Cruise Tip: Discover Oranjestad in Aruba

Cruise Tip: Discover Oranjestad in Aruba

By WAVEJourney

 

Aboard Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas During a 10-Day Caribbean Cruise of the ABC Islands!

Oranjestad is located on the Caribbean side of the island of Aruba, and features Dutch Colonial architecture. It is the colorful capital city of the island and a constituent Kingdom of the Netherlands. Located in the southern Caribbean Sea, Aruba is situated just 15 miles north of Venezuela.

We did not make any excursion plans during a day in port with Royal Caribbean‘s Navigator of the Seas, so it was lovely to just wander around the city of Oranjestad and get our bearings on our first visit. When our feet got tired and we wanted to take a break from the sun and heat, we jumped on the free local trolley and spent an hour riding the line to see the sights from a different perspective.

Near the entrance to the port a number of local tours were selling their excursions at very reasonable prices. We joined a two-hour small-group mini-van tour with E.C. Tours & Transfers. The owner, Ernst, was born on the island and has been a tour guide for decades.

One of the stops on our guided mini-van tour was at Casibari Rock Formations. At the top of the rocks the view of the island is spectacular – so it’s worth the short climb up if you’re at all nimble enough not to slip coming back down.

BTW: There is a terrific restaurant at the entrance to the rock formations – a great place to hydrate and try some local beers.

The tour took us to the major points on the island and gave us a good overview of landmarks and history. One of the included stops was at the California Lighthouse on the northwest tip of the island – at Hudishibana near Arashi Beach.

It’s easy to see a lot of the island of Aruba during a short guided tour – the island is only about 20 miles long and just over 6 miles wide at the widest point. If you’re looking for a local tour or transfer in Aruba, whether you arrive by cruise or fly in for a land vacation, we highly recommend Ernst’s tours and transfers.

Be sure to add Aruba to your travel list!

Cheers, Viv and Jill.