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Leaving the beach district behind, Highway 4A heads east to Aruba's rugged north coast and its barren interior. Past the small community of Paradera, a series of road signs direct you to the mysterious rock formations of Casibari and nearby Ayo . Resembling something out of The Flintstones , nobody knows for sure how these smooth, monolithic diorite boulders came to be dropped here, particularly because their geology is so different from that of the rest of the island. Also a mystery is the origin of the ancient petroglyphs found on the surface of a few of these boulders; the weathered vestiges of these paintings can be seen through protective steel bars. Both Casibari and Ayo offer well-groomed trails through the rock gardens lined with cacti, aloe and other species of plants, and steps carved into the boulders allow you to climb up for a panoramic view of the island and nearby Hooiberg , a 168-metre hill resembling a haystack. Continuing north from Ayo, a gravel road leads to the Bushiribana Gold Ruins , the site of a gold smelter on the coast operational for most of the nineteenth century. Constructed with natural rock in 1825, a year after the discovery of gold triggered a mini economic boom, the smelter processed over three million tons of raw material from the nearby mines before it was abandoned some ninety years later. Today the crumbling ruins stand as a testament to Aruba's rich gold history. Unfortunately there are no guides on hand. A short distance away, the road turns east and follows the coast for 2.5km until it ends at the Natural Bridge , perhaps the most photographed attraction on the island. Rising 25 feet above sea level and spanning a hundred feet across a small bay, this natural coral archway was carved by centuries of raging surf, strong winds and tectonic processes that continue to shape it today. A sandy beach, accessible by a set of stairs from the parking lot, allows visitors to take close-up pictures. The more adventurous can walk the entire length of the bridge and experience first-hand the powerful force of the pounding surf. A small "thirst-aid station" and cafe sells refreshments and snacks at the parking lot, which is often crowded with tour buses and hundreds of visitors. Sitting on top of a hill overlooking the north coast, the charming Alto Vista Chapel , 5km west of the gold ruins, was the first Catholic chapel on the island. It was originally built by Spanish missionaries in 1750 and renovated two hundred years later. A necklace with a Spanish cross on display in the chapel dates back to the time of the original missionaries and is believed to be the oldest of its kind in the Netherlands Antilles. Getting there is relatively easy: head west along the coastal gravel road from the gold ruins or take Highway 2B north from the town of Noord for 0.5km and turn right at the narrow road which winds uphill to the chapel (3.3km).
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