WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT VISITING FLAMINGO BEACH IN ARUBA

As a tropical destination and beach lover, one of the top items on my bucket list has been visiting “Flamingo Beach” in Aruba. I’ve seen so many pictures of people sitting in the white sand surrounded by beautiful pink flamingos eating out of their hands, I knew I had to go! I finally got to experience Flamingo Beach myself when I visited Aruba earlier this month. If visiting Flamingo Beach is on your must-do list, there’s a lot you need to know to plan a successful visit.I t’s possible to spend the day in the sun with these pink beauties, but it does require some advance planning. Here’s all the information you need to ensure a successful visit to Flamingo Beach.

*This information is accurate as of January 2019

The first important thing to know is that Flamingo Beach is not open to the general public. It’s actually on a 40-acre private island owned by the Renaissance Aruba Resort. The Renaissance is located in downtown Oranjestad, the capital of Aruba. If you’re staying at The Renaissance visiting the private island is included in your stay, but if you’re staying elsewhere visiting the island isn’t that simple.

If you aren’t a guest of the Renaissance you can purchase one of a limited number of day passes to the private island for $125 USD. This includes roundtrip boat transportation from the Renaissance, lunch, one drink and towels. Day passes have to be purchased the day you want to visit at the hotel, but if the hotel is sold out or almost at capacity they won’t distribute any day passes. I’ve heard that people start lining up at 7:00a in the hotel lobby to ensure they secure a pass. If visiting Flamingo Beach is very important to you, I would recommend calling ahead to inquire about the hotel’s capacity on your date or booking a room at the Renaissance to get the tickets. At $125 a pop it could be cheaper!

Once on the island you’ll see that it’s beautifully landscaped. It really looks like paradise. There are hammocks on the sand and in the water, cabanas for rent, iguanas that roam around and clear turquoise water.  The island is home to a restaurant, the family friendly Iguana Beach and the adults only Flamingo Beach. Yes, the beach with flamingos is adults only. Children can visit the beach in the morning from 9:00a-10:00a, but if you’re planning a trip with kids I would call the hotel to ensure this policy hasn’t changed.

I was surprised to see that Flamingo Beach was quite a short beach. Lounge chairs line the shore and there’s a little bar in the back, but there isn’t much open sand.  It gets crowded and the chairs are packed close together, so it isn’t really a relaxing beach experience. Arrive early if you’re with a group or want a chair in a prime spot. There’s also not much shade, so sunscreen and hats are necessary.

The ocean here is very pretty. There’s a rock barricade in the water that keeps it calm with little to no waves. The shoreline and the first few feet into the ocean is very rocky, water shoes are important if you have sensitive feet. 

Now onto the famous flamingos. There are six of them that roam around the beach. They really have a mind of their own and I have to say, they are not friendly! I saw some attack tourists, even people who were just walking by and not trying to get photos. It’s important to remember that they’re animals and to take cues from them, if they want to be left alone just give them some time. You’re in their territory.

You know all those beautiful photos you see of people with the flamingos? Turns out it isn’t exactly easy to get the perfect shot with these birds. The beach was crowded and almost everyone was trying to get their perfect shot. It’s hard to find the flamingos without a group of tourists nearby so getting a picture without people in it is tricky. Aside from the crowds the flamingos aren’t really interested in people. You can buy flamingo food for 25 cents USD to try to lure them to you but they weren’t really interested in the food. Almost all my photos are me holding out my hands trying to give them food as a peace offering!

All that said, it’s still a pretty unique experience to be on a beach with flamingos wandering around. It’s pricy if you aren’t a hotel guest, and it’s not that easy to take pictures with the flamingos, but I’m still happy I went. My biggest advice is to get in touch with the Renaissance early to ensure you’ll get a pass, and make sure you’re patient when trying to get photos with the flamingos. Arrive right when it opens if you really want to experience flamingo beach without the crowds that arrive in the afternoon.

If you’re looking for more information on Aruba, check out my review of The Ritz-Carlton Aruba, which is the hotel I stayed at. It’s the only 5 star hotel on the island!

Have you visited Flamingo Beach in Aruba? Let me know your experience in the comments!