Towers & Ruins of Aruba

Fort Zoutman And Willem III Tower This erstwhile Dutch fortress is one of the oldest buildings in the country. The fort presently houses the Historical Museum of Aruba displaying artifacts from the prehistoric past, remnants from the Dutch colonial period, and other items of local interest. The weekly Bon Bini Festival featuring local talent, foods, arts and crafts is also held here.De Olde Molen This old windmill was first built in 1804 in Holland and then shipped to Aruba piece by piece and reconstructed in 1960. It now features a reasonably-priced restaurant that specializes in continental dining.

Bushiribana There are abandoned ruins of gold mines at Seroe Gerard on the northern coast near San Nicolas. They were the center of Aruba's gold rush during the nineteenth century. Nearby there are the ruins of an old pirate castle, originally dating back to 1499. There is a refinery at Bushiribana in a particularly dreary and sparsely vegetated area. The machinery at the mill, right on the coast, was damaged by sea spray and moved to Frenchman’s Pass in 1824. Balashi. The Balashi gold mill ruins can be found at the tip of the Spanish Lagoon near the Frenchman’s Pass, along the southwest shores near Pos Chiquito. This was once a pirate’s hideout and is presently the site of the world’s second largest desalination plant.

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