Explora Journeys in Oranjestad

Oranjestad is Aruba's capital, a compact Dutch-Caribbean town of pastel gabled buildings, a free streetcar, and duty-free shopping that sits directly behind the cruise piers. The dry, breezy climate and the 5 to 10 minute walk to the center make it an easy on-foot day, though the island's draw has always been its beaches more than its town. It earns the day if you treat the walkable historic streets as the appetizer and a short beach run as the main course.

What to do on a day in Oranjestad

• The free open-air trolley (streetcar) from the terminal into the center, which stops at monuments and museums along Lloyd G. Smith Boulevard and Main Street
• Fort Zoutman and the Willem III Tower, Aruba's oldest building, now the Historical Museum, opposite the Renaissance area
• Havenstraat, Schelpstraat and Main Street, the quieter shopping streets one block back from the boulevard where local boutiques sit away from the cruise crowd
• Renaissance Marketplace, the waterfront cluster of restaurants and cafes a 10-minute walk from the piers
• Surfside Beach, the closest real swimming beach, about a 15-minute walk south along the boulevard
• The Archaeological Museum of Aruba, a small free museum on the inland streets covering the island's Amerindian past

Getting ashore

Ships dock at one of four piers in northern Oranjestad, two with terminal buildings, all a 5 to 10 minute walk to Lloyd G. Smith Boulevard and the center. One day is enough to walk the town and still reach a beach by taxi or, for a longer day, Eagle or Palm Beach a short drive north.

When to book the ship's excursion vs your own →

Weather and when to visit

• December to February (Caribbean winter season). Typically warm and dry, highs around 86F cooled by constant trade winds, with rain mostly limited to brief showers. Aruba is arid and sits outside the hurricane belt.
• March to May. Typically the driest and windiest stretch, near-constant sunshine, around an inch of rain a month, strong steady breeze that makes the heat comfortable.