Photos by Luis Mejia

Aruba’s Hidden Paradiseby Susan Campbell

Roy and Grace Maduro have long been known as “the plant people”

on this island for their formidable contributions to its flora and foliage.

And now they have added B&B hosts to their list of accomplishments.

Aruba is typically known for some of the

best resorts in the Caribbean – from big splashy

all-inclusives to more intimate boutique hotels.

But few people realize that there is another

accommodation option for a different type of

holiday here: the bed & breakfast. A stay with

a real Aruban family, a taste of life in a real

Aruban home, and an insider’s view of the is-

land are things few visitors ever experience. A

B&B also offers an economical option for an

extra day should your travel plans change. Let’s

meet one couple that opens their hearts and

home to visitors from all over the world.

A growing concernAruban-born locals Roy and Grace opened

their B&B just a few years ago, but they are

best known on this island for their dedication

to plants and gardening. Love of the land is an

inherent trait to both of them. Grace’s grand-

father grew aloe in San Nicolas, while Roy says

he first became aware of nature at the age of

four when he visited his mother’s native home

of Saba, a lush, verdant tropical isle. Roy says,

“I always wanted to be a farmer, so I went to

study tropical horticulture in Holland.” Un-

fortunately, he couldn’t find employment in his

chosen field on Aruba but his dream of being

a “son of the soil” never left him. Roy later met

Grace and it was her belief in his dream that

was the extra push he needed to finally start his

own plant business. That business was called

Fantastic Gardens and it was soon growing as

quickly as Roy’s plants. E

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Photos by Luis Mejia

Dug into the communityIn 2011, Roy acted as the interim manager

of Arikok National Park and Grace decided

to leave the corporate world behind to step

in and run the family business. They are busy

folks, hosting visitors and staying extremely

active in the community. Through their garden

center, they hold special tree-planting days,

theme parties, and sponsor many local events

like the Aruba Donkey Sanctuary’s annual fund-

raiser walk. Roy’s past work at Arikok Park re-

inforced his desire to always run his business

with an eye to the environment, and opened

his mind even wider to the importance of pro-

tecting the island’s natural legacy for future

generations. Grace also has a special healing

herb garden project in the works.

Delights next doorBeyond being able to relax in Grace’s ama-

zing oasis of tropical plants and ponds right

outside the rooms, guests of Hidden Eden can

also enjoy Fantastic Gardens’ six lush sprawl-

ing acres of plants, flowers, and trees literally

steps away. Relax around a lovely little medita-

tion pond, stroll through orchid alleys, stave off

the munchies with a pastechi (deep-fried dough

pockets full of goodies) from the espresso café,

or let the children burn off some steam in the

small playground. If you want to make use of

the patio barbecue or the cottage kitchen they

also have fresh herbs for cooking – like yerbe

di hole, Aruba’s pungent basil that gives local

dishes such a distinctive taste. And if you like,

Roy and Grace will arrange a private tour so

you can learn about Aruba’s indigenous plants

and trees and their important connection to the

island people. K

For more information, visit hiddenedenaruba.com and fantasticgardensaruba.com.

The plant peopleRoy and Grace built a home beside the busi-

ness and juggled jobs and parenthood. Fantastic

Gardens soon became legendary for donating

countless plants and supporting a multitude of

local charities and causes; it expanded to include

a landscaping business that brings tropical

splendor to many of the island’s biggest resorts.

Roy began writing a regular column on gar-

dening tips, organizing garden tours in other

countries for plant enthusiasts, and plans to

write a book about growing plants on Aruba if

he ever gets a chance to “officially” retire. He

also sits on the Aruba Hotel and Tourism As-

sociation’s Environmental Committee.

Globetrotting brings guestsRoy is an avid photographer and Grace

loves to paint abstracts. They both speak four

languages (Dutch, Papiamento, Spanish, and

English) and share a passion for travel, some-

thing that has sent them to the far reaches of

the globe seeking new plants and products for

their business. They make friends easily, and

often invite people from other countries to

visit them on Aruba – which they inevitably

do! It was these frequent calls to host visitors

that inspired them to build the little bed and

breakfast behind their house. Aptly named

Hidden Eden, it consists of a cottage secreted

away in a beautiful tropical garden with some

stand-alone rooms on the side. The massive

patio that easily fits 20 is the focus of their fa-

mous feasts as they both also share a passion for

cooking. Roy is known for his incredible lasa-

gna and Grace bakes beautiful bolos (the Aruban

word for cakes) and they often have musical

friends stop by to get everyone up dancing. To

date they have hosted folks from the Philippines,

New Zealand, Canada, Panama, Suriname, the

United States, and the Netherlands to name just

a few countries.

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