Conchi Natural Pool

Conchi, the natural pool, sits on Aruba's rugged windward coast inside Arikok National Park - a basin scooped into the volcanic rock and ringed by a natural wall, so that waves break over the outside and the water within stays clear and swimmable. Getting there is deliberately awkward: the track in is rough enough that only 4x4 vehicles, UTVs or horses make it, which limits numbers and makes the arrival feel earned. The surrounding park covers about a fifth of the island, protecting cactus desert, caves with Arawak drawings and the island's endemic rattlesnake and burrowing owl.

What you actually see

• The natural pool - swimming inside the rock ring as surf breaks outside.
• The 4x4 track in - the rough approach across the park's interior.
• Arikok's caves - Fontein and Quadirikiri with Arawak rock drawings.
• The windward coast - wild cliffs and surf along the park's shore.

When to go

Accessible most of the year; the pool closes when swell breaks too hard over the rim, which happens periodically. Autumn tends to be calmest. Mornings avoid both heat and the busiest tour arrivals.

Honest expectations

Access genuinely requires a 4x4, UTV or a tour - ordinary rental cars cannot make the track and attempting it voids insurance. The final descent to the pool is over sharp rock and can be slippery. When swell is up, waves come over the rim with force and the pool is closed for good reason. Tours arrive in waves, so the pool swings between empty and crowded.

Nearby

Arikok National Park's caves and trails, and the Boca Prins dunes.