Caquetío Rock Art

The Caquetío lived on Aruba for centuries before European contact, Arawakan speakers closely connected to the Venezuelan mainland, and what they left in the landscape is drawings: geometric patterns, human and animal figures in red, brown and white on cave ceilings and sheltered boulder faces. The best are at Fontein in Arikok, where the ceiling of the cave carries a dense panel, and at Ayo among the boulder formations. They are hard to date and their meaning is not established, though the association with water sources and with gathering places is clear enough. Many have been damaged by graffiti and by touching.

What to look for

• Fontein cave - the densest panel, on the ceiling of the cave.
• Ayo - drawings on sheltered faces among the boulders.
• The geometric patterns - the most common motif across the sites.
• The archaeological museum - where the context is explained.

When to go

Year-round. The Arikok sites are inside the park and subject to its opening hours. Morning light is better in the caves. The archaeological museum in Oranjestad is the place to understand what you are looking at.

What to expect

The drawings are faint and many have been damaged by graffiti and by people touching them; they are now roped and should be left alone. There is minimal interpretation at the sites themselves. Photography with flash is harmful and discouraged. Without the museum first they read as smudges.

Nearby

Arikok park holds Fontein and Quadirikiri; Ayo is in the interior.