Climbing the Hooiberg || Aruba Travel

Climbing the Hooiberg || Aruba Travel 

The Hooiberg is the second largest “mountain” on the island of Aruba.  While the name ‘Hooiberg’ means ‘haystack’ in Dutch and is derived from the root -berg (“mountain”), the Hooiberg is actually a hill.  It stands at 541 feet (165 m) high and is located in the center of the island.  Its location means that you can see the Hooiberg from most points on the island.  The Hooiberg is also featured on the Aruban Coat of Arms.  

The view of the Hooiberg from a plane. 

Interestingly, the Hooiberg is composed of a type of rock called Hooibergite, since this melanocratic diorite is not found anywhere else.  A sample of this rock is on display at the Natural Bridge welcome center.  

The Hooiberg is covered in cacti and Hooibergite.

A popular activity for locals and tourists is climbing the Hooiberg.  Originally built in 1951, there are steps leading to the top of the hill.  While the original 900 steps are no longer there (removed and renovated due to erosion), a new set of steps lead visitors to the top.  These new steps were installed in 1991 and recently (as of November 2023) revamped to repair some of the crumbling concrete.  There are about 590 steps in total from the base to the top of the Hooiberg.  

The first set of steps are wide with a gentle incline.

We began our climb right after sunrise, around 7:30 am.  I highly recommend doing this hike early in the morning while it is a little cooler and less humid.  The climb starts with some large sloping steps but quickly changes to steeper, smaller steps.  There are a few places to stop on the way up to catch your breath, and about halfway up you will find a gazebo that serves as a nice place to drink some water and take in the views.  

The steps get steeper and narrower as you ascend.

Once you reach the last ~150 steps, the climb will get even steeper.  We saw mountain goats on either side of the concrete steps as we climbed higher, but they did not seem bothered by us.  Reaching the top of the mountain, you will see two small buildings covered in graffiti and lots of antennas.  While these buildings are not the most picturesque, you should be able to walk around them to get a better view. There is also a tiny viewing area for some clearer views of the island, particularly of the Palm Beach area down to the refinery.  You will find the short direct path to this area directly on your left as you reach the top. On a particularly clear day it is even possible to see the coast of Venezuela to the south.  In all, we spent about 10 minutes at the top to take pictures, chat, and rest before heading back down. 

A view from the top of the hike.

Including the rest breaks (but excluding the time spent at the top), the climb up and back took about 40 minutes.  There is a small dirt area to park your car at the base of the Hooiberg.  It is located in a residential area, so taking a rental car is the easiest way to get to the hike.  

 

Some of the beautiful views along the hike. 

I highly recommend this climb to visitors who want to get a bit of exercise during their vacation.