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local Friday 4 august 2023
National Park Arikok: Aruba’s biggest nature conservation

The National Park Arikok adobe houses have been
comprises almost 18 % of restored. Park rangers are
the island. Its rugged ter- learning many of the old
rain, desert-like hills filled building techniques in or-
with tall cacti, breathtaking der to preserve this unique
coastline and protected Aruban mud-house. At Cu-
local flora and fauna wel- nucu Arikok and near Plan-
come you to be explored. tation Prins you can find
There are numerous ani- these adobe houses.
mals to discover, for ex-
ample the sea turtle who Park Management
lays his eggs on the park’s For the management of
beaches. the park, a dedicated
foundation “Fundacion
The national park Arikok Parke Nacional Arikok”
takes you on a memorable (FPNA), known today as
journey of the islands past the Aruba National Park
offering unique geological, Foundation was estab-
cultural and historical sites. lished in July 2003. In Feb-
These can all be enjoyed ruary 2017, mangrove and
and explored either on wetland RAMSAR site #198
your own or during guided Spanish Lagoon was an-
tours. A wide variety of ed- nexed to Arikok National
ucational and informative Park due to its importance
programs and fun activities as a feeding and breeding
is available. area for water birds and as
a nursery area for a variety
Did you know that four of of marine organisms. With
the in total seven species this addition, the areas un-
of sea turtle lay their eggs der FPNA management
on Aruba's beaches? In increased by 70 hectares
the national park, a Least while the amount of spe-
Tern (Sternula antillarum) cies of flora and fauna to
keeps a strict eye on a very be conserved to over 250.
special event taking place On December 21st, 2018
below on the beach: a (AB 2018 no. 77) Parke Ma-
majestic Leatherback (Der- rino Aruba – currently con-
mochelys coriacea) heads sisting of four marine pro-
back to sea after laying her tected areas (MPAs) – was
eggs, while another nest officially established and
laid 2 months ago by the subsequently brought un-
same female hatches— der management of FPNA.
a very rare occurrence In 2019 management plans
of daytime nesting and National Park. adorned with white, sandy cultural past. will be established for the
hatching. Sea turtles pre- beaches and sand dunes, new MPAs which include:
fer nesting in the cool and The Landscape as is the case at Boca Prins These Cunucus were also coral reefs, sea grass beds,
dark hours of the night. And There is a great geological and Dos Playa. residential areas for the mangrove systems, a large
hatchlings usually wait for variety within the park. The few families that worked diversity of breeding sea-
the cue of cooling surface main aspects are the rough Arikok is also home to Con- the land. These families birds. Parke Marino Aruba
sand before emerging. hills of the volcanic Aruba chi, Aruba’s most impor- found ways to survive in also contains potential
lava formation, the mysteri- tant natural attraction; also the difficult conditions, and shark nursery areas, en-
Nature Conservation ous rocks of the batholithic known as The Natural Pool. were able to erect their dangered sea turtle nest-
The protected area of Na- quartz-diorite/tonalite, and The journey to the Pool is homes with materials found ing beaches and marine
tional Park Arikok was of- the limestone rocks from and adventure by itself and in the area. Two of these mammal nursery areas.q
ficially established in 2000. fossilized coral. The two only possible by foot, horse,
Arikok National Park is a tallest hills on the island are ATV or 4×4 vehicle.
34 square kilometers (7907 situated within the park.
acres) of natural area, lo- Jamanota hill 188 meters Cultural and Historical
cated at the north-eastern (617 ft) and Arikok hill 176 components
part of Aruba which con- meters (577 ft), from which There are a number of sites
tains examples of most of the name of the park is de- within the park that attest
the island’s flora and fau- rived. to the history of Aruba. The
na against a backdrop of Caquetío Indians left rock
great geological complex- The line of the permanently paintings in Cunucu Arikok
ity. We are proud to state wind-and-wave beaten and Fontein Cave. The bird
that approximately 18% North Coast is broken by drawing in the park logo is
of the total land area of several bays (boca’s). Most a copy of one of these his-
Aruba is assigned as a Na- of them are small yet im- torical artistic expressions.
tional Park, to protect and pressive inlets at the mouth
preserve the flora, fauna, of dry riverbeds. Some Old plantation (Cunucus)
geology and historical re- of these bays (boca’s) sites tell the story of an ac-
mains present within Arikok are spectacular sights, tive yet challenging agri-