Arikok National Park
Arikok National Park
4.5
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
About
This beautiful National Park in Aruba comprises almost 20% of the island. Enjoy gorgeous vistas of Aruba’s rugged terrain, desert-like hills filled with tall cacti, a breathtaking coastline and protected local flora and fauna. The National Park takes you on a memorable journey of the islands past offering unique geological, cultural and historical sites. These can all be enjoyed and explored either on your own or during guided tours. Visiting the Natural Pool? A 4x4 vehicle is recommended for your trip. A wide variety of educational and informative programs and fun activities is available. You are warmly invited to the National Park and enjoy Aruba’s natural beauty at its best. Explore the parks Highlights.
Duration: More than 3 hours
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  • Will J
    Holt, United Kingdom134 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Awesome experience, Rambo was brilliant!
    5/5 experience here! The visitors centre was informative and the price to enter the national park was well worth the experience. At the caves our guide Rambo was amazing, answering every question and teaching us so much about the local environment- we loved him! Well worth a recommendation!
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 8 October 2023
  • Previa1994
    Chicago, Illinois6,652 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Impressive National Park
    Arikok National Park is a must visit attraction if one is visiting Aruba. The national park can be fully enjoyed on a drive if one is not much into hiking or other physical activities. There are a variety of unique geologic features such as dy sea caves, beaches, mountains, water holes, etc. We spent almost a whole day driving around and stopping at these main features starting off with a visit to the visitor center where we paid the admission fees and got the wristbands for entry into the park. We ended the day where we got to drive next to huge wind turbines. One unique feature was getting fish manicures at the Fontein Cave area. Going on guided jeep tours and ATVs appears to be a popular activity in the park. In sum, Arkok is an impressive national park, and can be easily managed if one has a car.
    Visited February 2023
    Travelled with friends
    Written 27 December 2023
  • LoveTravel1847000
    92 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Don’t miss this along with a utv tour. Definitely a bucket list item
    Beautiful must visit. Rugged terrain so wear water shoes. Take a utv tour to see it all. Don’t wear anything too nice. Dusty. You can easily spend at least 4.5 hours or more there.
    Visited February 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 25 February 2024
  • Cathy E
    Worthing, United Kingdom34 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Lovely scenery from cactus to beaches
    National park filled with natural flora and fauna. Cactus were in flower. We saw lots of pretty birds and iguanas. We had a Kia picanto hire car. There were lots of gravel roads but the car managed them when we took it slow. High view points gave some lovely views across the island. In addition, we saw some beautiful coastal scenery with rough and rugged bays, landscape and 2 lots of caves on the seashore. There was a walking rail to follow at Cunacu. This was well worth taking and is a circular route. However it took us longer than we thought (about an hour) so do wear a hat and take water. The path is paved with a few steps here and there so easy to navigate - just hot!
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 4 March 2024
  • Mike S
    Nova Scotia, Canada78 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    You have to Visit the Park
    This was one of our best experiences on the island. The road is a real challenge but as long as you’re staying on the paved (main road) a regular car is fine, just GO SLOW. Both of the cave sights were the best. The bats on the ceiling were interesting to see. The views of the north coast are breathtaking. The park guides were just excellent and seemed excited to impart their knowledge on us. You can even sit down in the stream and get a pedicure from live fish. If you’re the least bit interested in the nature of the island you should check out the park.
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 4 March 2024
  • Vladimir Tiu
    Toronto, Canada11 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    great
    If you are traveling to Aruba you must visit the Arikok National Park. Unfortunately, we did not arrive in enough time to tour the entire park. But we did get to see two of the caves and they were beautiful. The Fontein Cave is a must see. After touring the cave be sure to get you fish pedicure!
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 11 March 2024
  • Ludster
    16 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Well worth the exploration with a rented 4x4 covered jeep and driver for the day!!! M
    Great trip! We went with another family, so all 8 of us hired a driver and 4x4 covered jeep-ish vehicle to explore the whole park. We all loved it!! The caves were both amazing to witness and the history of Aruba as well. The swimming water hole was really cool too. Saw Casibari and Ayo as well!! Then rode along the east coast for a while, to the church. Very bumpy ride through the entire park . So hopefully no one gets car sick. Really enjoyed the excursion and would recommend this to anyone!! Even though we already had a rental car. The small sedan would never have made it on the roads in the park. Glad for the tour guide and driver!! This park is well worth the visit! Goldmine ruins were ok. Easy to skip this part. Natural bridge was cool too!
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 31 March 2024
  • Freedom16162815493
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Experience full of surprises!
    We had a great experience at the park. We drove there in a small car so could only go on roads, park up and walk on tracks. Considering the heat and time of day, we were still able to do quite a lot: Miralamar, Dos Playa, Boca Prins Dunes, Boca Prins, Platage Prins, Fontein Cave, and Quadirikiri Cave. We encountered Park Rangers all along who were very helpful. At Quadirikiri Cave, Aquarius Geerman was particularly helpful and informative. Thanks to him we've got so many new pictures of us in the Cave and outside!
    Visited May 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written 31 May 2024
  • isabellaguevara
    Willemstad, Curaçao254 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A great nature park
    A great nature park with plenty of trails and lots to see. Because it’s so hot, it nice to come early do 3 hours and come back the next day. If you like nature , you can easily spend 3 mornings there. There are caves , ruis of a plantation, ruins of a goldmine. And plenty of glorious vistas .
    Visited June 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 17 June 2024
  • Helena C
    Kansas City, Missouri42 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Rough Drive + Gorgeous Views
    Trust and believe the reviews that say the ride is rough, because it most certainly is. The views are incredible and the natural pool is something to experience! The pool is smaller than I thought and gets terribly crowded when tours arrive. My girlfriends and I rented a Jeep and I think it’s the way to go… no rushed schedule and totally doable. Just go slow on the drive and take plenty of time for pictures! **People with mobility issues will have a difficult time getting to the pool. There’s a good amount of stairs (uneven at that) and then a decent walk to the pool.
    Visited August 2024
    Travelled with friends
    Written 9 August 2024
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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles1,278 reviews
Excellent
741
Very good
377
Average
101
Poor
35
Terrible
24

Ashley Rowland
West Sayville, NY6 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019 • Friends
My friends and I booked an UTV tour through ABC Tours, which was amazing. Unfortunately when we were on our way to see the natural pool, a park ranger was blocking our route. He said the park was closing at 12 when in years past it closes at 2 on New Year’s Eve. Many tours built up by this route and calls were made to the director of the park to extend the time since he never notified anyone of about the change and many people would be very disappointed. Obviously he didn’t care and we had to turn around and leave the park...
Written 1 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Hal H
Ontario, Canada79 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019
We went to the park and drove through it, stopping along the way in two caves. The road is more of a interlocking stone path with very deep drainage divets all along it so one must go very slow., long wheel base vehicles (like a van) not recommended. The two cave systems are well worth seeing, bring a flashlight. The native cave paintings are worth seeing
Written 8 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sinnerman
6 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Couples
This is a very lay back national park. Beautiful scenery through out. My favorite part was the caves!!! The park ranger was very informative and gave us a lil private tour of the cave and it’s drawings. I would highly recommend visiting this national park.
Written 26 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

enghien
Philadelphia, PA173 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2020
Hiking advice first, stick to the designated trails and especially to Conchi! I was advised to go by the water, which resulted in my heading way too far south, then going north and trying to go along the coast, but there is no trail and it is just a hilly, rocky, perilous exercise! I think the park person meant to say the trail closest to the coast? There is no sandy beachy coastal route. There are rocks and rocks and, rocks! Took me 4 hours to get to Conchi, although I was very careful (hiking alone), and had lots of water - but at one point (after 3 hours) found some shade by a rock to pause. And I think I slept for a few minutes. The heat was pretty severe.not sure that I would have made it but for that respite (and I started at 8:30 am). So, if you hike to Conchi (which site didn’t overwhelm me, but I was 1/2 dead by that point!), go the shortest route!
The caves, which I did the next day, along with some small hikes, were fascinating.
For driving, take 4b east, which starts at Eagle Beach (north of the hospital and south of The Chalet Suisse resto) for quite a ways until you see the signs for Arikok. Keep watching for signs. Easy enough. Coming back, turn left out of the visitor center and just keep straight (or on the main road, as it may swerve) until after several miles you see a large anchor sculpture on your left in front of you at the intersection, turn left there. Then right on 4b, in a mile or two.
Written 26 November 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sara_Rye
Granby, CT149 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2023 • Couples
Definitely a must do when here in Aruba.
We had a small Hyundai rental car and we’re able to stay on the paved road and do the two short dirt roads to the caves without any issues. (Numbers 6, 7, 9, and 16 on the map.) You need to drive slowly on the paved road as there are little gullies (which I think help with rain water) frequently throughout the drive. We found the slower drive actually really nice compared to the people blowing past us in jeeps. We were able to see all the little lizards, the wild goats weren’t scared away etc. Sad that some people drive through so quickly just to get to an end destination and miss all the small things while driving through. There are so many cool plants and creatures to appreciate.
We definitely recommend getting to the park early as it gets very hot and depending on how much you want to walk around-you’ll want to do that in the cool of the morning. Make sure you bring plenty of water with you.
Written 25 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Doug
Bellagio, Italy7 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2022
I hired Salvador Franken to be my personal hiking partner and guide at Arikok National Park on March 17, 2022. Salvador had worked at the park for about 20 years and was a great hiking partner! He was incredibly knowledgeable about the flora and fauna in the park. We were talking non-stop the entire way! I HIGHLY recommend contacting him if you would like a guide who knows a lot about the plants, animals and even the geology. We hiked to Dos Playas and back, completed a loop from two trails. It was about 5 miles and a perfect day! Contact Salvador via Whatsapp: +297 592 0778
Doug
Written 20 March 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Hikingrocks
Port Elgin, Canada101 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2023 • Solo
As a nature lover I was excited to participate in this half day guided hike of Arikok National Park. The bus picked us up from our hotel and when we arrived at the park, Josh took over leading us on a very interesting and scenic hike.

The trails are quite “up and down” and I would consider it “moderate” in difficulty level. The trails are all nicely laid out with flagstone but watch out for cactus branches laying about that can stick up through your running shoe! And, as expected, it was quite hot so make sure you wear a hat and sunblock. Josh provided us with water, which was greatly appreciated. I wore insect repellent as well but I didn’t hear any complaints about bugs from the others.

The views were quite spectacular! We could see the outlying desert-like scenery with over one-hundred year old cacti. Many cacti were in flower as was some of the Aloe Vera…just a wonderful display of color! We saw indigenous rock drawings that are thankfully protected by a metal fence.

Josh was very knowledgeable about the park answering every one of our curious questions! He has lived in Aruba for a good part of his life (originally from the Netherlands I believe) so was very knowledgeable about the history of Aruba, another interest to many of us.

Overall, this adventure was well worth it! A half day was a perfect amount of time and Josh was the perfect guide!
Written 13 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Samantha J
Aspen, CO53 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2023
I'm a huge fan of supporting national parks, so I'll visit everywhere I go. This park had very few people and very well maintained walking/hiking trails. The flora/fauna is really unique and very beautiful with large cacti, lava rocks and ocean views (in some parts of the park).

There is a good variety of hiking trails (1.9 miles - 7 miles) so plenty of places to exercise. Because of the desert-vibe, many of the trails have no shade, so plan accordingly with plenty of water. It's really hot under the beating sun. We planned our trip early in the day.

Baby Beach can be accessed a couple of miles from the south exit/entrance to the park. We approached from the visitor's center at the north end, hiked and spent time in the park and then exited the south side to end at Baby Beach.

A few tips:

1. Coming from the U.S., we are used to one price for the car of people. Somewhere around $5-$20 USD for four people. The price of admission was $15/person (something to note if you're taking a whole family or group).

2. Most of the park is drivable, but cars that are low to the ground won't be able to access everything. There are some legit drainages on the roads.

3. There are caves located within the park that can be accessed with a free (tips only) park service guide or solo.
Written 2 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sha Sha
Camden, NJ109 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2022 • Solo
One of my favorite places in the world. Yes, I fell in love that fast and hard. Don't get me wrong, the aquamarine waters of Arubian beaches are dazzling, but getting to wander miles of dessert completely alone is a rare and emotional experience. Also seeing so much gorgeous blue water contrasting sand dunes and cacti and rock is a striking image that will stay with me for a long time. As for wildlife, I pretty much only saw goats, but definitely got my money's worth - I easily saw at least 30.

I hiked an extremely difficult trail solo (due to the distance and heat), but there are many ways to see the park. I would love to rent a Jeep and go off roading, or go with a guide so I could learn more about the landscape.
Written 19 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

rachaelf666
Holyoke, MA73 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
The park is absolutely lovely. You can purchase water (and snacks) at the visitor's center, definitely make sure you have enough water BEFORE you get too far into the park. There's hiking trails and a paved path for vehicles (which is still kind of rough terrain.) The park was fairly clean but humans are gross pigs so we still picked up a fair amount of trash was we walked around. Entrance was $11 American / adult which goes towards conservation efforts.
Written 30 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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ARIKOK NATIONAL PARK (2024) All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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