San Nicolas is Aruba's Art District: since 2016, murals by local and international artists have covered its main street, and the Aruba Mural Tours walking tour shows an average of 20 to 40 of them, from $15 to $35 depending on the tour, departing daily at 9:00 am, 11:30 am, 2:00 pm and 4:00 pm from the ArtisA gallery (Aruba Tourism Authority, read 7 November 2026). The town on the southeast side of the island is also the closest base for Baby Beach.
Highlights
The mural walk
The tour starts at the ArtisA (Art is Aruba) gallery, at Bernard van de Veen Zeppenfeldstraat 14, and is led by the curator of the murals, who also organizes the Aruba Art Fair. It explains how San Nicolas became the Art District. Special tours with workshops and catering are available on request (arubamuraltours.com, +297 593 4475).
Baby Beach
Known for the calmest water on the island, a short distance from Boca Grandi, where you can watch kite surfers. Rodgers Beach is another place for a swim in clear water.
Charlie's Bar & Restaurant
Founded on 18 September 1941, with old and new objects on the walls and ceilings.
Three museums
The Museum of Industry, the Community Museum and the Carnaval Euphoria exhibition. Aruba's Carnival began in San Nicolas, and the town's multicultural history goes back to the opening of the refinery nearly a century ago.
Local food
Saco di Felipe, a local dish the tourism board calls one of the most sought-after in town, and O'Niel Caribbean Kitchen for local and international dishes.
Practical info
Tips
- To combine the murals with the water, the EZ Raider San Nicolas art murals and Baby Beach snorkeling tour is rated 5.0 out of 5 from 38 reviews on Viator (read 7 November 2026). For the art alone, the walking tour skips the snorkeling. Nearby sights listed by the tourism board include Arikok National Park, the Donkey Sanctuary and Mangel Halto; see Arikok National Park, Donkey Sanctuary and Mangel Halto. For a walking tour of Oranjestad instead, see Aruba walking tours.
How to get there
San Nicolas is at the southeast end of the island, far from the Palm Beach hotels; by rental car, taxi or tour (see getting around Aruba).
Opening hours
Nearby
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