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The wonders of Arikok

The nature reserve Arikok covers close to one-fifth of Aruba and contains virtually all the flora and fauna that the country has to offer — against a background of beautiful volcanic rock formations. In addition, the national park is home to a large number of historical heritage sites.

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Aruba, 阿鲁巴

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Rock drawing in the Fontein Cave

Aruba’s heritage

The park contains a wealth of historic remnants, such as drawings left by the Caquetío Indians on the rocks of Cunucu Arikok and in Fontein Cave. If you examine them closely, you can recognise the curious bird from the park logo. The park also has some old settlement sites, such as the location where Aruba’s oldest plantations used to be. Here, visitors can get a good impression of how difficult it must have been for the families who settled in this challenging landscape so many years ago. Limited by their surroundings, they managed to build houses out of adobe — a mixture of mud and hay. After close examination of this building technique, the park administrators have rebuilt a number of these typical Aruban ‘mud houses’ in Cunucu Arikok and near Plantation Prins. In Masiduri, visitors can also go see an exhibition on aloe, the medicinal plant that used to be one of Aruba’s most important export products in the early 20th century.

Conchi, a natural swimming pool

The most beautiful spot on Aruba

The northern coast of Aruba is home to numerous bays, called bocas. These striking rugged coves are shaped by wind and water, which you can tell from the incidental tall dunes on these white sandy beaches. Boca Prins and Dos Playa are beautiful bays, but Conchi is by far the most popular of all. This natural swimming pool can only be reached by foot, horseback or 4-wheel drive. The trek there is an adventure in itself and the reward a heavenly spot to spend the day.

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Romance

Water sports

Beach

Arts & Culture

Romance

For couples in love, a sunset dinner is a great incentive to leave the hotel room. Preferably dinner on the beach with your feet in the sand, a sultry ocean breeze and gourmet cuisine. The beautiful island of Aruba boasts many outstanding restaurants with an ocean view.

Water sports

Aruba is an island paradise, both above and below the surface of the ocean. Here you will find some of the most spectacular dive spots in the world. Those who cannot dive will miss out on beautiful reefs and fascinating shipwrecks. But not to worry, diving is easy to learn – whether you wish to become a certified diver or simply try an introductory test dive.

Beach

Aruba’s beaches offer a lot more than just snorkelling and diving. There is also plenty of action above the surface. Thanks to a strong and steady wind, the island is known as one of the best wind and kite-surf destinations in the Caribbean. Several of Aruba’s beaches offer excellent activities on the water, for both beginner and more experienced surfers.

Arts & Culture

The California Lighthouse is a 30-metre-high lighthouse on the north-western tip of Aruba. Now that modern technology has made the original function of the lighthouse obsolete, it primarily serves as a beacon for tourists, who like to come down to his part of Aruba to enjoy the spectacular views of the island. An added plus is that there is always a refreshing ocean breeze to cool you off.

Beach

Good, better, best: it’s difficult to choose between all the beaches on Aruba. Are you looking for the finest or whitest sand, or clearest water? Perhaps something shallow and suitable for children? Or something impressive or maybe even festive? Aruba has it all. Each beach is unique in its own way, so you’ll always find one meeting your needs.

Beach

If you’ve ever dived the reefs and wrecks around Aruba, you might have encountered them before: sea turtles. Sea turtles are like underwater carrier pigeons: no matter how far they roam, they always return home. Their ‘home’ is the Aruban beach where they once hatched out of an egg — and also where they come to lay the next generation.

Romance

Feet in the sand, swaying palm trees, the murmuring of the sea — in Aruba, there seems to be a romantic spot around every corner. No wonder it’s such a popular place to propose or get married. And with a declaration of love comes a profound attachment to the island: many couples keep coming back to celebrate their anniversary.

Romance

Although various languages are spoken on Aruba, the word for ‘sweetheart’ in Papiamento is probably the cutest of all: ‘dushi’. The island is an absolute paradise where old romances are rekindled and new ones born. All the same, there’s plenty more to do than getting lost in each other’s eyes. After all, special memories are also made by doing things together.

Water sports

The waters surrounding Aruba harbour a true ship graveyard. Some of these ships were torpedoed — others perished in a storm. Nowadays, a few are even sunk here deliberately. Why? Because not only the fish love these wrecks, but also divers and snorkellers, who can explore the underwater world while enjoying a bit of history in the process.

Arts & Culture

Perched high on a hill overlooking Aruba stands the Alto Vista Chapel, a tiny sanctuary that is often illuminated by dozens of candles that create its special ambiance. Everyone is welcome, both believers and non-believers, to enjoy the serene atmosphere or attend one of the weekly services. The current building dates from 1952, but the location has a much longer history, as this is where the first church on Aruba once stood.

Water sports

Floating serenely through a quiet underwater world full of surprises… Once you’ve been bitten by the diving bug, there’s no going back. Try out the crystal-clear Caribbean waters of Aruba, for instance, and you'll experience culture shock in Technicolor. The coral reefs in particular seem to be an entirely different planet.