Aruba Tourism

This museum is located in the 18th century FortZoutman which is considered as one of the oldest buildings in Aruba. Its exhibits tell the story of the island’s pre-European and colonial eras.

If you love the ocean, you must take an appointment with the owner to see his shell collection. Though it is housed in a private home, it is still open to public viewing.

Aruba has multiple chain restaurants, so you can find all the major American fast food restaurants in the place that ranges from Taco Bell, Pizza hut, Hooters, Subway etc. The upscale restaurants are mostly near the resorts. However, you should also tryout the local fare restaurants which serve good food like NosCunucu. You can try either the traditional baked cheese or even the interesting items iguana soup. Even try out the ostrich burgers that are easily available.

There are a number of bars and pubs in Aruba which can be visited for some drinks, food and music. One can spend a nice evening here savoring some mouthwatering delicacies and enjoying drinks with your friends and family.

Most hotels have in Aurba have gift shops and specialty stores from where you can shop for gifts and souvenirs. Even if you don’t find anything in your hotel, you can visit another resort or just walk down the road to find the appropriate shop. All these shops have all the shopping essentials like beach towels, aloe vera and even sun block.

If you are really serious about shopping in Aruba, you should visit Oranjestad. You can arrive here in a cruise and will have no problem finding the LG Smith Boulevard that operates right through it. Occasionally the main street is made car free and this would be the best time to shop. Most of the stores are located at Renaissance Mall, Royal Plaza, Port of Call Market Place, Aventura Mall, Renaissance Market Place, Sun Plaza, Atrium Mall and Holland Aruba Mall.

To be one with nature, you can try out the Aruba Nature Sensitive Hiking & Jeep Tours where you can join the former top rangers at the Arikok Park who organise hiking tours to the lesser explored parts of the island, mostly in the east. The hike can be easy or strenuous and if possible jeeps are used to link areas. Most of the tours have a strong environmental focus.

Near the ArashiBeach, there is a lighthouse that is named after an old shipwreck called Californiawhich is incidentally not the same ship that stood while the Titanic sank. From here, you will get some breath taking views that you can enjoy. There is also a good daytime café where you sip some of best brews.

In 1872, the Aruba Island Gold mining company had built smelting works at Bushiribana on the north coast for all the gold that was being mined at Seroe Plat and its surroundings. The smelting works were used only for ten years. The construction of the place was rock solid which made impressive ruins last till date. You can simply walk into the ruins and take some best photographs here.

Aruba is a laid back place. However, there are some beautiful spots that one should visit. One of them is the church of Our Lady of Alto Visto Chapel which is located at the northern side of the island. The church is very picturesque and historic. It was built by Domingo Antonio Silvestre and was also known as the Pilgrims church. The restored chapel is as old as 1750. This place is well known for the peace that it offers to its pilgrims and is also a starting point for walks or mountain biking.

Since Aruba is set in a tropical atmosphere, there are many places where children can enjoy. They can learn about various types of flora and fauna and learn about their protection and preservation. One such place is the Butterfly Farm where the tour guides would describe the entire process from the habits of butterfly to their metamorphosis. Besides this, there is the BubaliBird Sanctuary which houses more than 80 different species of migratory birds. You can get the best view of the birds from the observation tower. Lastly, there is the Donkey Sanctuary where it is a home to many of rescued donkeys who roam wild in Aruba and are often attacked by dogs or killed by cars. You can even feed pellets or apples to the donkeys bypaying a nominal fee. Your children can pet them as much as they want. The proceeds collected from the feeding program and the well stocked gif shop is used to care and rescue more donkeys for free.

1920s grand colonial building houses the ArubaArchaeologicalMuseum which is brilliant in every aspect. There are engaging exhibits here that ranges from the stone tools that were found on Aruba and which dates back to 4000BC. Other artifacts detail the Arawak lifestyle and colonial era.