At the far southeastern end of the island, San Nicolas has turned its walls into an open-air gallery. Aruba.com counted more than 40 large murals in 2019, and Wikipedia now cites over 50, many of them painted during the Aruba Art Fair by local and international artists. If you like photography, color or just want to see a side of the island that has nothing to do with resorts, the San Nicolas Aruba murals are worth a morning. This self-guided tour covers how to get there, what to look for, where to eat and how to round off the day at the beach.

San Nicolas Aruba murals: quick facts

  • Where: San Nicolas, Aruba’s second-largest town, about 30 minutes by car from Oranjestad at the island’s southeastern tip.
  • How many murals: More than 40 in aruba.com’s 2019 count; Wikipedia now cites over 50 hand-painted murals.
  • Where they are: Concentrated on and around Main Street (B. van de Veen Zeppenfeldstraat) and the promenade.
  • Cost: Free to walk. The Museum of Industry charges $5 (as of October 2026, per aruba.com).
  • Time needed: 1.5 to 3 hours for the murals, plus lunch and a beach afternoon.
  • Best time: Morning, before the midday heat. New murals are usually added during Art Week Aruba and the Aruba Art Fair (September 7–13 in 2026).

Why San Nicolas became Aruba’s mural town

San Nicolas grew up around the Lago oil refinery, which opened in 1924 and drew workers from around the Caribbean and beyond. The Aruba Tourism Authority describes how refinery workers from Trinidad and the English-speaking islands brought steel bands, calypso and carnival with them, and that mix still shapes the town’s identity. Exxon closed the refinery in 1985, and after several reopenings it closed again in 2009.

The turnaround came through art. Aruban organizer Tito Bolivar, inspired by street art he saw in Bogotá, formed the group ArtisA (“Art is Aruba”) in 2016 and launched the Aruba Art Fair the same year, inviting 100 Aruban and international artists. The fair has left dozens of murals behind, and Forbes went on to call Aruba the “Street Art Capital of the Caribbean” on the strength of San Nicolas’s murals, as reported by aruba.com. The town is nicknamed “Sunrise City” because it sits on the island’s east side, facing the sunrise.

Two visitors looking at a large bird mural on a wall in San Nicolas, Aruba
Visitors admire a bird mural in San Nicolas. Photo: Pascal Müller via Unsplash

Getting to San Nicolas

San Nicolas is roughly half an hour’s drive from Oranjestad, longer from the Palm Beach hotels. If you don’t have a car, buses run several times an hour, according to aruba.com, and Arubus has a main station in the San Nicolas town center. As of October 2026, an Arubus single ride costs $2.60 and a day pass $15 (Arubus fares). See our guide to getting around Aruba for car rental and taxi tips.

Many visitors combine San Nicolas with Baby Beach, the Colony and the southeast coast. A guided island tour that includes the south side is an easy way to see the murals and the beaches without working out the route yourself.

A self-guided San Nicolas mural walk

There’s no single official route, and murals change as new ones are added and older ones are repainted. The easiest approach is to park or get off the bus near the town center and walk a loop around Main Street, the promenade and the side streets. Here’s what to look for.

Start at the “Welcome to Sunrise City” mural

At the entrance to town, a large mural welcomes visitors to Sunrise City. Aruban artist Elvis Tromp first painted it in 2014, commissioned by the Aruba Tourism Authority, and repainted it in 2026. It shows the island’s landscape, tourists with maps, locals greeting them and a sea scene. The government announced the refresh in August 2026 as part of a wider plan to revitalize houses along Bernhardstraat.

Main Street and the promenade

Main Street (B. van de Veen Zeppenfeldstraat) is the heart of the mural district, with a pedestrian promenade lined with shops, bars and historic buildings. Aruba.com doesn’t publish exact locations for individual murals, so treat this as a list to look out for as you walk. Pieces it features include:

  • A blue iguana by WD: The artist WD paints in a detailed, photorealistic style that mixes roller work and spray paint. He chose an iguana for Aruba both for its beauty and to support conservation.
  • “Caribbean King & Queen” by Guache.
  • A lionfish, an Indian woman and a hand holding an origami figure folded from Aruban banknotes, all pictured on aruba.com’s mural page.
  • A peacock mural, also featured by aruba.com.

One more piece sits outside the town center: Chemis’s “Melodies of Troupial,” an art wall at the Courtyard by Marriott.

Side streets

Wander a block or two off Main Street to find more walls. According to aruba.com, the murals have been painted by artists who came from as far apart as Argentina and Amsterdam. Past fair artists credited by aruba.com include Bordalo 2 from Portugal, Dopie from the Netherlands and Aruban artist Robert Solognier. Take your time; murals turn up on quiet corners as well as on the main drag.

Quiet street with brightly painted buildings in San Nicolas, Aruba
A colorful street in San Nicolas. Photo: Pascal Müller via Unsplash

Photography tips for the murals

  • Go early. Morning light is softer, streets are emptier and it’s cooler for walking.
  • Shoot wide, then detail. Many murals cover entire building sides. Stand across the street for the full wall, then move in for faces, hands and texture.
  • Put a person in the frame. A friend standing beside a mural shows its scale and makes a better travel photo.
  • Be respectful. Some murals are on homes and businesses. Stay on the sidewalk, and ask before photographing residents.
A mural of sea turtles on a long wall in San Nicolas, Aruba
A sea turtle mural in San Nicolas. Photo: Caribiana, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

If you’d like someone else behind the camera, our Aruba photoshoot guide and roundup of the most photogenic spots in Aruba have more ideas.

Museums and culture stops along the way

Stop What it is Hours and cost
Museum of Industry Inside the town’s restored water tower; covers gold, aloe, phosphate, oil and tourism history. Mon–Fri 9 a.m.–6 p.m., Sat 10 a.m.–2 p.m.; $5 (as of October 2026, per aruba.com)
Community Museum San Nicolas In the restored Nicolaas Store on Main Street; fossils, a recreated colonial kitchen and bedroom, a 19th-century barbershop and contemporary art. Hours vary; check locally. VisitAruba has listed a $2 fee.
ArtisA Gallery Shows local artists and hosts visiting artists, with workshops by reservation. New shows usually open on the first Friday of the month.
Cosecha Aruba.com lists Cosecha, with shops in Oranjestad and San Nicolas, for locally made crafts. Check current hours.

The Museum of Industry makes a good indoor break mid-walk. Restoring the old water tower in 2013 was one of the first steps in the town’s revival, according to aruba.com, and the museum inside opened in September 2016. According to aruba.com, the San Nicolas refinery once employed about 7,000 people from 56 countries.

Where to eat in San Nicolas

Charlie’s Bar

You can’t visit San Nicolas without stopping at Charlie’s Bar on Main Street, open since 1941 and widely described as the oldest bar on the island. Its walls and ceiling are crammed with decades of mementos left by visitors, from license plates and fishing gear to first-responder badges, and you’re invited to leave something of your own. It was originally a hangout for refinery workers and sailors. The menu leans to seafood, with shrimp, lobster and fresh fish, plus burgers and surf and turf. A 2024 Caribbean Journal visit reported hours of 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., so plan it as a lunch stop rather than dinner.

Kulture Café

Inside the Nicolaas Store, home of the Community Museum, Kulture Café keeps the building’s original colorful tiles and serves coffee, cold drinks and light lunches.

For more local food ideas around the island, see our guide to Aruban food and local dishes and our Zeerovers guide; Zeerovers is in Savaneta, on the way back toward Oranjestad.

See the murals during Art Week Aruba

If your trip falls in early September, you’ll see San Nicolas at its busiest. Art Week Aruba runs for a week, ending with the three-day Aruba Art Fair, when new murals are painted live, with music, performances and food trucks along the promenade. The 2026 edition ran September 7–13 under the theme “Nature × Mankind,” with more than 100 local and international artists, according to aruba.com. The week also included an Art Table, where the public paints alongside artists, and a Sunday mural tour led by organizer Tito Bolivar. Watch for 2027 dates from the Aruba Tourism Authority.

A large iguana mural covering a corner building in San Nicolas, Aruba
An iguana mural in San Nicolas. Photo: Caribiana, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Pair the murals with the beach

The classic San Nicolas day, as the Aruba Tourism Authority suggests it: murals in the morning, lunch at Charlie’s Bar, then an afternoon at Baby Beach. Baby Beach is south of town, with shallow, calm water. Next door, Rodger’s Beach is usually quieter. Read our Baby Beach guide before you go.

FAQ

How many murals are in San Nicolas, Aruba?

Aruba.com counted more than 40 large murals in 2019, and Wikipedia now cites over 50. New ones are usually added during the Aruba Art Fair, so the number keeps growing.

Is San Nicolas safe to visit?

The mural district is a normal working town center that the Aruba Tourism Authority actively promotes to visitors. Use the same common sense you would anywhere: visit in daylight, stick to the main streets and keep valuables out of sight.

How long do you need in San Nicolas?

Allow 1.5 to 3 hours for the murals and a museum, plus time for lunch. Add an afternoon at Baby Beach or Rodger’s Beach to make a full day.

Can I get to San Nicolas by bus?

Yes. Aruba.com says buses run several times an hour, and Arubus has a main station in the San Nicolas town center. As of October 2026, a single ride costs $2.60.

When is the Aruba Art Fair?

Recent editions have been held in early September in San Nicolas. The 2026 fair ran September 11–13, at the end of Art Week Aruba (September 7–13).

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