Page 9 - aruba-today-20230510

A9
LOCAL Wednesday 10 May 2023

Why You Should Not Miss Aruba’s Free City Center Street Car Tour

ORANJESTAD - Aruba’s City Center Street Car - or as we
call it in Dutch; “Tram van Oranjestad’ - is a single track
tram line in Oranjestad, the capital city of Aruba. It was
inaugurated on 22 December 2012, being the first and so
far the only passenger rail service on Aruba and the rest of
the Dutch Caribbean. There are two trolleys, a single-deck
one with 42 seats and a double-decker with 64 seats. The
line was inspired by the popular battery-powered street-
car operation at the Grove in Los Angeles, USA. Aruba’s
streetcars are powered by hydrogen fuel cells, which are
charged by the island’s year-round trade winds.

Caya Betico Croes, mostly referred to as our “main street”
has been developed into a pollution-free pedestrian
mall. The double-decker offers you a 360 degree view of
the down town area with a picture perfect scenery of the
island’s clear blue skies. Who would not enjoy a ride on
this beautiful and naturally air-conditioned vehicle? The
tour consists of a total of 9 stops approximately 200 meters
apart from each other; all stops are clearly marked. The
tram will bring you close to different museums, historical
plazas, monuments, the Protestant church, Aruba’s high-
end mall, retail shops, and a variety of local and interna-
tional cuisine restaurants. The “I love Aruba” trademark
also belongs to that list. The third stop on the route is close
to a 5-minute walk to the famous Renaissance Marina
showcasing luxurious yachts and Aruba’s blue waters.
The “Tram van Oranjestad” starts from a balloon loop
near the Port of Call and serves the downtown area and
ends at Plaza Nicky. The first ride starts at 10:00 am sharp
with intervals of 25minutes. The last trolley departs from
the cruise port at 5:00 pm. Don’t miss this tour of the beau-
tiful Aruba’s City Center – it is free for all!q