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Most visitors make home base on the southwestern shore, on the hotel strips along Palm and Eagle beaches. The colorful capital of Oranjestad is a few miles east of these, and the Queen Beatrix airport about two miles further onward. The northwest tip of the island, marked by the California Lighthouse, … more is known for its dusty plains, wild waves, abandoned farmlands, and Aruban wildlife; the southeast, where industrial San Nicolas is found, is home to Aruba's oil factory.