Strolling the Streets and Chilling Out in Aruba's Wonderfully Small Capital City
Written: Jul 12 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Safe, clean, attractive small city
Cons: Nothing open on Sunday
The Bottom Line: Life is good in Oranjestad. The place has a great attitude, it looks really cool, the food is great---I just can't imagine anyone not wanting to be there.
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| mrkstvns's Full Review: Oranjestad |
I needed a break after almost two solid weeks of working like a dog in Caracas, so I told the boss I wanted to take a long weekend at the beach. The words, "Do it," had barely passed his lips before I was on the phone calling travel agents to see what I could do. I was kind of thinking about a return engagement to Isla Margarita since I'd really enjoyed that little slice of Venezuelan island life in the past, or I was thinking maybe one of the Lesser Antilles islands that lies just a handful of miles off the country's north coast. Flights out of Caracas are harder to arrange and more expensive than they've been in the past, but Lesser Antilles won out when I finally (after having been quoted ridiculous prices a half dozen times) talked to an agent who found me a halfway decent fare on Aeropostal for the half-hour flight over to Aruba (but more on that another time).
Aruba is definitely one of those wonderful little spots on the map that truly deserves its reputation for being a relaxing and stunningly beautiful place to visit. It's the kind of mellow attitude and climate where I could easily imagine living very happily indeed until the end of my days...
There's a lot to say about Aruba in general, and its beaches and resorts in particular, and I'll try to post a few more thoughts on those over the next few days. But an eeps opinionator has to start someplace, so I'll just dive right in with my opinion on the island's capital city -- Oranjestad.
The City and Its Sites...
Oranjestad isn't a huge city (probably less than 50,000 inhabitants), and there isn't really anything in the city that I'd consider a "must see" sight for a first-time tourist. That said, here's a few things that contribute to the flavor of the place:
The Streets: By far, the best thing to see downtown is the town itself. Just stroll along the twisty streets and soak up the Aruban atmosphere. Marvel at the cool looking Dutch-influenced architecture. The atmosphere is more European than islands like Jamaica or the Bahamas -- revel in the differences while you're there and don't worry too much about anything else. Anything else downtown is purely secondary.
The Seaport: Strolling along the harbor area is a popular evening activity among tourists, mostly for the restaurants and shops, but there are other reasons to be there. One of the most hyped tourist activities is the Atlantis Submarine. At least there's some substance behind the hype. This is a real submarine, not a glass bottom boat, and not a boat with a viewing area submerged below the waterline -- it's a sub that takes you down to 50 meters below the surface. Info is on their web site at www.atlantisadventures.net (US$74 for adults, $35 for kids). If that's too rich for your blood, there is also a catamaran parked next to the Atlantis dock -- the cat does day cruise tours along the Venezuelan coast with opportunities for snorkling. And of course you could find a gazillion boat captains ready and willing to take you out sailing, fishing, or diving...
The Numismatics Museum: Nice surprise! I was expecting a small, narrow scope to this museum -- more like the Numismatics Museum in San Jose, which focuses just on Costa Rican coinage. Such is not the case. The museum has a global focus that spans the whole history of money -- there is an awesome number of coins on display, and if you have any interest at all in coin collecting, you'll love the place.
Fort Zoutman: Old colonial fortifications dating back to about 1800. The place is small, and not terribly impressive, but it gives you a little look at the island's history. It's easy to visit if you're down around the Parliament and the Seaport anyway -- just look for the 3-story high square building with the clock at the top.
Tessa the Tiger: What a weird friggin' thing to have in downtown Oranjestad! At the back of the Seaport Marketplace, right on the harbor, is a round cage in which there dwells a real, full-grown, female tiger. The signs assure you that, yes, Tessa does indeed have all her claws and all her teeth. These are reassuring signs given that, after forking over a handful of hard-earned guilders, you can enter the cage and sit down next to Tessa and pet her, rub her head, scratch her chin, and so forth, as your friends stand outside the cage urging the tiger to "Chomp his ugly head off!" (Advice that the tiger generally ignores.)
The Casinos...
I'll admit it right up front, I'm biased -- I don't really like casinos. They're a stupid waste of money for the weak-minded and their only point in a resort area is to suck the dollars out of your wallet giving you absolutely zero value to show for it.
If there's one good reason to prefer Mexican Caribbean resorts over island resorts it's got to be casinos. Mexico doesn't allow them, but a lot of the islands -- like Aruba -- are polluted by them. Almost every hotel on the island (including places that you might think were family resorts, like the Holiday Inn) has a casino. Some have more than one. It's worse than Vegas, baby!
Oranjestad is no exception. There are just as many casinos waiting to steal your money downtown as there are on the hotel strips around Palm Beach and Eagle Beach. Of course there's one inside the Rennaissance Hotel, called the Crystal Casino, but if that isn't enough for you, there's another one in the Seaport Marketplace across the street -- just look for the sleazy flashing lights and the mob of white haired old ladies sporting tattoos, cigarettes perched precariously on the edge of their lips, as they lug their bags of nickels and quarters over to the slot machines.
The Nightlife...
There doesn't seem to be a lot of choices for genuine nightlife downtown. The place is bustling, but there just isn't the range of dance clubs that you find in some beach resort areas (like Cancun or Acapulco). It's more sedate in Oranjestad with far fewer choices.
Yeah, you've got your basic Carlos N Charlies, and you have the Mambo Jambo bar -- but if you're looking for "dance til you drop" all-night discos, you're probably not going to be real happy in Oranjestad.
I didn't feel like doing it, but some folks I met in a beach bar recommended the "Let's Go Latin" show which is the current big deal downtown at the Seaport. I was thinking about it, especially when I heard that it was mostly a musical dance review kind of show with tons of salsa and merengue music, but US$40 is a bit steep for me when I don't have a honey on my arm begging to be impressed. Maybe next time...
The Shopping...
The best shopping is downtown. Serious upscale shoppers will find plenty of designer name boutiques and internationally known brand-name shops, calling out to them to utterly waste their biggest bucks. Some of these are in the Seaport mall inside the Rennaissance Hotel. The coolest shops line the streets around Havenstraat and Emmastraat.
Tons of jewelers. Mostly very high end stuff. A few European brands, plus some of the usual suspects that you find in upscale Caribbean resort destinations. Lots of designer fashion shops too, with overpriced status names like Fendi and Nannini. Check 'em out if you want, but me, I'll be buying my wardrobe from the T-shirt vendors on the beach...
The Seaport Marketplace, next to the Yacht Club, also has some interesting shops, but they're mostly low-end appealling more to the budget U.S. family traveler -- lots of little tacky souvenir shops, along with a couple standouts.
My favorite store in the Seaport area was a cigar shop called State of the Art. Great place chock full of Cuba memorabilia plus an astounding variety of top-brand Cuban cigars -- all maintained in temperature and humidity controlled humidors. If you're a real epicure and you like an occasional smoke, you really owe it to taste, feel, and smell for yourself just why it is that Cuban cigars are so respected around the world. Ignore the politically charged diatribes and ignore the naysayers who tell you Dominicans are just as good -- try a good Cuban puro for yourself and believe what your senses tell you. Just don't buy more than you can smoke on your vacation because U.S. Customs agents will confiscate them if you try taking them home. State of the Art is a cool shop, and a great place to buy a good smoke -- but they're pricey at around US$20 a stogie. The good life never comes cheap.
Speaking of the good life, if you're a beer connoisseur, be sure to stop in at one of the larger supermarkets (most of which seem to have Chinese names) and check out the beer selection. You probably never knew about some of those Dutch brands they've got. Arubans evidently have European tastes when it comes to beer because there's also an awesome array of fine Belgian ales and German lagers, some of which are not imported to the U.S. I'll try to post a couple reviews of some of the brews I snagged in Aruba, just give me a few days to finish 'em up (the reviews, I mean -- the brews are already a tale of history).
The Food....
Eating is good on Aruba -- very, very good. It's sometimes pricey, but the average quality is considerably better than food in most resort destinations. I'm never a big fan of hotel restaurants, and I tend to look for good eats at every meal when I'm traveling -- after all, I might never get back to that particular corner of the globe, so why waste time with mediocre chain food?
The class act in downtown Oranjestad is almost certainly Chez Mathilde. The food is French, the service is impeccable. Prices are high -- you'll be very hard-pressed to walk out for under US$100 per person -- but the quality is unsurpassed. I like it because of the atmosphere -- it feels traditional and extremely European, set in an older building along Havenstraat a short block walk from the Rennaissance Hotel. I had a Chilean sea bass with braised asparagus tips and it was perfectly prepared and absolutely delicious, but at these prices, it better be.
On the less formal side, I also had a wonderful dinner at Cubas Cookin'. As you probably guessed, the food is Cuban. It's not particularly expensive, but it is wonderful. I had a cold gazpacho soup (8 guilders, about US$4.50) that was topped off with some fresh cilantro leaves and it was absolutely delicious with just enough peppery bite to make my tongue sit up and notice. The ropa vieja (30 guilders, about US$16) was excellent with very tender meat -- I can't recommend it enough. A festive atmosphere rounds the place out -- it's a very latin feeling spot, and that always appeals to me. When I was there last weekend, they had live music from a Havana-based group called Trio Los D'Cuba --I'd call their music more traditional salsa, kind of along the lines of somebody like Tito Puentes, well, except for the very attractive female singer -- she sure didn't look like old Tito (gracias a Dios). Cubas Cookin' is also a good place to drink (the mojitos are excellent) because if your buddies get too out of hand, it's a short 1-block walk down Wilhelminastraat to the police station when you're ready to bail them out -- now that's what I call "convenient location"!
A good breakfast place is Villa Germana in the Seaport Marketplace. I liked being able to sit outside in the morning and enjoy a good hot cup of coffee as I watched the city waking up for the new day. Prices are low, service is friendly, food is mostly German. The potato pancakes are excellent, though I thought the large fruit bowl was a bit overpriced at US$9 -- all that just for a medley of melon, papaya, banana, and pineapple?? Oh well, I'm relaxing...
There's probably 50 other restaurants in Oranjestad -- including some U.S. chain pits like Sbarro and some typical beach resort overhyped pits like Carlos N Charlies. Enjoy 'em if that's what trips your trigger...
The Bummers, Dude!
Oranjestad is a cool place, make no mistake, yet all is not perfect. There's really two things that mar the experience: cars and Sundays. Let me explain...
For a small town, traffic sure can be a mess! At least it is on the main drag -- called L.G. Smith Blvd. -- as it comes through the downtown area, past the Seaport, the Rennaissance Hotel, and all the restaurants that line the street. It's busy, it's bustling, it's a fun place to be -- if you're on foot. Parking in this area can also be a headache. There's far more tourists in rental cars (like me) cruising around looking for parking spaces than there are available parking places. You can avoid the congestion by driving through the downtown area, or you can avoid Oranjestad altogether by taking the roads that go around (like 1B), but they're tricky to navigate the first time, with lots of turns, and not always well marked. It doesn't matter if you get lost in Oranjestad though, it's too small a city to get worried about and there's no such thing as a neighborhood that's too rough for tourists.
My real complaint about Oranjestad isn't the traffic though, it's Sundays. Specifically, the fact that every business in the city seems to roll up the sidewalks on Saturday nights and not open again until Monday. I'd guess that 95 percent of the restaurants in the city are closed Sundays. Ditto with about 99 percent of the stores, including all the shops in the tourist mall that runs through the Rennaissance Hotel. In my opinion, that's okay in places like Dubuque Iowa, where no sane tourist would go anyway, but it's decidedly not okay in a place where tourism is a critically important part of the economy.
Folks like me want to spend our money. We want to buy things to take home to our friends and family. We want to buy food and drinks. We want to buy, buy, buy. When a resort town closes up their businesses on Sunday, they can just wave to my dollars, calling out "Bye, bye, bye."
The Bottom Line...
If you ever visit Aruba you'll quickly realize that you can't avoid Oranjestad, but fortunately, there's no reason to want to. The city is fascinatingly quirky, magnificently scenic and laid back, and very cosmopolitan in its worldly feel. It's not huge, nor intimidating. No, there's nothing of outrageously great social or historical importance in Oranjestad, but maybe that's why the place is so pleasantly relaxing.
Leave a comment if you've been there -- I'd love to know how you feel about the place. I've also gots tons of great photos of Aruba and Venezuela that I'd like to scan and post on my web site within the next week. Just don't hold to me a schedule -- things are a bit of a zoo for me this summer.
Have a great trip, and wave to me if you see me. As always, I'll be keeping my eyes open for the good deals on great trips.
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Couples
Best Time to Travel Here: Dec - Feb
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