Shopping

Although Aruba boasts a veritable plethora of shopping opportunities, the days of Caribbean bargains are waning. A 3% sales tax has been introduced recently, and it may be absorbed directly into the price of merchandise or show up as a government tax on your bill. Nevertheless, the island's low 3.3% duty can make prices on certain items such as jewelry and fragrances attractive.

Dutch goods such as Delft porcelain, chocolate, and Gouda cheese are especially good buys. Items from Indonesia, another former Dutch colony, are reasonably priced, too. Although Aruban souvenirs tend toward cheesy resin casts of cunucu (farm) houses or divi divi trees, some impressive works by Aruban artists can be viewed or purchased at the local art galleries. Skin- and hair-care products made from locally produced aloe are also popular and practical. If you're looking for big-ticket items, Aruba offers the usual array of Swiss watches; German and Japanese cameras; gold and diamond jewelry; Cuban cigars; premium liquor; English and German china; Spanish porcelain; French, Swedish, and Danish crystal; and French and American fragrances. If you plan to make a major purchase, do a little research at home so you know you're getting a good deal.

The Shopping Scene

Stores accept American dollars, credit cards, and traveler's checks. They do not, however, accept currency from the Netherlands Antilles. So, if you plan to go to Bonaire or Curaçao, only exchange what you think you will spend there -- better yet, stick with U.S. dollars, which are accepted on all three islands. Shopkeepers, like most Arubans, are pleasant, but haggling is considered rude, so don't push your luck.

Most stores are open Monday through Saturday from 9am to 6pm; a few close for an hour at noon or 1pm. Stores in Oranjestad's malls tend to open on Sunday as well, especially if cruise ships are in port.

Parking can be a hassle in downtown Oranjestad. If the lots along the waterfront are packed, try for a space behind the Renaissance Marketplace, past the Seaport Casino. Taking a cab or the bus is easier, though, unless you plan to purchase heavy items.

Books -- If reading on the beach is one of your favorite pastimes, bring books from home; the selection in Aruba is limited and the prices are steep.

Perfume & Cosmetics -- Many of the island's jewelry stores also carry fragrances and cosmetics from the United States and France.

Hello, Aloe -- So Long, Sunburn -- Aruba has cultivated aloe for more than 150 years. The plant -- pronounced "ah-loh-weh" locally -- serves as a moisturizer and sunburn healer. My brother swears by the sunburn gel. Aruba Aloe, a local company, manufactures a wide assortment of shampoos, facial masks, creams, and gels that soothe after a day in the sun. The products are cheapest at a pharmacy or supermarket, but you can also get them at souvenir stands and the factory itself (where you also get a factory tour, showing the history of this industry on the island).

Wine & Liquor -- The supermarkets on the road connecting Oranjestad with the Low-Rise area -- Kong Hing Supermarket and Ling & Sons IGA Super Center -- boast sizable liquor departments and the best prices.

Great Shopping Areas

Although the major resort hotels boast shopping arcades, Aruba's retail activity centers on Oranjestad. Half-mile-long Caya G.F. Betico Croes, better known as Main Street, is the city's major shopping venue, attracting tourists, young and fashionable Arubans, office workers, and families. Downtown also teems with contiguous shopping malls that stretch for several blocks along the harborfront. The gingerbread pastel-colored buildings are impossible to miss. Renaissance Mall (L.G. Smith Blvd. 82, Oranjestad; www.shoprenaissancearuba.com/mall) is adjacent to the Renaissance Hotel and marked by a distinctive clock tower that also indicates the presence of the Crystal Casino. On the other side of L.G. Smith Boulevard and just past the marina is the Renaissance Marketplace; both the Renaissance Mall and Renaissance Marketplace feature more than 130 stores, 2 casinos, 20 restaurants and cafes, and a movie theater. Just up the road, adjacent to the Renaissance Mall, the bright pink-and-white fanciful-looking Royal Plaza Mall on L.G. Smith Boulevard is chock-full of popular restaurants and generally midscale boutiques. Port of Call Marketplace, also on L.G. Smith Boulevard, is the first complex that cruise-ship passengers encounter on their way downtown and is directly across the street from the main bus terminal. An adjacent mall stands complete but empty, awaiting resolution of final legal matters before stores can fill the vacancies and open for business.

An enormous shopping center called Paseo Herencia (Aruba's Pride) opened in 2008 on the High-Rise district's main street (J.E. Irausquin Blvd.). Located right across the street from the Holiday Inn SunSpree, it contains a multiplex cinema, a fountain with water shows every evening, an indoor parking garage, and dozens of shops and restaurants.

A new shopping mall called the Village, across the street from the Radisson and also on J.E. Irausquin Boulevard, opened in 2009, but at press time was still filling its rafters with stores. In place at press time was a large branch of Red Sail Sport (tel. 297/586-1603) and a few new restaurants such as Chino-Latino and Papillion.

Merchandise stands clutter Oranjestad's waterfront, most selling garden-variety T-shirts and souvenirs at bargain prices. Fruit and vegetables brought daily by boat from Venezuela add color to the hubbub.