Aruba has been on my bucket list for a while, mainly because of its pristine beaches. However, when I recently visited Oranjestad, Aruba, on behalf of the Aruba Tourism Board, I discovered so much more about the island, aside from the gorgeous water. Aruba is culturally rich, with diverse ethnicities and dialects, including one of their native languages, Papiamentu, a common creole language spoken on the Caribbean islands of Aruba, Curaçao, and Bonaire.
Papiamentu is Aruba’s official language, and many cultures on the island speak it. What is beautiful about Aruba is its cultural diversity, as the island’s population is a mix of European, Latin, and Afro-Caribbean heritage, which is reflected throughout the island in its language, music, cuisine, and art.
Imagine my surprise when I found out about the funky street art, artisan rum, and even a winery? Check out where I went below! Be sure to bookmark these places for your next trip to Aruba, also known as the “One Happy Island.”
When I arrived after a 10-hour flight from Los Angeles via JetBlue, I was very hungry. Thankfully, we had lunch at Zeerover, an authentic Aruban restaurant on a fisherman’s pier, where they serve fresh fish and shrimp with homemade sauce and cornbread. I loved the fried fish and shrimp, and it was a perfect start to my trip.
After some rest at our hotel, Embassy Suites, we all headed downtown to join a private walking tour with our tour guide, Mr. Renwick Heronimo, to learn about Aruba’s culture and visit landmarks, monuments, and museums. We learned about the intersectionality of various cultures and marveled at the Dutch architecture. We saw the following sites: Town Hall, The Tower of Fort Zoutman Willem III, and Plaza Daniel Leo.
To cool down and relax after the 45-minute walking tour throughout downtown Oranjestad, we visited Pepe Margo Distillery, which served us authentic Aruban rum and gin. The distillery is a restored traditional Aruban home, built at the end of the 19th century. It remains one of the few remaining conventional homes in the historic downtown district of Aruba. There, we sipped on the finest of rum and aloe-based cocktails.
To cool down and relax after the 45-minute walking tour throughout downtown Oranjestad, we visited Pepe Margo Distillery, which served us authentic Aruban rum and gin. The distillery is a restored traditional Aruban home, built at the end of the 19th century. It remains one of the few remaining conventional homes in the historic downtown district of Aruba. There, we sipped on the finest of rum and aloe-based cocktails. To close out the evening, we walked a few blocks to have dinner at Taste My Aruba, an authentic, family-owned farm-to-table and sea-to-table restaurant. My favorites there were fried snapper and fish empanadas.
On Saturday, we got up early to start the day at Huchada, a popular bakery that locals frequent for breakfast. After snacking on delicious pastries, we drove about 35 minutes to San Nicolas to go on a street art tour led by Tito Bolivar at Artisa Art Gallery. We saw stunning street art and murals painted by more than 40 artists. Many artists used the colors yellow, orange, and purple to represent the sunrise theme in Aruba. After our tour, we had lunch at Kulture Café—a small café located in the Community Museum in San Nicolas, Aruba. The Community Museum is housed within the Nicolaas Store, a restored monument in the heart of downtown San Nicolas.
To end our time in St. Nicholas, we visited the Museum of Industry Tour, where we learned about the island’s industrial development, which heavily produced resources such as aloe, Oil, Phosphate, Gold, and, of course, Tourism.
Alto Vista Winery Tour & Tasting:
For those who know me, know that I love a beautiful winery and vineyard. The First and only estate winery in Aruba, Alto Vista Winery & Distillery, didn’t disappoint. It had breathtaking, sweeping views of the island, overlooking the southern Caribbean Sea, desert terrain, and cacti. Before we could do a rum and wine tasting, we took a nature hike to get to the tasting rooms and vineyards. We learned that Alto Vista sustainably produces sugarcane and has 10,000 chickens on the farm, which are used to make the island’s very own organic rum (Red Star Rum) and eggs. These are distributed mainly throughout Aruba. When it comes to producing wine, it’s a bit more challenging given Aruba’s desert climate, but fertile soil and constant sunshine help. We had the opportunity to try several of Alto Vista’s wines during the tasting, and my favorites were their Rosé, Chenin Gold, and Tempranillo Reserve. After our time at the winery, we had dinner at Papiamento Aruba, a hot spot for visitors and natives alike, for good reason. Alto Vista Winery Tour & Tasting is a magical combination of a museum and a tropical paradise. Surrounded by a lush garden, around a turquoise, sparkling pool with twinkling lights in the tree branches, and a cigar room! If you’re contemplating visiting Aruba, don’t hesitate, but be sure to incorporate some cultural sightseeing on your trip, as the island has way more to offer than sun and sand.
