If you’ve seen photos of Aruba, you’ve likely seen photos of the famous flamingos. There is only one place to see flamingos in Aruba and a visit takes a little planning. Below you can see exactly what you need to know to get to Flamingo Beach in Aruba as well as our own experience visiting the island.
Planning a visit to Aruba?
Where is Flamingo Beach
Flamingo Beach is a private beach located on Renaissance Island in Aruba. The hotel runs a shuttle to and from the island that takes about 10 minutes from Oranjestad. The calm, shallow waters make it perfect for swimming and relaxing, while the unique experience of interacting with flamingos creates lasting memories.


How to Visit Flamingo Beach
The only way to visit Flamingo Beach is via the ferry that is run by the Renaissance Hotel. There are two ways you can get access to the shuttle and the island: as a guest of the Renaissance Aruba Resort or through a day pass.
Guest of the Renaissance Aruba Resort get access to Flamingo Beach. The best way to guarantee you can get to the island is to book a night at the hotel. We stayed here for several nights with the main purpose of visiting the beach and exploring Oranjestad.
If you don’t want to (or can’t get a room) at the Renaissance, you may also be able to get a day pass. These passes are available on a limited basis based on the number of people staying at the resort. If you plan to get a day pass, reserve as far in advance as possible. You can see availability on the Day Pass site.

What to Know about Flamingo Beach
The island that is home to Flamingo Beach also has a restaurant, shop, walking path, and other animals. Below is some general information to know about the island itself.
Flamingos: The iconic flamingos roam freely along the beach and are accustomed to visitors. However, they are most active in the morning, making early visits ideal for photos and interactions. While there is Flamingo Beach (that is adult only for most of the day), the birds wander all over the island. It is possible to get food to feed them as well.

Iguanas: In addition to Flamingo Beach, there is also iguana Beach, although the animals roam around the island and don’t stay on one beach.
Beach Amenities: The beach offers lounge chairs, cabanas for rent, a beach bar, and dining options. There are also adult-only areas, as Flamingo Beach is designed to be more serene and peaceful. We had a good and reasonable lunch of fish tacos at the restaurant and spent the afternoon enjoying the water and reading books.
Wildlife Etiquette: While the flamingos are friendly, it’s essential to respect their space. Feeding them is allowed, but only with the provided food, available from dispensers on the island.

Is Visiting Flamingo Beach Ethical
Any time we visit animals either in the wild or captivity, we work hard to determine whether the experience is ethical. Of course any animal encounter can have concerns, but some experiences are better than others. On flamingo beach, the birds have access to the entire island and are well fed and generally protected and well treated.
While the resort claims that the birds are free to leave the island, it is clear their wing feathers have been cut to limit their ability to fly. This means that the birds aren’t truly ‘wild’ as they can’t fly. With that information, I will let you determine for yourself whether this experience is ethical.
