Jamanota

Jamanota is the highest ground on Aruba at a hundred and eighty-eight metres, which is not much, but on an island this flat it is enough to see the whole thing: the windward coast with its cliffs and coves below, the interior of Arikok with its divi-divi trees and cactus, Hooiberg standing alone to the west and the hotel strip beyond it. A road inside the park runs to near the top and a short walk covers the rest. The vegetation on the way is the dry thorn scrub that covers most of Aruba, with kadushi and prickly pear cactus and the wind-bent divi-divi trees leaning southwest.

What you actually see

• The summit view - the whole island and both coasts.
• The dry scrub - cactus and divi-divi covering the interior.
• Arikok below - the windward coves and cliffs from above.
• Hooiberg - the conical hill visible to the west.

When to go

Year-round. Early morning and late afternoon for light and for tolerable heat; the summit is fully exposed. The park has set opening hours and closes in the late afternoon, which catches people out.

Honest expectations

It is a short walk from a road rather than a climb, and the height is modest. There is no shade at the top and no water. The park closes earlier than visitors expect. Access requires the park entry fee and the road inside is rough in places.

Nearby

Arikok's caves and coves are below; the Natural Pool is on the coast.