Ayo Rock Formations

The Ayo Rock Formations are the more atmospheric twin of nearby Casibari, a cluster of towering reddish boulders set in the dry interior near Santa Cruz. Like their neighbour, the stones are hard tonalite, weathered and stacked by wind over vast stretches of time into a small landscape of monoliths, passages, and natural alcoves.

Ayo carries deeper cultural weight. The Arawak people who lived on Aruba long before Europeans arrived used the rocks as a meeting place, and faint petroglyphs, rock paintings in red and black, survive in sheltered hollows in the stone. These markings make Ayo a tangible link to the island's first inhabitants, and informative signs help you find and read them.

Walking the formations

Marked trails loop among the boulders and through the surrounding cactus and scrub, passing fenced viewing points for the rock art. The walk is gentle, and the strange, stacked stones make for memorable photographs against the bright sky. Ayo sits a short drive from the Casibari Rock Formations and the island's central hill, Hooiberg.

• Entry is free, and the trails are short and easy to follow.
• Look for the protected petroglyphs in the sheltered hollows of the rock.

Visit in the cooler morning hours, do not touch or climb on the rock art, and bring water and sun protection, as shade is limited among the open stones.