How to Visit Flamingo Beach, Aruba

When I was planning my trip to Aruba I put out the call to my friends to see who had been there and what I shouldn’t miss. One of them mentioned that there are flamingos on the beach in Aruba and I was beyond ecstatic.

But when I arrived in Aruba it turned out that there are not scores of flamingos roaming around all over the beaches, they are in just one spot – a private island owned by a hotel.

Here’s how to visit Aruba’s famous flamingoes:

Finding Flamingo Beach in Aruba

Renaissance Island, where Flamingo Beach is located, is a private island connected to the Renaissance Wind Creek Aruba Resort, which is located in the main shopping area of Aruba and is owned by Marriott. It’s somewhat close to the cruise port and the airport in Oranjestad.

In order to access the island you have two options: You can stay at the Renaissance Hotel since it’s included as a hotel perk, or you can pay a $125 fee for access to the island for the day. It includes the boat transfer, lunch on the island, and a drink. You can book a spot ahead of time here.

There is, however, a caveat. The hotel sells a maximum of 30 passes to the island per day to non-guests, and they only release tickets every Saturday at 9am for the upcoming Monday until Sunday. Your $125 purchase includes a $25.00 food and beverage credit.  

Keep in mind, these sell out immediately, and there’s a good chance of not being able to score a pass on the date you want to go.

If you really want to experience the flamingoes, I recommend just staying at the hotel, which can in some cases be a better value. Though the minimum price I found was $350 for one night, that’s still not far off from two day passes, and you get accommdation included.

It has a lovely pool as well, so I would suggest staying there for a night if seeing the flamingos is really high on your list of must-dos in Aruba.

What Renaissance Island Is Like

The island itself is stunning. You access it from a tiny little porch area next to the Starbucks on the floor below the lobby in the Renaissance Aruba Resort and Casino. The speed boat runs every 10 to 15 minutes and, reminiscent of Las Vegas, takes you under the lobby of the hotel before heading right out into the ocean.

After about 15 minutes you arrive at the island which has been carefully crafted into a dreamy Caribbean getaway with hammocks, swaying palm trees, and of course, a little group of flamingos.

The island is divided into two sides – the adult side and the family side. The flamingos are actually located on the adult side, so do expect to see some children coming over to see them from time to time.

There are also little huts on one of the rocky peninsulas that you can rent out for the day, which we did since my time in Aruba fell on the birthday of two of my friends and I. So we had to, right?

Each one has a hammock over the water, and the one that we rented had a swing as well. Sadly, drinks are not included so this is purely for the privilege of having a private area on the island.

Is Flamingo Island worth it?

I had a wonderful time on the island, all in all. I thought it was absolutely beautiful, relaxed, and of course I enjoyed a little romp in the warm water with the flamingos.

I think that $125 is steep and I would probably just stay at the hotel if I were to go again and wanted to see flamingoes. Just give it a night or two, since there are better beaches elsewhere in Aruba and after visiting three times myself, I prefer quieter parts of the island (Check out my Aruba itinerary and solo female in Aruba guide)

I also want to paint a realistic picture: there are only about seven flamingos and everybody wants to take photos with them. They are not native to the island, so I think of it more as a petting zoo. The only shade on the island is palm trees unless you seek refuge in the bar area or are one of the lucky few who rent a Bungalow.

For me, that means I could not hang out on the island all day because I don’t want to be in the sun for that many hours.

I do think that the Renaissance Aruba Resort is a lovely option, however the only beach they have is the Renaissance Island, so there’s no strolling out of your room and right onto the sand like if you stayed in Palm Beach, which I personally did.

The best of both worlds, if you have the time, would be to spend a couple days at the Renaissance and a few days elsewhere that has more of a beachy feel.

Thanks, Aruba, for giving me a taste of the Caribbean. It definitely left me wanting more! If you’ve visited Flamingo Island, Aruba, did you think it was worth it?

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