Page 8 - AHATA

a7
local Wednesday 25 June 2025

Exploring the Mainstreet of San Nicolas

SAN NICOLAS— At Just 11 casing Aruba’s Carnival.
miles southeast from Oran- See how are Carnival has
jestad you will enter the city developed over the past
San Nicolas, also known as 65 years.
Sunrise City or Chocolate The new San Nicolas
City. A city that is rich in In the shadow of the refin-
authentic culture and is- ery, an art capital is quietly
land charm. San Nicolas is beginning to grow. This is
Aruba’s second largest city the new San Nicolas, a
and was once a bustling place that is starting to be-
company town dominated come a magnet for all that
by the oil industry since the is young, cool and hip in
early 1930’s. Aruba. Indeed, San Nicolas
has all of the ingredients of
Over the course of four de- you will find three amazing Nicolaas Store built in 1940 an emerging cultural hub
cades, its demographics museums, The Museum of and renovated in 2014 is — varied history, interesting are replacing broken down
had changed immensely Industry, the Community the home of the Communi- architecture, and, perhaps buildings with colorful art
due to a stream of Afro-Ca- Museum and the Carnival ty Museum. The collection is most importantly, an urban pieces that keep brighten-
ribbean and South Ameri- Euphoria, all within walking remarkable and spans mil- layout that makes it walk- ing up SunriseCity.
can workers who came distance from one another. lennia. Ancient fossils stand able. As you walk around, Must See, Do, Buy & Eat
to fill the jobs in the oil re- The Museum of Industry is next to tableaus of an au- the streets are silent but A little bit of everything can
finery between the 1920’s situated in the Water Tower thentically recreated colo- the walls are loud, filled be found in the main street.
until the 1960’s. To this day in San Nicolas and narrates nial kitchen and bedroom with bright, colorful murals Stores selling shoes, cloth-
traces of the multicultural Aruba’s industrial history and 19th-century barber- painted by a collection ing, jewelry you name it.
influences in culinary offer- which began in the 19th shop, just to name a few of of artists from around the Don’t miss out on trying the
ings and customs, housing century. Here you will learn the items of old-time Aruba world. Thanks to the efforts exquisite food offered by
and population are clearly about gold, aloe, phos- that has been preserved. A of various art organizations the cafes and restaurants
visible in San Nicolas - more phate, oil and the tourism collection of artifacts and in Aruba, such as Art Rules or just enjoy a peaceful
than anywhere else on the industries which made San other objects of artistic, cul- Aruba and Aruba Art Fair, walk admiring the murals,
island. Nicolas once a bustling tural, historical, or scientific San Nicolas has had quite mosaic benches and all
business center. Experi- importance can be found the aesthetic makeover the history San Nicolas has
Flow of history ence the touching stories here for the purpose of ed- with regards to vibrant to offer.
if you are looking for his- of those who were part of ucation or enjoyment. street art. Each year more
tory San Nicolas has it. Here this history. Carnival Euphoria is show- and more stunning murals
How Aruban beaches came to be!

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