Casibari Rock Formations

Aruba

Aruba is dotted with massive diorite boulders that weigh several thousand tons and rise up as high as many rural buildings—you can explore the most impressive collections at Ayo and Casibari.

The boulders, which leave scientists scratching their heads, offers the adventurous tourist a unique island hiking experience—at Casibari, climb to the top of the tallest boulder for a panoramic view of the island and a bird’s eye view of Mount Hooiberg, also known as the Haystack.

Exploring the huge wind-carved boulders is a hiker’s delight—tunnels and narrow ledges make climbing the rocks exciting and fun for all ages.

Casibari, the more developed of the two locations, even provides a souvenir shop and snack bar—Ayo is a bit more isolated and lower on the list of most visitors and thus more rugged.

We arrived at Casibari in the late afternoon, the perfect time to watch the sunset from atop the rock formations—kadushi cacti silhouetted against the colorful sky provided an extra bonus. Speaking of bonuses, as we were heading back to our car, we noticed an odd shape perched on the top of one of the rocks—closer investigation revealed a cute little burrowing owl.