Casibari and Ayo

Two groups of tumbled diorite boulders stand in the middle of Aruba's flat interior, weathered out of the older rock beneath the limestone and left piled in formations several storeys high. Casibari has been developed with paths, steps and handrails threading between and over the rocks to a viewpoint with Hooiberg and both coasts visible. Ayo, a few kilometres away, is less developed and more interesting: the Caquetío, the island's first people, made drawings on some of the sheltered rock faces, and the formations there were used as a gathering place. Both sit in dry scrub with cactus and divi-divi around them.

What you actually see

• The boulder formations - diorite piles several storeys high.
• Casibari's paths - steps and handrails threading through and over the rocks.
• The Ayo rock drawings - Caquetío markings on sheltered faces.
• The viewpoint - Hooiberg and both coasts from the top at Casibari.

When to go

Year-round. Early morning and late afternoon for heat and light; the rocks are fully exposed. Both sites are short visits and are usually combined with Hooiberg on the same circuit.

Honest expectations

Both are small and an hour covers each. The rock drawings at Ayo are faint and have suffered from graffiti and touching. The scrambles at Casibari involve narrow gaps and steep steps. There is no shade at either. Tour buses arrive in the middle of the day.

Nearby

Hooiberg is a few minutes away; Oranjestad is twenty minutes southwest.