Sights & points of interest
Lighthouses and chapels, boulder fields and caves with ancient drawings, gold-mill ruins and colourful murals — the places worth leaving the beach for.
15 places
1 Arikok National Park
34 km² of protected desert hills, caves and wild coast in north-east Aruba. Entry needs a conservation pass: US$22 per adult in 2026, under-17s free.
2 California Lighthouse
The 30 m stone lighthouse on Aruba's north-west tip, finished in 1916 and open to climb: US$5, daily 9:00–19:00 as listed by the tourism authority in 2026.
3 Natural Pool (Conchi)
A sea pool ringed by pillow lava on Arikok's north coast. No ordinary cars: reach it by 4×4, on horseback or on a 3–4 hour return hike.
4 Alto Vista Chapel
A small yellow Catholic chapel on a hill above Aruba's north coast, rebuilt in 1952 on the site of the island's first church, founded in 1750.
5 Ayo Rock Formations
Piles of giant diorite boulders near Ayo village where Aruba's Amerindian inhabitants left rock paintings — quieter than Casibari, with short walking paths.
6 Bushiribana Gold Mill Ruins
Stone ruins of an 1870s gold-processing mill on Aruba's wild north coast — open ground, free, and fragile: walls are partly collapsed.
7 The Butterfly Farm
A walk-through tropical garden full of butterflies on the Palm Beach strip, with guided talks on metamorphosis; tickets allow return visits during your stay.
8 Casibari Rock Formations
Giant tonalite boulders in Aruba's interior, north of Hooiberg, with steps and narrow passages up to a 360° lookout over the island.
9 Donkey Sanctuary Aruba
A volunteer-run refuge for 130+ Aruban donkeys at Bringamosa. Open daily 9:00–16:00 except 1 January; no admission fee, donations welcome.
10 Fontein Cave
A limestone cave in Arikok National Park with Amerindian drawings on its ceiling, gated to protect them; enter with park staff during park hours.
11 Fort Zoutman & Willem III Tower
Aruba's oldest building, a fort completed in 1798 in Oranjestad, with the 1868 Willem III Tower; today home to the Historical Museum of Aruba.
12 Hooiberg
Aruba's cone-shaped 165 m 'haystack' hill in the middle of the island, climbed by a stairway of roughly 600 steps to a panoramic summit.
13 National Archaeological Museum Aruba
Downtown Oranjestad museum on Amerindian Aruba, from 2500 BCE onwards, in the restored Ecury family complex. Open Monday–Friday 9:00–17:00.
14 Quadirikiri Cave
Arikok's best-known cave: limestone chambers lit by sunbeams through holes in the roof, home to a large, harmless bat colony.
15 San Nicolas Murals
More than 80 permanent murals by artists from 11 countries turn the former refinery town of San Nicolas into an open-air gallery, free to walk any day.
Day trip idea
The north coast in one day
- Morning — the California Lighthouse on the island's north-western tip, then the Alto Vista Chapel.
- Late morning — the Bushiribana gold-mill ruins on the rugged north coast.
- Afternoon — climb the boulders at Casibari, then see the rock drawings at Ayo.
- Sunset — back on the west coast at Eagle Beach.