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ARUBA BY: JENNIFER LE
Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino Whether you desire a tropical wedding or honeymoon, are traveling for business or on a family vacation, Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino offers the ideal island getaway. You can select from two distinct Oranjestad, Aruba, hotels in the heart of the city, boasting tropical elegance and an abundance of recreation. The Renaissance Marina Hotel is a hip, adult-exclusive hotel for guests over 18, complete with adult-only amenities and a pool, while The Renaissance Ocean Suites offers family-friendly accommodations and kid's activities. Our Oranjestad hotels are a tropical paradise offering the island's best shopping with top, brand-name boutiques right in the resort. Guests can enjoy a range of restaurants, the exclusive Oceanus Spa, a 24-hour casino, exciting nightlife and the only private beach in Aruba on Renaissance Island. Additionally, the Renaissance Convention Center, located within our hotels in Oranjestad, Aruba, is ideal for conferences, trade shows and events and can accommodate up to 1,600 people. Enjoy the resort’s 40-acre island paradise featuring the only private beach in Aruba and the exclusive Okeanos Spa Cove. COST - 205.80 USD
WATER ACTIVITIES ARUBA HAWAIIAN CANOE
LAND ACITIVITIES ARUBA PARASAILING
HISTORIC SITES Alto Vista Chapel Alto Vista Chapel is located on the north shore of Aruba and was built by Domingo Antonio Silvestre. This small Catholic chapel is also known as "Pilgrims Church". The restored chapel dates back to 1750.The winding road with crosses marking the stations of the cross reaches the site high above the sea. Alto Vista Chapel is a special place for peace and contemplation and enjoys spectacular views of the North Coast. It is also a great starting point for walks or mountain bike rides along the many trails in this part of Aruba.
BushiribanaRuins In 1872 the Aruba Island Gold-mining Company Ltd. built a large smelting works at Bushiribana on the North coast for the gold that was being mined at Seroe Plat and in its surroundings. Although the smelting works were only in use for 10 years, the construction was so solid that the impressive ruins still remain. One can walk into the ruins and also take pictures there. A nice picture to take uses the intact windows of the ruins as a natural picture frame for a picture taken towards the ocean.
California Lighthouse The lighthouse was built between 1914 and 1916 according to a French design. It was named after the steamship California which was wrecked nearby in 1891. Standing more than 90 feet high, the lighthouse is an impressive landmark in the barren almost lunar-like landscape surrounding it. Its location allows commanding views of the north coast, the sand dunes area, and also towards the high-rise hotel area. The lighthouse building itself is not open to the public.
FESTIVALS Bon BiniFestival The Bon Bini Festival takes place in Fort Zoutman, Oranjestad every Tuesday from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM all year round. Antillean dancers, drum music, and Aruban food and art can be enjoyed at the festival. Admission costs range from $3.00 to $10.00.
Aruba Piano Festival Arguably the most prestigious music event in the Caribbean, the Aruba Piano Festival occurs in September, and features world famous pianists. The festival has developed an international reputation for its distinguished artists across a range of chamber music styles. In addition to the core chamber concert series, the festival has a number of music and education components.
LANGUAGE Languages of Aruba There are many languages spoken on the Caribbean island of Aruba. The official language is Dutch and schools require students to learn both English and Spanish. French and, to a lesser extent, Portuguese are also spoken on the island. According to the Government of Aruba the mother tongue and primary vernacular of almost all Arubans is a local language known as Papiamento. An Afro-Portuguese Creole.
CULTURE Aruba has its own distinct culture, which often includes celebrations. Color and music play an important role in the majority of cultural events, most notably in the yearly Carnival and Dia Di San Juan (St. John's Day) celebrations. Arubans dress in red and yellow traditional shirt and a black traditional trouser to represent fire during the Dia Di San Juan celebration. This celebration originates from a combination of pre-Christian Arawak harvest festivals and the works of Spanish missionaries to combine them with the celebration of San Juan. Aruba is the only country in the world that celebrates this day with dancing and singing. During the celebration a singer will chant a familiar "deragai" (bury rooster) tune while players accompany the song with drum, violin, and local instrument called a wiri. While they sing, they will choose someone to come and try to hit a fake rooster with their eyes close. When that person hits it, in that rooster, it will bring a wonderful smell. This wonderful smell comes from the fruit (calabash).
MUSEUMS Fort Zoutman / Historical Museum The Aruba Historical Museum is located in the Fort Zoutman Willem III Tower and was established in 1983. It contains a large collection of artifacts and paintings from Aruba's earliest through those reminiscent of colonial times up to the present day.
Archaeological Museum The oldest part of Aruba's cultural heritage is exhibited in the archaeological museum.The permanent collection gives the visitor a taste of early periods in the history and the pre-history of the island. Ceramic artifacts, shell and stone tools and ornaments are on display for all those who would like to know about Aruba's first cultures. The cultures present on our island before the arrival of Europeans left their distinct mark on our landscape, language and conscience.
MALLS Renaissance Mall
Flying Fishbone Flying Fishbone goes beachfront one better by planting a half-dozen tables right in the water for an immersive dining experience. The restaurant in the tiny town of Savaneta also serves some of the island's most intriguing entrées, such as a casserole of shrimp, shiitake mushrooms and blue cheese. While seafood is the focus (locally caught lobster, barracuda, mahimahi and tuna are good bets), the succulent sirloin with truffle sauce is not to be overlooked. If you're still stressed out after a meal at Flying Fishbone, you need more pacification than any restaurant can provide.
Hadicurari Hadicurari has been transformed from a humble seaside shack into a comfy outdoor seafood restaurant overlooking famed Palm Beach. The menu offers Asian touches such as tuna tataki on a bed of tangy seafood salad, as well as specials such as creamy, cognac-spiked lobster bisque and Fisherman's Hut, a flavorful seafood stew. Aruban cuisine makes an appearance in such sides as funchi (similar to polenta) and pancake-like pan bati. Paired with calamari or shrimp tempura, it's the United Nations of Flavor.
Madame Janette An island success story, Madame Janette opened in 1999 with 15 tables. Now there are more than 80 scattered across a backyard illuminated by hurricane lights and glowing wicker-shaded pendants. Madame's formula is simple: good food, huge portions, a romantic setting and gracious staff. Start with a casserole of shrimp swathed in spicy tomato sauce and topped with Gouda and Parmesan. Live large with almond-crusted grouper in creamed spinach sauce, or scale back with a simple marinated grilled fish. For dessert, the piece de resistance is the Austrian chef's delectable warm apple strudel.
Screaming Eagle You can't help but be captivated by the décor at Screaming Eagle, where floor-length, gauzy curtains separate rows of tables, a curvaceous bar casts a reddish glow and the lounge features beds draped in yet more gauze. Dine on the patio or order "dinner in bed;" either way, the food is beautifully presented, and the flavors really shine through. Sample the artichoke carpaccio or duck liver crème brûlée followed by grilled lobster or tenderloin with a shiitake-and-pine-nut sauce. Bold tastes and décor make it easy to appreciate why it's become the island's hippest spot.
YemanjaWoodfired Grill Yemanja has become one of the island's premiere restaurants since opening in 2007. Its moniker refers to a sea goddess, but the draw is purely terrestrial: prime cuts of meat seared to perfection over a mesquite-fired grill. The tenderloin lives up to its name: two melt-in-your-mouth pieces of beef accompanied by a mashed-potato basket cradling grilled asparagus tied with bacon. Orange- and teriyaki-glazed chicken gets a similar treatment, infused with a smoky mesquite flavor.
