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LOCAL Friday 28 November 2025
The district of Savaneta: A quick history guide to the island’s first capital

( O r a n j e s t a d ) — B e f o r e interested in other Carib-
Oranjestad became the bean islands and countries
island nation’s capital, in South America, they im-
Aruba’s first capital was the ported Dutch merchants
district of Savaneta. Here and business men, all of
is where the cultural iden- whom resided in Savaneta.
tity of Aruba was born, and This way, Savaneta official-
from where the rest of the ly became the island’s first
island developed into what capital.
it is today.
However, at the end of called Yara, they saw that ants that farmed fruits and
saw, especially not in the
Savaneta is said to have Caribbean. He would of- the 18th century, the com- the area was mostly open vegetables. They also con-
been the first place where ten take notice of land mander at the time, J.R. and had no big trees. In tinued the tradition of rais-
the Caquetio inhabitants from afar and continue Lauffer, moved his office to Spanish, such a land area is ing cattle, like goat, sheep,
first stepped foot on the sailing. However, Aruba what is now “Horse Bay” in called a “sabana”. pigs and horses. Savaneta
island. Though there isn’t was an exception. He had Oranjestad. Because the was one of the first places
hard evidence to back this heard that there were highest office on the island Because of its land surface, on the island to have a
up, but considering the leg- “quebracho”(Kibrahacha) moved away from Sava- Savaneta was a great general farming culture.
end of the Cacique Arua, it trees on the island, which neta, the capital lost its title place to construct cattle From this culture, many oth-
is believed that there were were commonly used to to what was called then farms. From here, the farm- er traditions were born, like
already movements on produce dye or paint. But Playa. er culture on Aruba was the Dera Gay Holiday that
Aruba—and Savaneta— since these trees could not born. Before the Aruban we celebrate every year
around 88 AD. How Savaneta got its name Gold Rush and the con- on June 24th.q
be found in Savaneta, he The name Savaneta prob- struction of the Refinery in
continued to search in the
The Caquetios probably area of what is now known ably has a Spanish ori- San Nicolas, most residents Source: Historia di Savaneta
made their way to the is- as Santa Cruz. The best gin. It was said that when were farmers, and Sava- (History of Savaneta) by Adolf
land either from Venezuela, way to transport the tree the Spanish climbed a hill neta had many inhabit- “Dufi” Kock.
Colombia or other Carib- barks was via a route pass-
bean islands in the region, ing through Savaneta, and
but with good weather it so the first road between
was relatively easy for them Savaneta and Santa Cruz
to travel back and forth in was made.
their canoes. So, since the
Caquetios discovered the The Dutch colonial era
island, Aruba found her first (1636-1805)
form of civilization.
During the 80-year war
between The Netherlands
It wasn’t until 1499 when and Spain, Dutch explor-
Aruba met another group ers and merchants began
of people who set foot on to travel to the ABC is-
the island: the Spanish ex- lands. Once they landed in
plorer Alonso de Ojeda. De Aruba, they deported the
Ojeda first took notice of small Arawakan and Span-
Aruba off the coast of Ven- ish community that was liv-
ezuela, during his explora- ing on the island. This was
tion of the Latin American the beginning of coloniza-
country. This was on Au- tion of the ABC islands by
gust 9th, 1499. However, the Dutch empire. Around
de Ojeda didn’t actually the same, the West Indian
sail to the island till 4 days Company (WIC) was born.
later, on August 23rd, 1499. Bonaire and Curacao were
This was the beginning of mostly used for plantations,
the Spanish era on Aruba where the Dutch had trans-
(1499-1636).
ported slaves from Africa.
Aruba, on the other hand,
Alonso usually didn’t stop was mostly used to raise
at every island or land he
cattle and to house the
haring factory. The Dutch
had often forced the indig-
enous community to work
for them.

In 1636, when the Nether-
lands won the war against
Spain, the country surren-
dered the islands to the
Dutch.

The Dutch administration
appointed the island’s
first commander, an Irish
man named N. Williams.
Because the Dutch were