Things to do in San Nicolas

Best time to visit San Nicolas

• a note or something on   ✦ an occasion worth the trip

• December to March

  High season: dry and breezy; the Secrets resort books up.

• April to June

  Warm and quiet; good value.

• July and August

  Hot; Baby Beach at its calmest.

• September to November

  Lowest rates, brief showers; Aruba sits below the hurricane belt.

What's on

• Aruba Art Fair September

  The mural festival that made the town, with new walls each year.

• Aruba Carnival January to March

  San Nicolas hosts its own parades and street parties.

• Dande Festival Late December

  Traditional year-end music performances.

Best things to do in San Nicolas

• San Nicolas Murals

  Free

  40-plus large murals downtown; walk it in the morning light.

• San Nicolas Community Museum

  $

  Town history in the restored 1940 Nicolaas Store; the guided tour is worth it.

• Museum of Industry

  $

  Aruba's industrial story inside the 1939 Water Tower.

Where to stay in San Nicolas

• Baby Beach / Seroe Colorado

• San Nicolas town

Think twice about

• Inside the old refinery grounds

  Private industrial land with security; the road viewpoint is as close as you get.

• Boca Grandi for swimming

  Kiteboarding beach with rough water and currents; swim at Baby Beach.

• San Nicolas back streets late at night on foot

  Quiet after dark; stick to the main streets and drive between spots.

Best restaurants in San Nicolas

• Charlie's Bar

  $$

  The 1941 legend; sizzling garlic shrimp and walls of memorabilia.

• Kamini's Kitchen

  $

  Homemade Caribbean food at local prices near Baby Beach road.

• Kulture Kafe

  $

  Healthy Caribbean lunch in the Nicolaas Store building.

• O'Neil Caribbean Kitchen

  $

  Stews, fried fish and johnnycakes; a local lunch counter.

• Rum Reef

  $$

  Seafood grill by Baby Beach with the lagoon in view.

• Big Mama Grill

  $

  Beach shack grill for burgers and cold drinks between swims.

Outdoor things to do in San Nicolas

• Baby Beach

  Free

  Calm shallow lagoon; the island's safest swimming.

• Rodgers Beach

  Free

  Baby Beach's quieter neighbor; bring everything you need.

• Boca Grandi

  Free

  Kiteboarding beach; watch from the sand, do not swim.

• Seroe Colorado

  Free

  Natural bridge and lighthouse ruins at the southeast tip.

• Mangel Halto

  Free

  Mangrove-fringed shore with quiet snorkeling.

Best hotels in San Nicolas

• Secrets Baby Beach Aruba

  $$$$

  Adults-only all-inclusive, two minutes from Baby Beach.

• Renaissance Wind Creek Aruba Resort

  $$$$

  Downtown Oranjestad base, 30 minutes by car from San Nicolas.

• Talk of the Town Hotel & Beach Club

  $$

  Budget-friendly Surfside base for the drive south.

Is San Nicolas expensive? What a day costs

A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room

What to book ahead

• Secrets Baby Beach Aruba: weeks ahead

• Secrets Baby Beach rooms book up in high season; its restaurants do not take reservations, so eat early or late.
• Museum of Industry: check it is open before driving down; limited weekday hours.

Is San Nicolas safe?

• Quiet and safe by day; lock the rental car and do not swim at Boca Grandi. Emergency: 911.

San Nicolas travel tips: tourist traps to skip

• Expecting a resort town: come for the murals, the bar and the beach, not shopping or nightlife.

Getting around San Nicolas: public transport and more

• You need a car here; buses from Oranjestad are infrequent and strip taxis are expensive.
• San Nicolas town is walkable: murals, museums and Charlie's are close together.
• Baby Beach is minutes from town; parking is free but fills by late morning.

Who San Nicolas suits

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