Arikok National Park encompasses about 18% of the island of Aruba, and was designated by the government in the early eighties as an environmental sanctuary. The Park boasts a variety of flora and fauna, including five species that only can be found on this island and no other, and other natural resources that remain valuable to the people of Aruba. The Park is also home to the highest points in Aruba, while the land encompasses the three primary geological shapes that make up the formation of the island. These unique shapings have contributed to the survival and support of the indigenous plant and wildlife on the island of Aruba, and has influenced the pattern of human settlement. Aruba has seen many phases of Native American habitation, and Arikok National Park is home to many significant sites of Native American settlement and art.
Seeing the Park as an important role in the island's sustainable development, the government of Aruba has devised an action plan in order to keep the resources of the Park at full capacity. Their master plan includes the following objectives; to maintain a unique part of Aruba's cultural and natural landscape, to keep, stabilize and restore vital populations of native flora and fauna, to preserve specific native and rare species, to develop environmental education opportunities, and to develop recreational and tourism amenities in the Park.
Making sure that the government involves members of the community in this process, they have hired nature friendly, environmentally oriented companies from Aruba to maintain the well being of the Park. One of these companies is Aruba Bonita. Aruba Bonita provides waste management services, recycling services, and waste management consulting services.
The idea of ecotourism in the Park is now an option that many Aruba tourists are exploring. Arikok National Park wants visitors to be able to see the scenic beauty, cultural and historical aspects of the Park, while minimizing the affects of damage in environmentally sensitive areas. This is why the Park is divided into four zones, each having it's own unique identification.
The central zone will be the tourist's main destination. This is where visitor's can access a variety of cultural and historical landmarks. Centerswere developed to educate the tourists on many of these Park landmarks. In addition to these centers, the central zone provides access to visitors to various other places of interest: Dos Playa, a unique beach cove; Boca Druif, an underwater cave; Quandirikiri Huliba and Baranca Sunu Caves; and East Gate, a secondary entrance facilitating vehicle circulation.
The North and South Zones are highly sensitive areas. Therefore, those areas have been designated as research and educational areas for tourists. These areas provide guided horseback tours on designate trails, as well as specifically designated trails for hiking.
The fourth zone, the transition zone, is a zone on the outskirts of the other three areas. It's purpose is designated to control development within one kilometer of the Park. This area follows strict guidelines; intended to minimize the impact that development adjacent to the Park would have on the sensitive areas of the Park. Another area of significance to oturists that is not located within a zone is the Spanish Lagoon Area. This is the site of the Balashi gold processing ruins and a mangrove swamp, which happens to be Aruba's only RAMSAR site. The Park's intent of including this area was not only for the protected Mangrove Swamp, but to serve as a connection between the Park and the Reef area to the South.
Hiking trails for tourists are provided throughout all areas of the Park. Four levels exist to target a variety of hiking interests. The first level targets the attractions. It is designed to lead to each attraction, be formal in nature, and designed to accommodate a large number of people. The second level connects the attractions with the learning centers. The third level links the various centers together. The fourth extends to the North and South zones, and offer hiking throughout the undeveloped areas.
Information can be attributed to the following:
Aruba National Parks Website