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Saturday 1 November 2025 locAl
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Ayo & Casibari: Aruba’s famous rock formations

sible—to the general pub- ture!
lic. Just like Ayo, Casibari
is a fenced area contain- Both sites are open free to
ing several boulders that the public, 24 hours a day.
lay on top or lean on each However, unless you are
other. The best aspect of taking a trip with a profes-
the Casibari Rock Forma- sional tour guide, there are
tion is the accompanying no guides at the sites to
view when you climb up help you climb the rock.
the top of the round, flat So, do be careful when
bolder. For this position, you trudging on the boulders,
can see the majority of the and make sure to befriend
island and the ocean in the any roaming goats you see
south. Right in front of the along the way!q
(Oranjestad)—The Ayo and neatly on top of or side by Casibari entrance, there is the Casi-
Casibari Rock Formations side each other, adding Probably the busier rock bari Café and Grill, a great *Mondi: what we call our
are known locally as one gorgeous natural archi- formation site, the Casi- place to get refreshments Aruban wilderness. We don’t
of the crucial sites to have tecture to the surrounding bari is situated more in the and snack before continu- have forests, or deserts, but
in your “off-road” trip itiner- “mondi”*. This is also one center of the island, much ing your off-road adven- we do have mondi!
ary. These naturally formed of the few sites to contain closer—and more acces-
rock formations as just one prehistoric markings of our
of the few places on the is- indigenous ancestors. The
land that hold a rich history Ayo Rock formation con-
of our culture and of our tains stairs that lead you
ancestors. to the top of the highest
boulder, offering a breath-
taking view of the Aruban
Ayo backyard. The Ayo is usual-
The Ayo Rock Formation ly quiet, as it is situated far-
is located in the northern ther away from the busier
part of the island, right on parts of the island. Howev-
the road that leads you er, this is just another charm
to the Black Stone Beach, of the site: the quiet area
and close to the Natural and the refreshing breeze
Bridge. The Ayo is a fenced offer a sense of comfort
terrain that consists of sev- and peace.
eral giant boulders, resting

Planning on snorkeling? Get to know our Candelchi!

ORANJESTAD—If you’re a common, yet shy fish that Department of Agriculture, Under candelchi, we in Aru- and they are sometimes
ever planning on snorkel- swims all year long in the Livestock, and Fisheries, ba generally refer to all the caught and seen occa-
ing during your vacation on waters of Aruba. known as Santa Rosa, offers different species of squir- sionally. They can be distin-
Aruba, you may spot fish this informative article that relfish. They all look alike guished by different marks
that you can’t recognize. Let’s talk about the names illustrate some fish and their and it’s really difficult to dis- such as color on the dorsal
One of these may be the of fish. Do you know your names in Papiamento. tinguish between them. spine or marks on the body.
“Candelchi” (Squirrelfish), fish? The Department of
Candelchi, Squirrelfish, The squirrelfish family is dis- In Aruba:
Holocentrus adscensionis: tinguished by the following Candelchi are found on
Candelchi actually refers to characteristics. They are reefs or areas with structure
the entire squirrelfish family heart-shaped with pink or in the water where they
or, as some say, when we red hues and often show can hide. Although they
say candelchi, we mean heart-shaped streaks be- prefer to hunt for food at
several different species tween the scales along night, they are also active
but without distinguishing the body. They have hard during the day. They are
them by species. In this fins and are always armed. edible and delicious when
picture, we are showing Over at our sister island prepared dry and crispy
the most common one in Curaçao, they are called with lime. It is particularly
our waters, which is called “bari di clabo” (nail barrel) challenging to scale the
squirrelfish in English or sci- for that reason. fish, which is why it is not
entifically known as Holo- one of the favorites among
centrus adscensionis. In our waters, there are 7 to fishermen. They often live in
8 types or species present groups.q