Cruz guide and our notes on pastechi and other local dishes.
Don't miss
Getting there
Huchada is in the island's interior near Santa Cruz, on the way from Oranjestad towards Arikok; it is easiest to reach by car.
Local tips
- Go early. It opens at 6 a.m. Monday to Saturday (7 a.m. on Sunday).
- Sunday closes early. On Sundays it closes at 2 p.m.
- Stock up for the day. Pick up snacks before heading to Arikok or the rock formations.
Nearby
Hooiberg
Aruba's cone-shaped 165 m 'haystack' hill in the middle of the island, climbed by a stairway of roughly 600 steps to a panoramic summit.
Ayo Rock Formations
Piles of giant diorite boulders near Ayo village where Aruba's Amerindian inhabitants left rock paintings — quieter than Casibari, with short walking paths.
Casibari Rock Formations
Giant tonalite boulders in Aruba's interior, north of Hooiberg, with steps and narrow passages up to a 360° lookout over the island.
More places to eat
Wilhelmina
Downtown Oranjestad restaurant (est. 2015) with a tropical garden: seafood, Black Angus steaks and fresh pasta; dinner Tuesday to Sunday.
Gasparito Restaurant & Art Gallery
Traditional Aruban dishes such as goat stew, pan bati and funchi, served among local art on an 1807 estate in Noord; open since 1989.
Zeerovers
Cash-only fish restaurant on a fishing pier in Savaneta: the day's catch fried in front of you and served in baskets with local sides.