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LOCAL Friday 20 June 2025

Ayo & Casibari: Aruba’s famous rock formations

(Oranjestad)—The Ayo and the Black Stone Beach, and Aruban backyard. The Ayo
Casibari Rock Formations close to the Natural Bridge. is usually quiet, as it is situ-
are known locally as one The Ayo is a fenced terrain ated farther away from the
of the crucial sites to have that consists of several giant busier parts of the island.
in your “off-road” trip itiner- boulders, resting neatly on However, this is just anoth-
ary. These naturally formed top of or side by side each er charm of the site: the
rock formations as just one other, adding gorgeous quiet area and the refresh-
of the few places on the is- natural architecture to the ing breeze offer a sense of
land that hold a rich history surrounding “mondi”*. This comfort and peace.
of our culture and of our is also one of the few sites
ancestors. to contain prehistoric mark- Casibari
ings of our indigenous an- Probably the busier rock
Ayo cestors. The Ayo Rock for- formation site, the Casi-
The Ayo Rock Formation mation contains stairs that bari is situated more in the
is located in the northern lead you to the top of the center of the island, much
part of the island, right on highest boulder, offering a closer—and more acces- lic. Just like Ayo, Casibari
the road that leads you to breath-taking view of the sible—to the general pub- 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!
entrance, there is the Casi-
bari Café and Grill, a great *Mondi: what we call our
place to get refreshments Aruban wilderness. We
and snack before continu- don’t have forests, or des-
ing your off-road adven- erts, but we do have mon-
ture! di! q

Aruba to me

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