Seroe Colorado () is a village situated at the southeastern tip of

Aruba Aruba, officially the Country of Aruba, is a constituent island country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, in the southern Caribbean Sea north of the Venezuelan peninsula of Paraguaná Peninsula, Paraguaná and northwest of Curaçao. In 19 ...

, an island located in the

Dutch Caribbean The Dutch Caribbean (historically known as the Dutch West Indies) are the New World territories, colonies, and countries (former and current) of the Dutch Empire and the Kingdom of the Netherlands located in the Caribbean Sea, mainly the norther ...

. Nowadays, it is known for the Anchor in Memory to All Seamen. Historically, between 1878 and 1914, Seroe Colorado served as the location for the Colorado Guano Mine, which was involved in the extraction of

guano Guano (Spanish from ) is the accumulated excrement of seabirds or bats. Guano is a highly effective fertiliser due to the high content of nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium, all key nutrients essential for plant growth. Guano was also, to a le ...

. Additionally, the Seroe Colorado Lighthouse can be found in this village, serving as a prominent landmark.

History

Mining

In 1873 or 1874, Henri Waters Gravenhorst discovered

on Seroe Colorado, which led to subsequent developments in the area. In 1879, Aruba Island Gold Mining Company, along with Charles Brodie Sewell from London, established the Aruba Phosphate Company to initiate mining operations in the region. Initially, open

quarry A quarry is a type of open-pit mining, open-pit mine in which dimension stone, rock (geology), rock, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, gravel, or slate is excavated from the ground. The operation of quarries is regulated in some juri ...

mines were utilized, but later on, shaft mines were also employed. To facilitate transportation, a pier was constructed in the harbour of

San Nicolaas San Nicolaas () is southeast of Oranjestad, and is Aruba's second largest city. it has a population of 15,283, many of whom originate from the British Caribbean and the rest of the Caribbean. History According to oral tradition, San Nicolaas ...

, and a

narrow-gauge railway A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge (distance between the rails) narrower than . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and . Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with tighter cur ...

line spanning six kilometres was built to connect Seroe Colorado with San Nicolaas. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Colorado Point was fortified with guns to safeguard the nearby oil refinery located at Lago Colony. However, in the 21st century, the village and its surrounding area have gradually become deserted and peaceful, lacking the activity and bustle it once possessed.

Education

In September 1929, a significant milestone was achieved in Seroe Colorado with the International School of Aruba, marking the first English school in Aruba. Lago Oil and Transport Co. Ltd. owned and operated the school, primarily catering to the educational needs of expatriates' children residing on the island. However, during the 1960s, the school expanded its services and began admitting the dependents of local residents, charging tuition fees for enrollment. Following the closure of Lago in 1985, a group of parents whose children were still attending the school came together to form the International School of Aruba (ISA). This non-profit foundation was established with the aim of ensuring the continuation of English language education on the island. The ISA took on the responsibility of providing high-quality education to students, preserving the legacy of the original English school in Seroe Colorado, and meeting the educational needs of the diverse community on the island of Aruba.

Anchor monument

On March 31, 1985, a significant event took place in Seroe Colorado, which coincided with the closure of the Lago Oil Refinery. An anchor, painted red and standing nearly tall, was installed on the beach. Originating from Germany in the 1960s, the anchor had been lost at sea before finding its final resting place in Seroe Colorado. It holds a poignant dedication to all the seaman who tragically lost their lives at sea, serving as a symbolic tribute to their memory.

References

{{authority control Populated places in Aruba San Nicolaas