Shopping
The shops in Aruba are stocked with well-priced imported merchandise. Aruba is a "Shopper's Paradise", with perfume, liquor, linens, jewelry, watches, cameras, designer fashions, crystal and china among the luxury items available at excellent prices. Many stores also feature local handicrafts.Most stores and boutiques are located in Oranjestad. There are also shops at the major hotels and at the airport. Other major shopping areas are Centro Commercial, in Noord, and the San Nicolas Shopping District.
Stores in the downtown areas are open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, although some are closed for lunch between noon and 2 p.m. Shops in the malls and shopping centers are open from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Some stores are open on Sundays and holidays when cruise ships are in port.
Courtesy Red Sail Sports
You will be pleasantly surprised to find a wide selection of hand crafted items made by native Arubans.
Quite often the process of producing them is carried on right in front of your eyes, on the beachfront
and at concession stands set up along the harbor.
br> The wharf at Oranjestad's colorful harbor side can be a bargain hunter's dream. Paintings, T-shirts, photographs (some of them historical), pottery and jewelry are all set up along the Boulevard. Transactions are carried out in both dollars and florins, and bargaining is expected.
Aruba is an island with historical roots in Holland. Icons such as Delft pottery, windmills and wooden shoes are blended together with handicrafts that feature colorful Cunucu houses that can be seen throughout the countryside.
Aruba isn't actually a duty free port, however the duty is low enough that some excellent buys can be found here, especially on items such as jewelry, perfume, fashions and electronic equipment.
© Karen Booth
Citizens of the United States who have been out of the country for a minimum of 48 hours and who
have not used their respective duty free allowance within 30 days are entitled to a $600.00 duty free
tax exemption. Families traveling together can pool their exemptions, meaning a couple with two
children can bring back $2400.00 worth of articles.
Canadian citizens who have been outside Canada for a minimum of 7 days are permitted a duty free exemption of $500.00 Canadian dollars. Citizens are also permitted a duty free exemption of $200.00 each time they are out of the country for more than 48 hours. Exemptions cannot be pooled with spouse and/or children.
The downtown harborfront area of Oranjestad bursts with modern colorful malls that produce a distinctive architechtural trademark. The major downtown shopping centers are the The Atrium, Port of Call Marketplace, Royal Plaza, Seaport Marketplace, Seaport Village Mall and the Strada Complex I and II.
Malls located in other areas are the Sun Plaza Mall and Alhambra Shopping Bazaar located near the low rise hotel area, the Palm Beach Shopping Center in the high rise hotel area and the Bubali Shopping Mall on Palm Beach Road in Bubali.
Many malls feature wide open-air concept ceilings that allow the sun to shine in. They are all brightly lit at night, giving the downtown core a glowing neon display in vivid colors. Some have first class nightly live entertainment and casinos.
There are many jewelry stores located in Oranjestad as well as in many of the major hotel lobbies. Specialties include gold, diamonds, tanzanite and many other precious stones as well as watches from many of the well known manufacturers.
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