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The untamed beauty of Aruba is best experienced in Arikok National Park , a large protected area encompassing almost 20 percent of the island's landmass, stretching from the coast inland. Located on the eastern side of the island, the park preserves many of the natural, geological and cultural features that have shaped Aruba's past and present. The park's desert landscape looks more like the Australian outback than a tropical Caribbean island, and is interspersed with bizarre patches of reddish-orange rock and soil formations. The hilly interior also reveals several abandoned gold mines and traditional country homes, while the park's rugged coastline is littered with sand dunes, grottoes and secluded bays. Growing throughout are groves of towering cacti, contorted divi divi trees and other thorny plants. Typical animals found here include burrowing owls, fruit-eating bats, lizards and herds of wandering goats. A potholed dirt road and 34km of well-marked hiking trails allow visitors to see the park at their own pace. Access is via Highway 7A, which leads to the park gate near the town of San Fuego. Past the entrance, the highway turns into a very narrow dirt road and continues to the coast before it heads south toward San Nicolas. A sturdy 4x4 vehicle is highly recommended, as is sunscreen, drinking water and a hat. Guidebooks with trail maps can be purchased for US$15 at the gate.
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