Page 6 - AHATA

Saturday 12 april 2025 locAl
A10

Place names in San Nicolas and their origins

(Oranjestad)--If you’re ever San Nicolas
taking a tour of Aruba, San Of course we can’t forget
Nicolas would definitely San Nicolas itself. Much like
be on your itinerary. From Vader Piet, the origin of the
relaxing on the white, san- name San Nicolas has so
dy beaches of Baby and far two different accounts.
Roger’s Beach, to explor- In the literal sense, “San
ing the prehistoric caves Nicolas” translates to “Saint
of Quadirikiri and Fontein, Nicolas”, leading many
you are taking in a full view to believe that this district
of what San Nicolas has was named after a Spanish
to offer. But did you know saint. Though one account
that you are also pass- does support this with the
ing through areas whose theory that the district was
names have historical ori- named after the saint by
gins? Here are a few place Spanish colonizers, the
names in San Nicolas and other account is much less
their origin story. divine, but does refer to an
influential figure in the area.
Sero Colorado
On your way to Baby or Nicolaas van der Biest was
Roger’s Beach, you’ll pass a successful landowner
by the famous Red Anchor during the time of the phos-
at what was once the en- there are still underground ognizable sites within this goes, Pieter was well known phate boom in late 19th
trance to the Colony resi- shafts and passages deep area includes the Wind Mills and beloved for his kind- century Aruba. Back then,
dential community and be in Sero Colorado from the and the Quadirikiri Cave. ness and good treatment landowners (most, if not all
greeted with red soiled hills time of phosphate mining. The origin of this name is of his employees, and was of them men) were referred
by the coast. This is Sero In 1958, the refinery at the part historical and specula- therefore also called Vader to as “Shon” by their subor-
Colorado. Named after the time, Lago, adopted this tion, as there are slight de- Piet (Father Piet). Howev- dinates. So, the district was
30-meter, deep red, lime- name for the residential viations from what actually er, he was tragically mur- originally named after Shon
stone hill, “Sero Colorado” section of its employees. happened. dered—some speculate at Nicolaas. Over time, the
translates to “Colored Hill”. the hands of a slave. For his name evolved into what is
Sero Colorado has deep Vader Piet In 1829, Pieter Lampe was a work and good heart, the now San Nicolas.q
historical ties with the once- Another well visited area, planter and the person re- area was named after him.
thriving phosphate industry Vader Piet is located in the sponsible for governing this Source: “Aruba: Short History”
in the area. Matter of fact, Arikok National Park. Rec- remote area. As the story by Dr. J. Hartog.

How Aruban beaches came to be!

(Oranjestad)—We’ve talk- areas with weaker stream Aruba is a continental
ed about the best beaches and shallower ocean island. The island actu-
to visit on the island before, floors—has sand that ally forms part of South
but have you ever won- stretches for miles. In con- America, and the space
dered how Aruba got its trast, the northern area, between Aruba and the
white, sandy beaches, and where the stream is much South American continent
why there’s a clear differ- stronger and the ocean is simply referred to as land
ence between the northern floor is much deeper, there that runs under the ocean.
and southern shores? Here is no sand present—they This is why it gets gradu-
are some fun facts about were swept away with the ally deeper in the south,
the development of Aru- current! whereas the ocean floor in
ban beaches. the north runs steeply to the
Why north deep, but south bottom. q
How did Aruba get its shallow?
white, sandy beaches? Ah! Good question…and Source: archival document
Aruba’s beaches have de- around the area. Howev- beaches in the south—the interesting phrasing. provided by the National
veloped over the span of er, whether the sand stays Archive of Aruba (ANA).
thousands of years. Waves there is another question
crashing on the rocky for- to be answered, and this is
mations along our coast where we highlight the big-
line (which consists mainly gest difference between
of coral reefs) have start- the northern and southern
ed to wear and tear the coast of the island.
reefs over time, resulting
in its gradual breakdown. The sand that accumulates
Fish that feed off corals around a torn coral reef
also contribute to this, one is swept away along with
small bite at a time. Over the debris by the ocean
the course of thousands stream. However, in areas
of years, as waves contin- where it’s shallow and the
ue to crash and fish con- stream is weaker, the sand
tinue to eat off the corals, tends to sick to the bot-
sand starts to accumulate tom faster. This is why the