Aloe Museum and Factory in Aruba

The lone commercial Aloe field and factory in Aruba sits inland just minutes by car from the west coast. The company that operates the factory and assembled the accompanying museum is one of the first Aloe product companies in the world and one of the oldest in continuous operation on Aruba. In 2021, Royal Aruba Aloe was the first company in the Dutch Caribbean be honored with a Royal Warrant by the King of the Netherlands. The first Aloe plants were introduced around 1840 by the Dutch governor Reinier Frederik baron van Raders. The plants thrived in the semi-arid climate of Aruba. Originally, the primary commercial product from Aloe was as a pharmaceutical laxative derived from Aloe hard gum. In 1890, Cornelis Eman found the Aruba Aloe Balm company and started planting the Aloe fields that surround the factory and museum today at Hato in Aruba. The fields continued to grow and by 1920 almost two-thirds of the island was covered in Aloes earning Aruba the nickname “The Island of Aloes.” As medical science moved on and alternatives to Aloe hard gum were discovered the value of hard gum fell and Aruba Aloe began looking for other uses for the plant. By the late 1960’s Aruba Aloe began looking into Aloe vera gel as a cosmetic product and began developing products along the lines of what the company currently produces. In 2000, the company built the factory in its current location next to the Hato fields. Today, visitors can visit the factory for a free tour explaining how the plants are processed and turned into the more than 100 skin and hair care products that the company makes. A small museum tells the story in more detail and guests can walk the fields right outside the factory, among the more than 500,000 Aloe plants. A small store shares the first floor of the factory with the museum and carries many of the varied products available.