Hello friends of Travel and Tips, in this spectacular trip we decided to stay in Oranjestad, it is the capital and main city of Aruba, Here you will be in a central point to most of the attractions, 5 minutes from the Reina Beatrix International Airport and it is where you they concentrate the biggest shopping centers. since you arrive you feel the warmth of its inhabitants, always ready to help you with any question you have, the variety of types of accommodation fits in all pockets. The main and most famous hotel in the city is the Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino, which has a private island with the emblematic flamingo beach (we will show you in another post) or if you want to save you find accommodation in the homes of people who live there.
It has some buildings of Dutch colonial architecture that although there are not as many as in the neighboring island of Curacao, are very striking and give a unique touch to the city. Its population is approximately 26,000 people, the tourist center is not very big, you can walk it in one day and you must visit the city at least once in your trip to the island.
The stores
The commerce in this city is the main one of the island, you find big stores of perfumery, watches, jewels, clothes and until technology, the prices in technology are only a little higher than in the United States so you can find some good offers. As for cosmetics you can find offers in Jl Penha, jewelry have a big difference in prices as it is a duty-free port, clothing and footwear also has attractive prices and you will find an incredible variety of luxury brands, below some stores of well-known brands that you will find:
Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Bvlgari, Rolex, Carolina Herrera, Swarovski, Cartier, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Victoria’s Secret, Zara, Swatch, Dolce & Gabbana, Guess, Nautica, Michael Kors, Tag Heuer, Tous, Breitling.
This commerce and in general all the stores of the city work from Monday to Saturday from 9-10 am to 6 pm, so keep this in mind if you are going to visit the city (we did not know it and we could not visit the majority of shops), if you go on a Sunday you will not find any open store except some restaurants. When all the commerce is closed there are almost no people and it feels quite lonely. Likewise, during the week after 6pm it is not very attractive to be in the city, except for a small mall next to the pier (Renaissance marketplace) where you can find live music, a casino and several restaurants.
If you are looking for technology, the best option is Boolchand’s (https://boolchand.com/) near the Renaissance Mall, it is the largest distributor of technology on the island and with good prices. If you like surfing and beach wave there is an excellent store called Bula Surf (http://www.bulasurfshop.com/) located in the Royal Plaza Mall 2nd floor.
Cruise ships
Cruise terminal 
Cruise in Oranjestad Aruba
The only exception to open on Sunday is when a cruise arrives, this is because cruise ships move much of the trade in the city and the terminal where ships dock is very close to the main street. One day we saw 5 giant cruises at the same time so they bring a large number of tourists, if you travel to the island on a cruise, in the terminal you will find all the tour companies and car rental.
Bicycle rental 
Arubus Terminal 
Trolley car 
Taxis
How to travel it?
There are many ways to travel around the city and in general on the island, for example, car rental companies (45 to 200 USD per day), bicycle rental (3 days 49 USD) or public transport, within the latter you find the taxis (very comfortable, 24 USD short trips), small vans (the cheapest, 2 USD), the arubus (2.5USD per trip) and the Trolley car (Arubus Streetcar, only runs some streets, free) which is something iconic from the city, it takes you through the most commercial streets.
What to visit?
Although the city is wide, if you visit with little time we recommend you stay on the tourist sector which is where you will enjoy more easily, this is on the streets Lloyd G. Smith Blvd, Havenstraat, Schelpstraat, between the cinemas and the cruise terminal.
Renaissance Mall
A must see is the Renaissance Mall which is the largest shopping center with the most recognized brands, has a dock where boats leave for your private island, restaurants and is located on the first floor of the hotel.
Prada 
Louis Vuitton
Tag Heuer 
Michael Kors 
Cartier 
Renaissance Mall Hallways 
Dolce Gabbana 
Renaissance Mall
Modern and comfortable 
Rolex 
Renaissance Dock