The Arikok Caves

Three caves are open in Arikok on the windward coast. Quadirikiri has two chambers lit by holes in the roof through which shafts of daylight fall, so it needs no torch and is the easiest to walk into. Fontein carries brownish-red drawings on its ceiling made by the Caquetío, the Arawakan people who lived on Aruba before the Spanish, and it takes its name from a freshwater spring that made this corner of a very dry island habitable. Huliba, the Tunnel of Love, is a narrow passage that has been closed at times for safety. Bats live in all three.

What you actually see

• Quadirikiri - two chambers lit by shafts through holes in the roof.
• The Fontein drawings - Caquetío rock art on the cave ceiling.
• The spring - the fresh water that made this corner liveable.
• The bat colonies - resident in all the caves.

When to go

Year-round. Midday gives the strongest light shafts in Quadirikiri. The park has set opening hours and the caves close before it does. Huliba has been closed at times, so check what is open.

Honest expectations

The rock art at Fontein is faint and has been damaged by touching and graffiti over the years; it is now roped and should be left alone. Huliba is frequently closed. Bat guano dust in the enclosed sections carries a small histoplasmosis risk. The caves are small and the visit is short.

Nearby

The Natural Pool is along the coast; Boca Prins is nearby.