the royal family hikes in Arikok National Park, visits the university and explores the features of the Caribbean
King Willem-Alexander, Queen Maxima and Princess Amalia of the Netherlands made their second visit to Aruba on Tuesday, January 31, 2023. The day was busy again for the heir to the throne, who set foot on this Caribbean island belonging to the Kingdom of the Netherlands for the first time, to discover as much as possible. The family, among other things, visited an aloe vera plantation and visited the university and Aruba’s largest national park.
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Hiking in Arikok National Park, which covers 20% of Aruba
Early in the morning, King Willem-Alexander, Queen Maxima and Princess Catharina-Amalia left their hotel for their second day in Aruba. Aruba is the second stop on the royal family’s two-week tour of six Dutch Caribbean territories. Three territories are municipalities of the Netherlands, and three territories, including Aruba, are self-governing states of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The day begins with a visit to Arikok National Park, a 34 square kilometer protected area that is home to a rich and diverse flora and fauna. The royal family took a stroll through the park, which covers about 20% of all of Aruba.
After the walk, Princess Amalia and the royal couple chatted with young rangers and rangers at Arikok National Park. Some are involved in maintenance and others in management. They also discussed with the director of the documentary about this beautiful nature.
Also read: Princess Amalia arrives in Aruba for the first time: Continues her exploration of the Caribbean
Visit an aloe vera manufacturer
The second visit of the day on Tuesday was with an aloe vera producer. Royal Aruba Aloe has been producing aloe vera skin care products since 1890. The company grows the plant in fields and then processes the leaves to make various products.
Also read: Princess Amalia’s first day in Bonaire: heir to the throne and royal couple begin Caribbean stay
Later, the Dutch Royal Family visited the University of Aruba. They attended a conference on the peculiarities of Caribbean law. Then they took a quiz on the topic to see if they were paying attention. After the conference and mini game, they were able to have a discussion with the students. The Prince of Orange was particularly interested in interacting with young people his own age. Amalia started her university career in September 2022 in Amsterdam.
Also read: Prince of Orange sets foot on Caribbean soil of his future kingdom for the first time
Sports Tour and Dance Party in Aruba
For further visits, the family was divided into two groups. King Willem-Alexander and his heir visited a football academy, while Queen Maxima met a market gardener.
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The King and Prince of Orange received an explanation about Compleho Deportivo Frans Figaroa’s football academy. Young talents receive football training here in cooperation with the Dutch Football Association (KNVB).
The day ends at Fort Zoutman, where the Bon Bini Festival takes place. The royal couple and the princess ended their day in style in a carnival atmosphere as they browsed the stalls of traders selling local products. Thus ends the stay of the royal couple and the Prince of Orange in Aruba. The next day, the royal family boarded a ship to reach Curaçao.
