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LOCAL Thursday 2 November 2023
Visit the historic museum at Fort Zoutman!

(Oranjestad)—Located in the middle of down-
town Oranjestad, situated right next to the gov-
ernment building “Cocolishi”, is one of the old-
est buildings of Aruba: Fort Zoutman. First con-
structed in 1796, this site has been used (or left
unused) in many ways and have survived eras
of war and attempted dismantling.

When anyone refers to Fort Zoutman, they
are actually referring to two separate build-
ings that, over the years, have been merged:
the fort and the tower. That’s right, the iconic
5-story, squared tower was not part of the origi-
nal structure of the fort, and is actually called
“Willem III Toren”. Constructed in 1867, this tow-
er was named after the then-reigning king of
The Netherlands, Willem III. Willem III Toren was
originally a light tower, but after a request from
Lieutenant Governor Jan Helenus in 1866, it also
became a bell tower.
The fort itself was originally constructed to pro-
tect the commerce bay of Paardenbaai from wanted members of the English military several ter points, including a tax and stamps office. For
pirates and other disreputable characters times (The Netherlands was at constant war some time these two buildings also housed a
roaming the Caribbean Sea. Unlike the Willem with England back in the colonial era). police precinct and jail, and even experienced
III Toren, Fort Zoutman had a more tumultuous Over the years, both the fort and the tower abandonment until the Cultural Center Aruba
past, including the on-and-off reception of un- had functioned as different government cen- Foundation (CCA) petitioned for its renovation
in 1964, turning the site into the Historic Museum
it currently is.
Despite its small size, The Historic Museum
guards a rich depository of the commercial,
military and social history of Oranjestad, offer-
ing a glance into how the social culture of the
town came to be. If you are interested in history
and want to learn more about Aruba, then Fort
Zoutman should definitely be included into your
itinerary.

The museum is open Monday to Friday from
9am-6pm, and Saturday from 10am-2pm.q

Source: The Old Fort of Aruba by Jan Hartog.

Helpful tips for your stay on Aruba

(Oranjestad)—When traveling to on the island. Generally though,
another country, especially for the Electrical power most supermarkets are open from
first time, it is always better to be Aruba generally operates on 110V 8am to 9 or 10pm, Monday through
over-prepared than under-pre- to 127V supply voltage and 60Hz. Saturday. On Sundays, supermar-
pared. That is why we have a list of There are also three types of outlets kets generally close earlier; mostly
basic—but important—information used on the island: type A with two around 2pm.
that we think may come in handy flat prongs; type B with two flat and
to Aruba’s visitors. one grounding prong, and on oc- Taxis
casion, type F with two round prong Prices for taxi fair are set by the De-
Emergency services and two earth clips on the side. partment of Public Traffic and are
Even though most people don’t However, Type A is most commonly based on destination rather than
even want to think about having found in homes and establishments. mileage. Most taxis can take up to
to contact emergency services— five passengers, but this may vary
especially not while on their va- Drinking water depending on the vehicle. Taxis are
cation, it is still important to know The water that flows through the pretty much always available and
what number to dial in case of the sinks of every house, hotels and you can ever hire one for $45 an
unlikely event of an accident or se- other establishments is distilled and hour.
vere incident. perfectly safe to drink. Aruba’s
drinking water exceeds WHO’s Safety
Police: 100 international standards for water Aruba is one of the safest islands
Police Tipline: 11141 quality, so there is no need to buy in the Caribbean, and many tour-
Ambulance: 911 bottled water from the store. ist that visit have often told us how
Fire Dept: 115 they feel safe to explore the island
Oranjestad: HOH hospital: +297- Supermarket hours or walk around at night. However,
527-4000 Supermarket hours may vary de- rare incidents do occurs, so keep
San Nicolas: ImSan: +297-527-8833 pending on where you are staying yourself and your belongings safe.q