Arikok National Park in Aruba, An Introduction

If there is one darling local site that we highly recommend for all of our guests to explore and discover, it is Aruba’s national park Arikok. Covering nearly 20% of the entire island and named after historical landowner Arie Kok, the park preserves hundreds of species of flora and fauna and is also a historic treasure trove. Inside Arikok National Park you’ll find endless vistas of untouched landscape, ancient caves, multi-color Indian rock drawings dating back to 2500 B.C. that are unique for the entire Caribbean region, Aruba’s highest hilltop Jamanota, remnants of a gold mill, and a replica of a historic Aruban adobe house at Cunucu Arikok. At the main entrance of the park you’ll be able to obtain entrance tickets, park maps, and all the intel you need for a magnificent visit.

Before you go – Arikok National Park Tours & Experiences

Aruba’s national park offers a wide variety of hiking trails, some of the most popular ones we tested out ourselves and will discuss in this blog. If you are an inexperienced hiker, and/or live in a completely different climate than Aruba’s forever warm-and-sunny weather do yourself a favor and book a guided tour with a Nature Experience Ranger. Not only will these experienced and knowledgeable professionals keep you safe at all times, they also provide invaluable insights and information about Aruba’s nature, culture and history. Ask our Front Desk to help you set up arrangements for your Arikok park visit and guided tour, or shoot an email to [email protected].

The park’s opening hours are daily from 8:00 am to 3:30 pm. You will need a Conservation Pass to enter the park; you can purchase passes at the Visitor Center at $22 per adult. Guided hiking tours and experiences booked with a Nature Experience Ranger are priced at $25 per person. Restrooms are -only- available at Arikok Park’s Visitor Center at the main entrance at San Fuego, and at Boca Prins Restaurant.

Arikok Park Guided Tours

Natural Pool – famous Arikok Park Treasure

The Natural Pool, one of the most famous landmarks of Aruba and a popular treasure inside Arikok National Park, is a true magnet for many visitors and rightfully so. The natural basin inside the rocks, formed by erosion and water force is a unique experience in Aruba and makes for beautiful pictures. If you plan to visit the Natural Pool we recommend you book a tour with one of the accredited tour operators that visit this popular landmark in Aruba. If you wish to head out to Natural Pool on your own, please note the following:

Phone network and wifi reach is very spotty inside the park and in some instances, there is no reach
Most car rental companies have strict rules regarding driving to Natural Pool; check before you go if your rental company allows for trips to Natural Pool and if you rented the right car (only Jeep/4-wheel drive cars will take you to Natural Pool)
Pay close attention to warning signage at the entrance to Natural Pool; in case of strong tides and high waves it is forbidden to enter the pool
Only visit Natural Pool during opening hours of the park between 8 am – 3:30 pm; after these hours there are no park rangers on duty; staying after hours or worse, after sunset, is very dangerous as there is no form of streetlights or other lighting available inside the park and you’ll easily get lost

Rooi Fluit – hiking

Rooi is the Papiamento word for dry riverbed; Fluit refers to the name of the destination at the end of this dry riverbed: Boca Fluit, a bay on Aruba’s rugged shoreline flanked on one side by a rock called Moro, nicknamed Little Aruba. Moro is the naturally formed separation between Boca Fluit and the adjacent bay of Boca Ketu. The 4.3 miles (7 km) trail that meanders through Rooi Fluit makes for a beautiful hike. Some climbing over rocks or fallen tree trunks might be involved, yet the hike is considered moderate for hikers of all ages with some practice and a good physical condition. If you are unfamiliar with Arikok National Park and its various hiking trails, it is highly recommended to book a hiking tour with a park ranger.

Miralamar - Aruba’s Gold Rush Era

Rooi Fluit is also the location where a twelve-year old boy, Willem Rasmijn, found the very first chunk of gold in the summer of 1824 while herding sheep. This innocent find led to a short-lived gold rush era in Aruba that ended at the start of World War I in 1914. Inside Arikok National Park you will still be able to witness the remnants of the gold industry in Aruba at Miralamar. At the historic site of the Miralamar goldmine you will find mine shafts, a basin where gold was rinsed, and some of the rail tracks over which gold was transported to the Bushiribana gold mill. Guided hike tours to Miralamar are available but the short 1.2 miles (2 km) hike with stairs and some incline is pretty easy and straightforward to explore on your own.

Fun fact: outside Arikok National Park, two other goldmill ruins can be visited. You’ll find Bushiribana, a popular Aruba landmark along the North Coast on your way to the Natural Bridge, across the small cave pool. A third silent witness of the gold rush era in Aruba are the ruins of Balashi gold mill in another Aruba Conservation Foundation area named Spanish Lagoon, near ‘Frenchman’s Pass’. No entrance fee needed, just make sure you go during the daytime as the road leading up to Balashi gold mill is not lit at night which makes the area hard to navigate after dark.

Rooi Tambu and Dos Playa – hiking

Similar to the hike through Rooi Fluit, the Rooi Tambu is another dry riverbed that leads to the shoreline some 4.6 miles (7.5 km) further down. Seasonal stream Rooi Tambu is one of the largest rainwater discharges in Aruba and the hiking trail through this riverbed is earmarked as difficult and due to certain water levels is not always accessible. A hike through Rooi Tambu is best booked with a Nature Experience Ranger of Arikok National Park. Depending on the season this hike can get very hot, or muddy and slippery so make sure you study the circumstances, wear the proper attire for a longer hike and bring plenty of water and sun protection. It goes without saying that littering inside the park is strictly forbidden; there are no garbage cans to be found on hiking trails -only at a few locations at the most populated spots- so please bring your reusable water bottles that are provided in your room to minimize your footprint and avoid plastic waste.

Walking through Rooi Tambu takes you along a geological journey from lava and rock formation to the breathtaking beaches of Dos Playa, translated in English: two beaches. Dos Playa is the most important sea turtle nesting site on the island. At this pair of beaches sea turtles of all four species that occur on Aruba come to nest at this particular location: leatherback turtles, hawksbill turtles, green turtles and loggerhead turtles. If you’re not in the mood for a hike through Rooi Tambu, you can also reach Dos Playa by car; this must be a Jeep or 4 wheel drive. Make sure to stay on indicated roads & trails only.

Boca Prins - untouched beaches

If you follow the main road through the park that starts at the Visitor Center and continue all the way straight you will end up at the gorgeous beach of Boca Prins, and the adjacent pristine white sands of the Boca Prins sand dunes. Although the ocean might look extremely appealing, swimming here is strictly prohibited as undercurrents pose a serious danger. Opt for a relaxing beach walk along the shoreline instead, or stroll through the sand dunes. Driving with any type of motorized vehicle on the beaches or sand dunes is forbidden. Please adhere the the rules and respect Aruba’s white sands, flora and endangered wildlife such as the burrowing owl that nests in these areas.

Guadirikiri and Fontein - ancient caves

A short drive from Boca Prins in southern direction you’ll find Fontein Cave, named after the freshwater source (fontein) close by at the privately owned Plantage Prins property. Fontein Cave is a limestone cave and an important archaeological site as well as a good example of the geological history of the limestone terraces. Inside the cave you’ll find traces of visitors from many centuries. Indian pictographs that date back to about 1000 years coexist with more recent carvings have been left behind by colonial visitors in the early 1800’s. When visiting this cave, make sure to get a short introduction from a Nature Experience Ranger at the entrance. Fontein Cave closes at 3:30 pm.

Arikok National Park houses a second cave that is open to visitors: Guadirikiri, or Quadirikiri Cave. This exotic sounding cave still carries the original name the native Indians gave it some 1000 years ago. For sure the most photographed and “instagrammable spot” is located inside Guadirikiri Cave where daylight enters in the two large chambers in the cave through a hole in the ceiling. Flashlight is not permitted inside the cave, as it is a disturbance to the large population of bats that live here.

We hope we’ve inspired you in this blog with a description of some of the wide variety of experiences, guided tours, hiking trails, historic sites, secluded beaches and untouched nature you’ll enjoy inside Arikok National Park. Can’t get enough, or want to book a tour with a Nature Experience Ranger? Click here for more inspiration.