• In the Caribbean Sea, Aruba is renowned for its white-sand beaches and turquoise waters.
• The island is also extraordinarily rich in biodiversity, between Arikok Park and its wild coastlines.
• The Aruba Conservation Foundation protects this heritage, engaging both residents and travellers.

There are names with such evocative power that simply hearing them spoken transports us to exotic, faraway, paradise-like places. Aruba is one of them: a Caribbean island in the Dutch Antilles, 31 km long and 10 km wide, it is a concentrated dose of happiness.

Outside the hurricane belt, it is the destination with more sunny days than anywhere else in the Caribbean: making it the perfect place to enjoy the white beaches and turquoise waters to the south-west, the windswept and rugged coastline to the north, and the natural wonders at the island's heart, not to mention the warmth of its people. Because Aruba is not just about the sea — it is also biodiversity, adventure and tradition. Hospitality is one of the island's greatest strengths, and for a trip to discover it, Turisanda organises flight + hotel packages to Aruba year-round.

Aruba, a nature to listen to and protect

Aruba's success as a tourist destination has brought with it a growing need to safeguard its natural heritage. Caves, wetlands, mangroves, dunes, coral reefs and cacti: the island's marine and terrestrial ecosystems are home to 34 endemic species, including the shoco, the burrowing owl that serves as the island's national symbol, the cascabel, the rattlesnake, Hummelinck's vesper mouse, and the cododo, the Aruban whiptail lizard.

A richness not merely to be managed, but above all to be protected. To this end, the Aruba National Park Foundation gave rise to the Aruba Conservation Foundation, an independent, non-profit organisation that oversees the conservation of nearly 25 per cent of the island, as well as four marine protected areas, in the firm belief that nature must be listened to and safeguarded — by tourists and island residents alike.

Arikok Park, from Aruba's green heart to the hearts of travellers and residents

Among the areas cared for by the foundation, the largest and most varied — and the one that is home to the greatest number of specimens of the island's flora and fauna — is Arikok Park, Aruba's green heart, made up of dramatic sea-cliff vistas, sweeping cactus plains, caves, steep hills of volcanic formation, quartz and diorite rocks, and limestone formations composed of fossilised coral.

What can you do here? For instance, you can discover one of the bocas, the bays that break up the stretch of the park facing the sea, or reach, on foot or by jeep, the natural pool known as the "conchi", or explore the Fontein Cave and Quadirikiri Cave: the first is a limestone cave of archaeological significance for the rock pictograms left by Arawak tribes — pre-Columbian peoples who made an important linguistic and cultural contribution to Aruba's heritage — dating back around a thousand years; the second enchants visitors with its interplay of light created by natural openings in the walls. In the early morning or at sunset, accompanied by the park's rangers who share fascinating facts about the flora and fauna, visitors can have special encounters with a variety of endemic animals, from reptiles to birds.

The park is home to the "Cultivation Centre", which forms the heart of the foundation's programme for enhancing floral biodiversity and climate resilience. It is a space that includes a seed bank preserving the seeds of more than forty species of native shrubs and trees that are at risk of extinction on Aruba, as well as a laboratory and a nursery.

The species collected and cultivated at the centre were also chosen for their ecological value to certain animals such as the brown-throated parakeet, the blue-tailed emerald hummingbird, bats, bees and butterflies that feed on the nectar and fruits of these plants.

Seeds are also distributed for cultivation and private gardens, to encourage the restoration of Aruba's biodiversity among local residents. The Cultivation Centre is also a space for workshops, educational visits and volunteering opportunities: those who wish, for example, can take part in reforestation projects by personally planting a tree.

The return of the yellow-shouldered parrot

In addition to protecting the park, another important project undertaken by the foundation has been the reintroduction to the island of the yellow-shouldered amazon (Amazona barbadensis), the parrot with deep green plumage and distinctive yellow markings on its shoulders, known as the Lora. Sociable and intelligent, the parrot was nearly driven to extinction in 1947 due to poaching, deforestation and predators. A couple of years ago, the foundation promoted the release of the 25 surviving Loras to encourage the revival of a self-sustaining wild population.

This will promote biodiversity and improve ecosystem health; the amazon indeed plays a particular ecological role on the island: it contributes to the dispersal of seeds from specific native plants and trees that in turn support wildlife. To protect the parrots, the foundation is continuously engaged in research, monitoring and awareness and education campaigns, including in schools. Residents and visitors are asked not to interfere with or interact with any Loras they encounter, but to report sightings and their location.

Wild beaches for relaxation and sport

From the green embrace of the park to the blue embrace of the sea: while Eagle Beach and Palm Beach are the island's most celebrated beaches, where the resorts are concentrated, Aruba also boasts wilder, more authentic beaches — hidden treasures where visitors can find relaxation and enjoy sport amid unspoilt nature.

At Dos Playa, the most beautiful beach in Arikok Park, with a little luck you can spot sea turtles. Westpunt Beach, on the north-western tip of Aruba, is known as the pink beach, a colour produced by the fusion of tiny coral particles with white sand. Boca Grandi, along the south-eastern coast of Aruba, is a place full of energy, with constant Trade winds and challenging waves perfect for water sports enthusiasts and kitesurfers. Rodger's Beach is a beach with an authentic atmosphere among local fishermen and families, while Mangel Halto is a strip of white sand nestled among mangroves where you can go kayaking, paddle boarding and snorkelling to admire species such as the parrotfish and the yellowtail snapper.

The colourful soul of Aruba in the murals of San Nicolas

Aruba is also art, multiculturalism, customs and traditions: all of this is concentrated in San Nicolas, a town located at the southernmost point of the island and known as the sunrise city, the city where the sun rises. In recent years San Nicolas has become the artistic and cultural capital of the island, with museums, art galleries and the Aruba Art Fair festival, which in late summer welcomes street artists from around the world and local talents who transfer the Aruban soul into the murals that colour the city and which can be discovered on guided tours. In the city, the installation of a solar tree allows visitors to charge their electronic devices and access free wi-fi thanks to energy generated by photovoltaic panels.