Oranjestad Travel Guide, Aruba

Oranjestad, Travel guide – Location

Oranjestad is a picturesque city located on the Aruba Island in the sunny Caribbean. Oranjestad travel guide will introduce you into the tropical atmosphere of the island with its crowded streets and pastel colored buildings.

Oranjestad, Travel guide – Geography

With an almost flat topography dominated by white sandy beaches and exotic vegetation, Oranjestad is the perfect place for a vacation at the Equator. The city is located in the western part of the island gorgeously looking over the sea.

The city’s climate is equatorial with quite even temperatures throughout the year, clear skies and very few rainfalls. There is an average temperature of about 27ºC in Oranjestad no matter the season, perfect for lying in the sun even for Christmas. Winds are a discreet presence here, cooling the sandy beaches and attracting the windsurfers. Hurricanes are not a real threat on the island, still whenever such a phenomena takes places somewhere nearby some effects can be felt.

The is no important water flow crossing the city, the Caribbean Sea being the major water presence in the area with its turquoise clear waters.

Oranjestad, Travel guide – Flora and Fauna

The climatic conditions from the island characterized by little rainfalls and high temperatures determined the presence of a typical flora represented by numerous species of cactus like the kadushi, yatu and priclily pear cactus, different bushes like the bringa mosa and seida bushes, aloe plants and more. Palm trees are also a popular presence here especially for decorative purposes represented by the coconut palm as well as lemons, mangos, papaya and other fruit trees. The dividivi trees are characteristic for Aruba being a particularity of the island with their unique shape and color.

Fauna is also well adapted to these places represented mainly by mammals like the donkeys, birds like the egrets, owls, pelicans as well as reptiles like the gecko lizard, vipers and more.

Oranjestad, Travel guide – Transport

The main ways you can get to Oranjestad is by plane and by boat. The nearest airport serving the capital is Queen Beatrix International Airport located just minutes away from the city. The city is also the main port on the island where countless cruise ships and other vessels dock every year. There are good water connections between Oranjestad port and every other island from the Caribbean Sea for both tourists and commercial activities.

Within the city tourists ca travel by bus which has a regular schedule, by taxi or the easiest renting a car or a bicycle. The city is usually crowded due to the large number of tourists visiting it so traffic is heavy. The easiest and most pleasant way is to rent a bike and take a stroll around the city and its surroundings.

Oranjestad, Travel guide – Population and Economy

With a population of almost 30.000 people, Oranjestad houses a combination of over fifty different nationalities. The indigenous population on the island was represented by the Arawak Indians, who mingled with Dutch, Indian, Asian and Spanish immigrants that settled on the island throughout time. Religion is just as various from the Catholic and Protestant religions to the Judaic and Adventist ones, all are present. Nowadays the official language is Dutch which is spoken along with English and Papiamento, which is a local dialect.

Economy in Oranjestad is mainly based on tourism and port related activities. In the past the oil refinery which was founded here brought important incomes but in time things changed and these activities were no longer profitable. On the other hand tourism is a still expanding activity, bringing important advantages for the city and its inhabitants.

Oranjestad, Travel guide – Cuisine

Like many other places in the Caribbean, Oranjestad has an exotic local cuisine based on locally grown vegetables and fruits, many spices and herbs, different types of meat especially chicken and the ever-present seafood and local fresh fish. Some of the traditional meals here include the Keshi Yena, which is made with chicken meat, raisins and spices, Stoba di Bestia Chiquito, which is a delicious goat or lamb stew served with local bread, Gasparito Chicken which is made with fresh seafood and more.

For more information on the area you can also read Kralendijk Travel Guide or Maracaibo Travel Guide

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