Bushiribana Gold Mill Ruins

Gold was found on Aruba in 1824, and for the rest of the century the island had a genuine, if modest, gold industry. Bushiribana is what remains of a smelter built in 1872 to process ore from the nearby mines: thick walls of rough stone, arched openings and the outline of the furnaces, standing exposed to the constant trade wind on the rocky north shore. The building has weathered into something that looks almost like a small fortress, and children clamber over the walls while the surf pounds the black rocks below. It pairs naturally with the coast around it, where the sea has carved bridges and blowholes out of the ironshore, and with the second, better-preserved gold works at Balashi on the south side of the island.

What you actually see

• The smelter ruins - the stone walls, arches and furnace outlines.
• The north-coast ironshore - the black rock, surf and natural bridges nearby.
• The wall-top views - across the rough coast from the ruined structure.
• Balashi gold mill - the second, larger ruin on the island's south side.

When to go

December to April is the dry season and most comfortable. The wind here is relentless year-round. Early or late in the day avoids both the heat and the cruise-tour crowds.

Honest expectations

It is a ruin with no interpretation on site, so the history is not self-evident; a little reading or a guide helps. The coast is genuinely rough and the rocks are sharp and slippery near the surf, so care is needed, especially with children clambering on the walls. There is no shade and the wind is strong.

Nearby

The Natural Bridge area and Alto Vista Chapel are along the same coast; Arikok National Park lies southeast.