Oranjestad for Fishing

Oranjestad is the capital of Aruba, and is a quaint town with buildings and houses that sport multicolored facades and is reminiscent of the Dutch colonial era. Situated in the southern part of the country, the beautiful marina here is always teeming with life thanks to the numerous private yachts, cruise ships, tour boats, and local fishing boats.

The town is known for its fishing opportunities and the south coast is where most of the action is. The fishing activity for local fishermen begins with the first rays of the sun when they set sail on their expedition and return back with their catch of fresh fish. Home to many large fish species such as the marlin, the fishermen usually prefer the simple hand-line and bait as they are effective against strong winds and currents. Some fishermen also venture into the rough choppy sea on the north coast of the island with their boats. Since, the rough sea tends to pool the fish together near the limestone rocks. This makes it easier for the fishermen to bait and catch the fish.

For fishing enthusiasts Oranjestad is a favorite holiday destination because the warm here teem with game fish throughout the year. Visitors can bait for a variety of fishes like the sailfish, shark, wahoo, blue and white marlin, tuna and the likes. The best season for fishing is between October and February when one can rent local fishing boats for half a day or a full day, these expeditions can be booked through the hotel tour desks too. Some restaurants even offer to cook the fish for you if you are interested in tasting your prized catch. Another popular activity here is fly fishing.

The Seaport Marina in downtown Oranjestad near the waterfront is a well protected harbor and offers sophisticated docking facility for yachts, sea faring sloops and local fishing boats. It also offers numerous water sports facilities such as sailing, diving, and snorkeling. The submarine tours too are a popular attraction with both children and adults.