Oranjestad - Tourist Attractions & Things to Do by your own (Aruba)

After our plane wreckdiving in the morning, we had a few hours to explore the city of Oranjestad on foot before leaving the AIDA.

Table of contents

The AIDA Port Info of Aruba

location: Oranjestad Port, Pier B
Lying time: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
All on board: 6.30 pm
Port info of aidA: Download

Oranjestad – The capital of Aruba

The capital Arubas has 30,000 inhabitants and the cruise terminal is quite central. If you walk from there the coastal road and the surrounding roads, you have actually seen the most important thing. Our first stop was of course the “I Love Aruba” sign,which is a great photo motif.

The I love Aruba lettering

The AIDAdiva in Aruba

One happy Island - The slogan of Aruba

A map of the sights of Oranjestad

The sights of Oranjestad

Not far away is Wilhelmina Park, where you can observe iguanas. North of Wilhelmina Park is the zoutman fortress with the Willem III Tower.

Der Wilhelmina Park

Iguanas in Wilhelmina Park

The Fortress zoutman

Oranjestad

Main Street with the Aruba Tram

On Main Street you will find the Tram Aruba, which started operating in 2013. It runs at regular intervals between the cruise terminal and the city centre. The historical-looking rail vehicles are operated according to the Hydrail principle and generate their required energy from solar and wind power. The tram also stops at the National Archaeological Museum of Aruba.

Houses in the city center

Market stalls on the seafront promenade

The Aruba Tram

The Willem III Tower

Die Main Street

The colourful stalls at the harbour

The Royal Plaza Mall

The National Archaeological Museum of Aruba

Christmas atmosphere at the Royal Plaza Mall

Downtown Oranjestad

The port terminal

The AIDAdiva in the port of Aruba

The blue horses in Oranjestad

Rosalinda, Saturnina, Bonifacia, Eufrosina, Celestina, Sinforosa, Escapia and Ambrosio. These are the names of the eight blue horseslocated in different places in Oranjestad. We wondered why they were standing there and why they were blue. After a little research, we found out that history says that once up to a thousand animals inhabited the island strong herds, because in the past the tie trade, especially with horses, was an important factor for the development of trade and settlements. For four centuries, numerous horses were kept on the island in order to be transported quickly and easily to other places. The blue color is supposed to be a symbol for the journey of the animals on and off the island – as if they had risen directly from the floods.

The blue horses in Oranjestad

Shortly after 6 p.m. we walked back to the ship. Then we quickly paid a short visit to the AIDA dive center on deck 3, because here we had to try on our equipment for the AIDA dives and collect it together. When all this was done, we went to dinner while the ship left the port of Oranjestad.

Starbucks Global Icon Island Mug of Aruba

Seit einiger Zeit sammeln wir die Starbucks Tassen der Städte (City Mugs) und Inseln, die wir auf unseren Reisen besuchen. Die großen Tassen gibt es leider nicht von jeder Stadt, in der es auch eine Starbucks Filiale gibt. Aber wenn es eine solche Tasse gibt, dann finden wir diese ein wirklich schönes Andenken. Hierbei sammeln wir allerdings (fast) nur Städtetassen der 2008 erschienenen “Global Icon Serie”. Unsere komplette Sammlung könnt Ihr Euch hier ansehen: Starbucks – Unsere Tassensammlung der Global Icon Serie

Aruba has a Starbucks and also a cup of 🙂

Aruba, Starbucks Cup, Global Icon Series, City Mugs, Collection, ABC Islands, Travelreport

Starbucks Global Icon Island Mug of Aruba

Übersicht unserer AIDA-Reiseberichte in der Karibik

Liest man die Liste der Inseln, die die AIDA auf der Route Karibische Inseln 1 ansteuert, denkt man kurzzeitig, es wäre ein Traum: Dominikanische Republik, Aruba, Curaçao, Bonaire, Grenada, St. Vincent & die Grenadinen, Barbados, St. Lucia, Dominica, Guadeloupe, Antigua. Elf Inseln in 14 Tagen anzusteuern ist schon eine Hausnummer. Aber das war auch der Grund für uns, diese Route zu wählen. Eine Kreuzfahrt ist wie prädestiniert dafür, die Karibik mit ihren mehreren tausenden Trauminseln auf eine entspannte Art und Weise kennenzulernen. Hier findet Ihr alle Reiseberichte unserer 14-tägigen Karibikkreuzfahrt mit AIDAdiva.