Oranjestad Excursions

San Nicolas

The industrial centre of Aruba, San Nicolas is the island's oldest and largest town. Until the late 19th century it was a small fishing village but all this changed with the mining of phosphate on the island, and more recently the discovery of oil off the coast of Venezuela. The town provides a glimpse of old British-Caribbean charm and contains a handful of restaurants and shops. There are a few popular beaches to the east of the town that offer good swimming and snorkelling opportunities and are suitable for families.