Day 14 - Arikok NP and Baby Beach

Day 14 (August 19, 2023)

We start at 9 a.m. towards Arikok National Park . We still have no idea whether we can even look at the park since we don't have an SUV or something similar. There isn't much going on in the parking lot at the Visitor Center. There are many “normal” cars in the parking lot. We pick up the entrance ticket for the park ($20/adult, children under 18 pay nothing) at the Visitor Center and explicitly ask whether we can drive on the park roads with our “normal” car. We get a resounding “YES”.

Even at the barrier to the park, the security guard didn't stop us from driving our Chevy Cruze into the park. Well then it doesn't seem so bad... let's go!

I already regretted this decision after the first 100 meters.

The road is not a problem at all. Asphalted, wide enough, a pothole here and there, it's not all that bad. But now comes the big BUT:

Drainage channels!

The paved, deep gutters serve as rainwater drains, a real challenge for our car. We manage the first few gullies at a snail's pace, then I have to get out and guide my husband through the gully without the car touching down completely or without us losing the rubber lip under the license plate at the front. Sweaty. In the middle of the path comes the worst gully. We probably won't get through. We can't turn around, so going back isn't an option. We try it countless times, the Chevy scrapes across the ground and I can't even look. After countless attempts - I'm sweating like crazy - we manage to navigate the Chevy through the ditch without losing the front end. I'm ready and done. Others have probably already tried this with the car before us - I can't explain the many flaws on the front in any other way...

The asphalt also has impressive and deep scratch marks. Oh dear, a lot of cars got stuck here.

The next gullies are no longer so deep and we can drive through them without any further problems. After about 5 more gutters it's done! The sea in sight – off to the first beach. We turn left onto the gravel road. This is – compared to the main road with the drainage channels – absolutely no problem for our Chevy.

In conclusion, I can say that the best way to drive through Arikok NP is probably with an SUV or actually with a small car. Long sedans and mid-size cars actually have the hardest time crossing the channels here.

We reach “Dos Playa” and go down to the beach, where we see many turtle tracks and a sign of a turtle nest. There are signs everywhere about dangerous currents and that bathing and swimming is strictly prohibited. But that doesn't stop two local bodyboarders from jumping into the waves and performing tricks. They're crazy! The waves are really huge...

We continue to Boca Prins, also a bay where the crashing waves roll onto the beach. Here too, only “watching” is recommended – swimming is prohibited.

Next stop is Fontein Cave. The cave is not very big, we walk the path through the cave and see a few bats and a huge millipede. The millipede is really huge! Let's get out of here quickly!

After letting a herd of wild goats pass the road in front of us, we drive to the supposed highlight of the park (viewed from the rock pool, which we leave on the left today):

Quadirikiri Cave.

There is more going on here than at the other attractions in the park. We climb the steep stairs to the cave when a larger tour group is about to go down. Pretty tight here...

We are told to watch our heads, then we enter the cave and are immediately greeted by bats. We wanted to be in the cave around midday as the cave is particularly recommended when the sun is shining. We walk through the cave on our own. A photo shoot takes place in the first “room”. A family sits here in plush ball gowns and suits and takes photos. I'm sweating just looking at it. It's so hot!

After we walked through the cave for a while, a ranger approached us and offered to take a photo of us. He also gives tips on where exactly we should stand. When I look at the pictures I'm amazed: wow! There is a “heart” in the cave ceiling! He waves us over and leads us into remote branches of the cave, showing petroglyphs and paintings that we would never have found on our own. He can barely speak English, we barely understand him, but he explains to us with his hands and feet where the highlights of the cave are hidden. A real stroke of luck, we couldn't have found many angles.

After exploring almost every corner, we say goodbye to the friendly ranger and move on. We leave Arikok NP on the sandy road, past huge wind turbines, through cactus desert towards Baby Beach.

Past the big red anchor, we reach the parking lot at Baby Beach in front of the club/restaurant “Rum Reef”, where we treat ourselves to lunch.

The club has a pool right next to the restaurant, but the rule is over 18, so we aren't allowed in with our son. A pity. So we look for a shady spot on Baby Beach. Unfortunately the weather doesn't really cooperate, because towards the afternoon it's very cloudy and nothing really draws me into the water. Husband and daughter jump into the sea anyway and say that there are turtles here. Cool, then we'll have to come back another time. After I have explored the bay and the family has finished splashing around, we explore the town of San Nicolas. Artists from around the world as well as local talent have participated in the Aruba Art Fair here. They left their mark on the walls and buildings around Main Street in San Nicolas. The place itself is a huge work of art. We look at some graffiti and murals, then drive back to the villa and end the evening in the pool and playing card games.