About Arikok National Park

Arikok National Park is the largest park in Aruba. It covers about 20% of Aruba’s total land. Visiting Arikok National Park is great for people who loves the outdoors, great landscapes, and exploring caves. Arikok National Park is also home to a variety of animals, such as donkeys, goats, bats, iguanas, lizards, and rattlesnakes.

My Experience

My day started by getting picked up in a colorful open-air safari truck in Palm Beach, Noord. My boyfriend and I were the first ones to get picked up. So we decided to sit in the front row so we can have a great view while driving through Arikok National Park. We stopped at about five more pick up locations, and then we were on our way to the park.

When we first entered Arikok National Park we went to the visitor center to get our admission bracelets and to use the restroom. We then boarded the open-air safari truck to begin our tour of the park.

Fontein Cave

The first stop was the Fontein Cave. The Fontein Cave is known for it’s ancient Arawak petroglyphs on the cave’s walls and ceilings. The cave has a variety of shaped and sized stalagmites and stalactites formed by seeping water. The section that’s open to the public is pretty small. We only spent about ten minutes in there checking out the petroglyphs and learning about the bats that live there.

Boca Prins Beach

The next stop was the Boca Prins Beach. Boca Prins Beach is a secluded scenic beach that has cliffs and powerful waves. There’s a staircase to access the beach. We were able to get close to the water and put our feet in, but no swimming was allowed. It’s too dangerous for swimming because of the waves being very powerful.

Boca Prins Beach is definitely a great place to listen to the sounds of the waves, feel the cool breeze on your skin, and take in all of the beautiful views. If I wasn’t on a tour, I probably would’ve meditated there, that’s how peaceful it was.

Quadirikiri Cave

The last stop was the Quadirikiri Cave, which is located in the southern part of the Arikok National Park. There’s a staircase that leads to the main entrance of the cave. A large part of the cave isn’t open to the public due to the bats that live there. They keep it closed off to not disturb the bats.

There’s also an opening in the ceiling of the cave that provides natural light into the cave. That opening is the perfect spot to take pictures. The tour guide took a photo of my boyfriend and I, and from the angle he took the photo, the opening in the ceiling of the cave looked like a heart. I loved the way the photo came out.

Wildlife

During the tour, I saw a bunch of wildlife. I mostly saw donkeys and goats. Almost everywhere we drove, there was a herd of goats. At one point they ran across the road while we were driving. I only noticed a herd of donkeys once, and that was when we were exiting Arikok National Park. They just stood still while we slowly drove past, they almost looked fake. The tour guide told us that usually people feed them there, that’s why they stay there waiting.

Conclusion

I really enjoyed my visit to Arikok National Park. The next time I go to Aruba, I plan to visit the park again. I really want to explore the places I didn’t get to explore this time. I highly recommend adding Arikok National Park to your Aruba itinerary.