Bushiribana Gold Mine Ruins -Aruba
Posted by: 
kJfishman
N 12° 33.226 W 069° 58.585
19P E 393925 N 1387986
Quick Description: Bushiribana Gold Mine Ruins -Aruba
Location: Aruba
Date Posted: 2/20/2008 12:58:49 PM
Waymark Code: WM370X
Views: 112
Long Description:Bushiribana Gold Mine Ruins -Aruba We took a Jeep tour and this was
one of the stops along the way. Also close by is the now fallen
Natural Bridge. The link below summed provided more information
about this area.
The following is from:
(visit link)
Bushiribana Ruins – These ruins are located on the northern
coast of Aruba, near the Natural Bridge. The ruins themselves look
like they’re from some ancient medieval fortress, made up of bulky
stones that are now mainly crumbling walls and graffiti.
Regarding the ruins’ history, Alonso de Ojeda was a Spanish
explorer who made his way to this remote corner of the Caribbean
and laid claim to the territory for Queen Isabella. According to
tradition, he christened the place “Oro Hubo”, which means that
there was gold there. The Spanish seemed to believe that the
climate was too arid for cultivation, and they found little
evidence of the infamous supply of “gold”. Over the course of 150
years, Aruba became a hideaway for pirates and buccaneers.
Bushiribana is the name of the ruins of an old pirate castle that
still stands (barely) today. The year 1824 was when they finally
discovered gold near Bushiribana. In 1872, the Aruba Island Gold
Mining Company built a large smelting works at Bushiribana, for
gold that was being mined at Seroe Plat.
This place is interesting for its historical value, but the site
has no guides, signs, or explanatory material. This would be a good
place to go with a knowledgeable tour guide, and if you could
package in the natural bridge stop, so much the better. There’s no
charge to tour the ruins, and it’s always open to visitors. I am
going to put “Somewhat Recommended” simply because if you go here
without a tour, it’s not very interesting.