Spanish Lagoon

Spanish Lagoon is a narrow inlet running inland from the south coast, the only significant mangrove system on Aruba and a Ramsar-listed wetland. It matters on an island this dry: the mangroves are a nursery for reef fish, herons and waders feed in the shallows, and the surrounding scrub is one of the better birding areas on the island. It is also historically important, with evidence of Caquetío occupation around it and, later, a Spanish presence that gave it the name. The Frenchman's Pass road runs along one side, and the Balashi gold mill ruins stand at the head of the lagoon.

History

Around 4,500 years ago fishermen and gatherers from the Venezuelan or perhaps Colombian coast came to the islands for their shellfish, above all the queen conch, and camped by mangroves and lagoons such as this one, and charcoal in the sediments at Frenchman's Pass dates human activity here to around 1000 BC. The lagoon, formed in the last ice age, has been a Ramsar site since 1980 and was brought inside Arikok National Park in February 2017 (Wikipedia, Spaans Lagoen).

What's there

• The mangroves - Aruba's only significant stand, a Ramsar wetland.
• Waders and herons - feeding in the shallows and the salt flats.
• Frenchman's Pass - the road along the lagoon with old trees over it.
• The Balashi ruins - the gold mill at the head of the inlet.

When to go

Year-round; the northern migration from October to April brings the most birds. Early morning and late afternoon are best. Kayak trips through the mangroves are run by a few operators.

Practical notes

There is no visitor centre or organised access; it is a wetland beside a road with a few pull-offs. The desalination and power plant sits at one end, which affects the view and, historically, the water. Mosquitoes at dawn and dusk are heavy. Birding needs binoculars and patience.

Nearby

Balashi is at the head of the lagoon; Savaneta is along the south coast.

Key facts