Arikok National Park Echoes of the Australian Outback
A lonely dirt trail flanked by cacti and acacia trailing off toward an equally desolate mound of red earthen clay. It looks a little like a scene out of the Australian Outback. In reality, though, this is east central region of Aruba; somewhere within the Arikok National Park. The crowded beaches and watered-down piña coladas so emblematic of the typical Aruba travel experience remain close by. Everything’s pretty close in Aruba. Arikok, though, feels worlds away from anything typical in Aruba, or most anywhere else in the Caribbean. Hiking adventures, birding, spelunking, beach-hopping – adventure travelers can revel in it all (and more) here…
My own personal Arikok consists solely of trekking out to the Conchi Natural Pool a couple summers ago. This, though, barely scratches the surface on all that there is to do, see, and experience here. After all, Arikok covers a good 20% of Aruba’s entire landmass! That leaves a lot of extra territory for to explore, and a great reason to head back to Aruba soon.