Natural Pool (Conchi)
A rock basin on the north coast, filled by the sea over a rim of lava. Calm inside when the swell is low. Closed by the rangers when it isn't. You cover the last 2 km on a rough track: jeep, horse or your own feet.
Things to do in Aruba › Places › Arikok National Park
Arikok National Park
$22 a day · under 17 freeChecked October 21, 2026 fees, hours and hikes from the Aruba Conservation Foundation; sea and wind from today's readings; distances by road, rounded
Arikok National Park covers about a fifth of Aruba, fenced off and left wild. A day pass is $22 and kids under 17 go free. The San Fuego gate opens at 8 a.m. Inside you'll find the Natural Pool, the dunes at Boca Prins and 2 caves. Fontein Cave has Arawak drawings on its ceiling. You come in by jeep tour or by rental car on the paved loop. Or on foot with a ranger. UTVs and ATVs stay outside, since the park doesn't allow them. A UTV tour that reaches Conchi switches you into a jeep.
Today: Airport wind at 1 a.m.: 10 mph from the east. Meteo Aruba has the north coast at 5 ft today. Rangers close the Natural Pool when the swell is up. 2 ships in port today. Book the jeep a day ahead.
Tickets
Arikok National Park tickets and opening hours
| Day pass, adults | $22, the whole park for the day, caves included |
| Under 17 | free |
| Residents of Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao | discount with a government ID |
| Where to buy | at the gate: San Fuego visitor center or the Vader Piet booth. Some tours include it, so read your option |
| San Fuego gate | 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., daily |
| Vader Piet gate | 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., daily |
| Guided hikes | $25 guided hike fee, up to 10 people a hike. Book by email at reservations@acf.aw |
| Not allowed | ATVs, UTVs and motorbikes; dogs and other pets; drones; rock stacking |
| Driving | 20 km/h, park roads and marked parking only |
| Fines | up to $100,000 under the park law |
Which gate
- San Fuego, the main one Visitor center, 12 km from the port by road. You start the paved loop here. The ranger hikes leave from here too.
- Vader Piet, the south one 22 km from the port, by the wind farm. It's the closest gate to the caves.
- The Natural Pool On the north side, off a rough track. You get there by 4x4, on a horse or on foot. Read your rental terms before you drive it. Its own page.
Map
Where is Arikok National Park
San Fuego gate: 12.4990° N, 69.9464° W Directions in Google Maps Apple Maps OpenStreetMap
How to get there
- By jeep tour The driver's got the vehicle for the pool track. Some prices include the $22 pass and some add it at the gate, so read your option. From $78 with a driver.
- By rental car 17 minutes from the port to San Fuego, 20 from the strip. Any car handles the paved park roads. Read your rental terms before you take it on a dirt track.
- On foot 4 ranger-led trails from the visitor center, 2 to 7.5 km, with a $25 hike fee. Book by email. The sunrise hike to the pool on Viator starts at 6 a.m. You book the hike before you go and confirm the meeting point and the access arrangements for any start before 8 a.m., when the San Fuego gate opens.
- By taxi About 20 minutes from the strip to the San Fuego visitor center. Book your ride back before you go in.
Inside
What's inside Arikok National Park
Natural Pool (Conchi)
Fontein and Quadirikiri caves
Fontein has Arawak drawings on the ceiling. It opens only with a ranger. Quadirikiri is 2 chambers lit through holes in the roof, and bats. You walk in on your own. Both sit on the loop near the Vader Piet side.
Boca Prins and the dunes
A cove of white sand under limestone cliffs, dunes behind it. Waves and current: you look, you don't swim. The restaurant at the top is the only food in the park.
Dos Playa
Two coves at the end of the Rooi Tambu trail, 7.5 km round trip, or a short walk from the park road. Turtles nest here in season. The sea's rough on every east-wind day, which is most days.
The pool
Natural Pool (Conchi): how to get there and what it costs
5 ways in, lowest price first. Each row is the lowest price on a tour with at least 30 reviews and a 4.5 rating. Some tours sell per adult and some per vehicle. Read on Viator October 15, 2026.
| On foot, sunrise hike with a swim | $59 per adult | Sunrise Hike & Swim in Natural Pool 119 reviews, 4.9 · park fee and your ride there extra · on Viator ↗ |
| Shared jeep with a driver | $78 per adult | Aruba Signature Jeep Tour: Natural Pool and Baby Beach 1,675 reviews, 4.9 · $22 park fee at the gate · on Viator ↗ |
| On horseback from a ranch | $155 per adult | Horseback Ride Tour to Natural Pool 1,263 reviews, 4.9 · park fee and pickup in · on Viator ↗ |
| Your own UTV, then a jeep into the park | $290 per UTV | UTV and Jeep Island Adventure Mix Up 136 reviews, 4.9 · park fee in · on Viator ↗ |
| Private jeep, 3 hours | $423 per jeep | Private Open-Air Safari Jeep Tour, Arikok and Conchi 377 reviews, 4.9 · 1 to 6 of you · park fee not in the price · on Viator ↗ |
The catch: Rangers close Conchi when the swell is up. Ask your operator what the tour does on a closed day before you book. Keep a spare day after yours in case the pool is shut.
From the desk
- Is the pool open? Nobody knows until the rangers look at the sea that morning. I'd book the pool for the day after a calm night and keep a spare day behind it.
Tours
Arikok National Park tours
Jeep tours to the Natural Pool
12 tours · from $78 per person
A driver, a 4x4 and the pool track. ABC's full-day safari adds Baby Beach and lunch and runs 8 hours. The shorter ones take 4 to 5.
Horseback riding 10 tours · from $110 per personRanch rides along the north coast. 2 of them take you all the way to the pool, from $155.
UTV and ATV tours 10 tours · from $90 per personThey stay outside the fence, on the north coast. 2 listings promise the pool and switch you into a jeep at the park line.
On foot
Guided hikes with park rangers
4 trails from the San Fuego visitor center. The foundation charges a $25 guided hike fee, and a group is 10 people at most. Book by email at reservations@acf.aw and start early. The sun's the hard part.
| Trail | Distance | Duration | Suggested start | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cunucu Arikok | 5 km | 1.5 h | 8 a.m. | easy |
| Miralamar | 2 km | 1.5 h | 8 a.m. | easy |
| Rooi Tambu and Dos Playa | 7.5 km | 3.5 h | 7 a.m. | hard |
| Jamanota Hill | 4.8 km | 2 h | 8 a.m. | hard |
Know before you go
Know before you go
Water and shade
Most of the trails run in full sun, so start early. Take 2 liters of water per person and a hat.
Shoes
Lava rock and loose limestone. Closed shoes work; sandals don't.
The manchineel tree
Signs mark them. Don't stand under one in the rain and don't touch the fruit; the sap burns.
Swimming
Only at the Natural Pool, and only when it's open. Boca Prins and Dos Playa have current.
The pass
Sold at the gate, card or cash. Some tours include it and others add it at the gate or at check-in. Read the price line before you book.
Time
San Fuego closes at 3:30 p.m. and Vader Piet at 3. A jeep tour with the pool takes about 4 hours. On your own, 3 hours covers the loop, the caves and Boca Prins.
Next door
The Donkey Sanctuary is 3.4 km from the San Fuego gate, about 7 minutes by road. Free, open 9 to 4. Park loop in the morning, donkeys at 3.
Good to know
People also ask
- How much is Arikok National Park?
$22 a day for adults, free under 17. You buy the pass at either gate. It covers the whole park, caves included. A guided hike adds a $25 fee.
- Can you drive into Arikok National Park without a tour?
Yes. Any car handles the paved loop from San Fuego to Boca Prins and the caves. The Natural Pool track is different: rough rock for a 4x4, a horse or your feet. Read your rental terms before you drive it.
- Are ATVs and UTVs allowed in Arikok National Park?
No. The park doesn't allow ATVs, UTVs or motorbikes. UTV tours run on the north coast outside the fence. The 2 that promise the pool switch you into a jeep at the park line.
- Is the Natural Pool open today?
Rangers close it when the swell is up on the north coast. Ask at the San Fuego visitor center or ask your operator that morning. Ask them too what your tour does on a closed day.
- How long do you need in Arikok National Park?
A jeep tour takes 4 hours with the pool. On your own, you'll do the loop, the caves and Boca Prins in 3 hours. A ranger hike is 1.5 to 3.5 hours, with a suggested start at 7 or 8 a.m.
- Can you visit the caves without a guide?
Quadirikiri, yes. You walk in from the parking, 2 chambers with daylight through the roof. Fontein, no. The Arawak drawings are behind a ranger. Ask at the gate for the times.