Aruba is a tropical island worthy of your admiration: cool ocean breezes, glistening white sand, gently crashing water, refreshing themed beverages, and a myriad of activities or tranquil space to enjoy your travels, including a visit to the special Flamingo Beach.
How did it get its name? The wild, exotic flamingos that wander the island, with their majestic, playful nature and hot pink color remain beyond iconic: they are the namesake of this unique oceanfront oasis.
Imagine the photo op’s you’ll have posing with hot pink flamingos frolicking in their natural environment!
Book your trip to Aruba today, and you’ll be enjoying the serene nature and breezy ocean environment in no time. One of the trendiest things to do in Aruba is pose for a photo among the flamingos on their home of Flamingo Island.
The flamingos have flocked to this wonderful beach and made it their new home, and with its perfect climate and gorgeous scenery, and one of the best things to do with kids in Aruba! You’ll soon know why!
Flamingo Beach: How To Get There
The Renaissance Aruba Resort actually privately owns the elusive Flamingo Beach, and it resides on a small island referred to as Renaissance Island, just off the coast of Aruba, and a brief ride from the capital of Oranjestad as well as the airport.
Hotel staff will be the ones to ferry hotel guests and visitors to the Renaissance Island on their way to Flamingo Beach Aruba. If you are a guest of the hotel, simply wave your key card to get aboard the ferry, which runs every 15 minutes and stops just outside the main reception of the hotel.
Those with accommodations outside the Renaissance Aruba Resort will need not only cash, but a bit of luck: they only permit visitors to the exclusive island when their hotel occupancy falls below 80%. This ensures the Renaissance Island experience is especially memorable: with limited guests, it will feel all the more special when you arrive, ensuring your experience on the beach and visiting with flamingos is that much better.
The resort’s guest passes to visit Flamingo Beach are available for $125 per person, with round-trip ferry transportation as well as lunch and a beverage included in your fare. Because the availability of passes is not guaranteed, contact the Renaissance Aruba Resort a few days before you plan on traveling to determine if your visit to Flamingo Island will be possible.
Flamingo Beach: What To Expect There
You’ve punched your ticket and arrived on Flamingo Beach! Once you’ve arrived, you’ll want to get settled in before finding flamingos to have a photo with. You’ll find a clean, expansive white sandy beach lined with mangroves and palm trees.
There are complimentary beach chairs and towels available for your use, as well as hammocks available to lounge in. The Renaissance Island Resort offers private bungalows available for rental, which will provide plenty of shade and the optimum relaxing environment. Available on the resort grounds for your patronage are the bar and restaurant, spa, tennis courts, and fitness center.
Beach Chairs
Renaissance Island is divided into two separate areas: Flamingo Beach Aruba, which is the adults only area complete with beachfront cocktail service, and Iguana Beach, which houses the family-friendly section of the beach. Children are permitted under adult supervision to play with the popular pink animals on Flamingo Beach from 9 am until 10 am.
Desiring some recreational activities once you’ve reached the exclusive, private Renaissance Island Flamingo Beach? The Resort offers scuba diving, snorkeling, kayaking, paddle boating, and several other rentals available for your needs.
Cabanas
Seeking refreshments once you’ve finished spending time with the flamingos? Papagayo Bar & Grill has you covered, with grilled burgers and fish to fresh salads and a full service breakfast. An open-air pizza oven flanks the kitchen, turning out wood-fired masterpieces.
Frozen tropical cocktails are crafted from the Papagayo Bar to guests at the restaurant as well as on the beach. On Wednesday evenings from 7:00pm – 10:00pm, there is a private dinner service available at sunset, with optimum lighting for food photographs amid romantic scenery.
Okeanos Spa is found on Renaissance Island, where you can select among top therapeutic massage treatments, customizing your own session, and relaxing outdoors in a private cabana while the waves crash. You’ll feel entranced by the relaxing massage and cool breezes that make their way up from Flamingo Beach onto your escape from the stresses of life.
The menu offers special packages for couples, including Swedish style massages for both and either a bottle of champagne or four frozen cocktails and a fresh fruit platter. Detoxifying body wraps, a Champagne Wishes and Caviar Dreams facial, and an anti-cellulite green coffee wrap top off the unique menu options at Okeanos Spa.
You can even receive food and beverage service directly to Okeanos Spa during your treatments! Once you’ve enjoyed your time with the whimsical flamingos, enjoy a well-deserved massage treatment at Okeanos Spa.
Continue walking along Flamingo Beach, and you’ll descend upon the “Nature Trail”. For those seeking some adventure off the beaten path, follow the trail into the forest located on the end of the beach. This is a secluded, shaded trail long the mangrove trees. It is cooler and very comfortable.
That being said, the “Mangrove mosquitoes” also call the Natural Trail home, so be sure to pack repellent and/or longer clothing to wear while you hike. You may see other insects and creatures on your adventure as well!
While many flock to Flamingo Beach for the aforementioned bright pink animals, there’s another creature you’ll find on Renaissance Island with a namesake beach that is worth meeting and photographing: the Iguana! Within the family-friendly Iguana Beach portion of Renaissance Island, you’ll find iguanas bountiful across the land.
They cohabitate with the flamingos, and despite looking a little scary and creepy, they are quite friendly! They tend to keep to themselves and hang out in the sun. Even if you came to the Island to see the flamingos, check out the iguanas, and don’t let their unusual appearance deter you from taking pictures with these animals, too!
About The Flamingos
Flamingos are generally very calm, majestic creatures. Their feathers are often a more pink/orange hue than just hot pink. It is reported that there are only six or so flamingos actually residing on Flamingo Beach, not the tens or dozens some have assumed they’ll find once they visit the Flamingo Beach!
It does appear as though the flamingos have had their wings clipped, so they cannot simply fly away somewhere else.
Model: Ana Linares of @ananewyork
Additional Notes about Flamingo Beach and Visiting Renaissance Island
- The Island is open early from 7am until 6pm
- The Renaissance Island Resort occasionally offers beachfront dinner reservations for 7pm. Check with the reception desk for booking
- There is a vending machine offering food for sale that you can use to tempt flamingos your way and pose for your pictures. Bring a few USD quarters for this!
- Many guests will choose to bookend their trip with a brief stay at the Renaissance Island Resort either before or after their primary destination in Aruba. The nightly room rate may be comparable for you and/or a guest to take a chance on day passes to the Island being available
- Visit early in the morning as this is a very popular destination for photos! AKA get in line and be on the first boat at 7:00a to get them basically to yourself.
- In addition to flamingos, you may spot a pelican descending upon the island as you relax in your lounger with a cocktail!
- Renaissance Island is not far off from the airport, so you may hear some noise from planes taking off and landing
- Tickets are in very high demand, and some guests will line up for day passes as early as 5am. Plan ahead and arrive early! Tickets are sold at 7am for day passes
- Planning to explore the open water? Pack water shoes, as the rocky and coral-filled entrance to the water will protect your feet from harm
- Rafts are available for rent to enjoy your time relaxing in the water
Plan your trip to Aruba and ensure you have the right opportunities to capture memories among the flamingos on Flamingo Beach. The island is beautiful, clean, safe, and there is plenty to do.
Once you’ve had your fair share of fun in the sun with flamingos, enjoy a cocktail and Mahi Mahi at the Papagayo Bar & Grill, book a soothing massage treatment at Okeanos Spa, or participate in some recreational water sports on the beach.
You can even plan to relax on the lounge chairs available on the beach, or reserve a private cabana with butler service to ensure you have all you need to enjoy your getaway to Flamingo Beach.
Bask in the picturesque scenery, cool ocean breezes, crashing water, and beautiful pink flamingos as they make their way around Flamingo Beach. With a tropical beverage in hand and a comfortable lounge chair on the Renaissance Island beach, you will have an unforgettable vacation, complete with a perfect photo op alongside your new island friends, the flamingos who now reside on their own special beach.
Additional Information about Aruba:
- Aruba is ONE happy island, as the locals say. And is the western most island in the Caribbean situated above Venezuela.
- Getting here: Aruba offers its visitors an easy way in through Queen Beatrix International Airport. You can access the island via flight from all over the world.
- The ABC islands in which Aruba is the A, are part of The Netherlands. According to the official list of countries by the UN, Aruba is not its own country but rather a territory of the The Netherlands.
- The B is for Bonaire and the C is for Curacao.
- Aruba has its own airline and flies between Aruba, Curacao, Bonaire, and Cuba! The airline came to be in 2006.
- For as small as Aruba is, it has a robust population of over 105,000 residents.
- Fun fact about the beaches in Aruba, they are ALL public. However, the chairs and umbrellas from the various resorts are not, so if you find yourself on a beach, just be respectful to the guests who are staying at those resorts.
Where to stay in Aruba:
The nice thing about Aruba is that there is endless options of where to stay. However, if you want very easy access to Flamingo Beach, I highly recommend staying at the Renaissance Aruba Resort. Your stay at the hotel gives you access to this magical amenity. It is a matter of just leaving your hotel room and coming down to the lobby to catch the boat.
Additionally, you do not need to stay at the Renaissance Aruba Resort to gain access. You can stay anywhere on the island.
For a luxury stay on the island:
- The Ritz Carlton Aruba is one of the best beach front resorts on the island (and only about a 10 minute ride to Flamingo Beach!). The resort rests on a beautiful white powdery beach and comes with gourmet dining, outstanding customer service, a plethora of amenities, and Caribbean, yet modern themed rooms. You won’t regret a stay at the Ritz Carlton Aruba and you will be begging to return each year.
- Tierra Del Sol Resort and Golf is a great place for larger groups, offering multi room villas that come completely furnished. Additionally, if you love to golf, this is where to go! *About a 20 minute drive with traffic to the Renaissance where you will go to visit Flamingo Beach.
- Marriott’s Aruba Surf Club is positioned on the gorgeous Palm Beach. One of the many highlights of this resort is the lazy river! Spend a day relaxing while you are in Aruba before you hit Flamingo Beach. *About 15 minutes drive to the Renaissance.
- Manchebo Beach Resort & Spa is a smaller luxury property located on Eagle Beach. Bonus: Eagle Beach is largely regarded as one of the BEST beaches in the world continuously, so you will be staying on a beloved beach. *About 11 minutes drive to the Renaissance.
Other Things to do in Aruba:
While Flamingo Beach is a large attraction for the island, there is so much more to see and do on your visit.
Any trip to Aruba would not be complete without a stop at the California Lighthouse. You are probably
One of the best and free attractions to the island of Aruba is the beaches! Aruba is famous for its stunning coastlines and when you see it from the air and set foot on the island, you will see why. Home to many world renowned beaches, you could spend your entire trip basking in the sun with care in the world if you wanted to! Eagle Beach and Baby Beach should be on your list of beaches to stop by and see.
If you are looking for something truly marvelous to see, stop by Arikok National Park! Once here you will witness craggy rock formations among the pristine blue waters. It is truly a sight to behold.
Disclaimer: I was a guest of Renaissance Aruba, but as always, opinions are entirely my own.
This article has affiliate links to products and services we love, which we may make commission from.