Hooiberg, Hill in Oranjestad, Aruba.

Hooiberg is a hill in Oranjestad with roughly 562 concrete steps leading upward to its summit. From the top, visitors look out over the surrounding landscape and can see across the water toward Venezuela.

The hill was recorded as Orcuyo by indigenous Arubans, then as Cerro de Paja or Pan de Azucar on a 1794 Spanish map. Dutch names Hooy berg and Hooij-berg appeared around 1820–1827, comparing its cone to a Dutch haystack. In 1951 architect Eduardo Tromp built a concrete staircase of about 900 steps in three months without a blueprint; since 2022 it has roughly 587 steps.

The hill was long known as Orcuyo, and Spanish maps of 1794 called it Cerro de Paja or Pan de Azucar, after the sugarloaf shape. Dutch settlers named it Hooiberg for its resemblance to a Dutch hay barrack. Shell artifacts found on the slopes show indigenous peoples used it as a lookout over the sea.

The concrete staircase built in 1951 has about 587 steps since 2022, not the original 900. The climb is exposed, so bring water and wear sturdy shoes; early morning is cooler. The hill lies in Santa Cruz district, visible from almost anywhere on the island.

The concrete steps allow people of varying fitness levels to reach the top without any special equipment or experience. This design makes it quite different from typical mountain hiking and opens it up to almost anyone.