San Nicolas
Aruba's cultural capital — a vibrant open-air street art scene, authentic local food and the legendary Charlie's Bar
Explore San Nicolas
Click any marker to find out more about each spot.
Things To Do in San Nicolas
The best cultural experiences, food and nightlife in the area.
Street Art Tour
San Nicolas has one of the most impressive open-air street art scenes in the Caribbean. Over 50 large-scale murals by local and international artists cover the walls of the town, created during the annual Aruba Art Fair. A self-guided walking tour takes about 90 minutes and is completely free.
Charlie's Bar
Charlie's Bar has been serving cold Balashi beers and rum punches since 1941 and is the most famous watering hole in Aruba. The walls are covered in memorabilia, business cards and trinkets left by decades of visitors. The food is excellent — try the local fish and the keshi yena.
San Nicolas Carnival
San Nicolas is the home of Aruba's Carnival tradition. The town's carnival celebrations, held in January and February, are the most authentic and colourful on the island — a riot of costumes, calypso music, steel drums and dancing that goes on for weeks.
Local Restaurants
San Nicolas has the most authentic local food scene in Aruba. The restaurants here serve traditional Aruban dishes — keshi yena, pan bati, sopi di piska — at prices that are a fraction of what you'd pay in Palm Beach. The fish market near the waterfront is excellent for fresh seafood.
Savaneta Village
Just north of San Nicolas, the fishing village of Savaneta is one of the oldest settlements in Aruba. The colourful fishing boats, the mangrove lagoon and the excellent seafood restaurants make it a perfect half-day excursion from San Nicolas or the main resort areas.
San Nicolas Travel Guide
San Nicolas is the Aruba that most tourists never see — and that's their loss. Located at the southern end of the island, about 20 minutes from Palm Beach, it's the island's second largest town and its most culturally rich. While the resort strips of Palm Beach and Eagle Beach offer luxury and comfort, San Nicolas offers something rarer: authenticity.
The town grew up around the Lago Oil Refinery, which opened in 1929 and at its peak was the largest oil refinery in the world. Workers came from across the Caribbean, South America and beyond, creating a uniquely multicultural community that still defines the town's character today. The refinery closed in 1985 and the town went into decline, but in recent years it has reinvented itself as Aruba's cultural capital.
The street art scene is the town's most visible transformation. Over 50 large-scale murals by local and international artists cover the walls of San Nicolas, created during the annual Aruba Art Fair. The quality is extraordinary — this is not graffiti but serious, ambitious public art that rivals anything you'd see in the world's great street art cities. A self-guided walking tour takes about 90 minutes and is completely free.
Charlie's Bar is the town's most famous institution. Open since 1941, it's a wonderfully atmospheric place — walls covered in memorabilia, business cards and trinkets left by decades of visitors, cold Balashi beers served in frosted glasses and a menu of excellent local food. The keshi yena here is among the best on the island. It's the kind of bar that makes you want to stay for hours.
The Carnival celebrations in San Nicolas are the most authentic on the island. Held in January and February, they're a riot of costumes, calypso music, steel drums and dancing that goes on for weeks. The San Nicolas Carnival is older and more traditional than the more tourist-oriented celebrations in Oranjestad, and all the better for it.
San Nicolas is about 20 minutes by car from Palm Beach and 15 minutes from Baby Beach. It's well worth combining with a visit to Baby Beach and the Seroe Colorado area for a full day exploring the southern end of the island.
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