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Imagine lounging on a beach chair on a white sandy beach, a refreshing drink in your hand.  A cool breeze blows the leaves of a palm tree.  In front of you, in the clear blue water, flamingos frolic.  That is the magic of Flamingo Beach. While Aruba enjoys many beautiful beaches, Flamingo Beach will make your trip memorable. The beach is home to a resident flamboyance of approximately six flamingos, although some friends from neighboring Curaçao and Bonaire join them occasionally. But you may be wondering, what is it about and is it really worth the splurge?
When planning an Aruba vacation, many visitors want to see two things: Flamingo Beach and the Natural Pool. Flamingo Beach’s price of admission was higher than what The Common Traveler usually pays on vacation and there was a chance we couldn’t even get an admission ticket. But we found the NO-FAIL TIP that guarantees admission!
Where is Flamingo Beach Aruba?
The Renaissance hotel owns a private island, Renaissance Island, featuring two beaches: Flamingo Beach and Iguana Beach. Flamingo Beach is for adults only, while Iguana Beach is for all ages. You can only get to this island by taking a short boat ride from the Renaissance hotels – either from inside the lobby of the Renaissance Marina hotel or at a dock at the Renaissance Oceanside hotel. The boats leave every 15 minutes throughout the day from 7 am to 6 pm.
Getting to Flamingo Beach
Flamingo Beach and Iguana Beach are reserved for the enjoyment of Renaissance hotel guests. The Renaissance Marina is an adult-only resort. Across the street, the Renaissance Oceanside accepts families. Hotel guests automatically receive guest passes to Renaissance Island for the duration of their stay, including the entire day of their check-in and check-out.
If you are not a guest of one of the two hotels, you will need to purchase a day pass. A day pass costs $125 per person. Day passes are available for purchase online the day before starting at 7 am. Day passes will only be made available if hotel occupancy dips below a certain percentage (we’ve heard eighty). Because of high demand and limited stock, tickets usually sell out within minutes. Set an alarm and give yourself plenty of flexibility if this is your strategy.
PRO TIP: Book a room at the hotel, preferably on your arrival or departure. The price of one hotel night will likely be about the same as the cost of the passes plus you will enjoy the hotel amenities without the stress of the online booking process.
What is included in your admission to Flamingo Beach in Aruba:
Each beach provides lounge chairs for your enjoyment. There are even a few swings or three-person loungers available. Each guest can also pick up a towel upon arrival. These are all included in the admission. Floats, snorkeling equipment, and kayaks may be rented for an additional fee.
Hotel guests can also treat themselves by booking one of five cabanas. Starting at $300, these oceanfront cabanas offer more privacy. Included in the price are two bottles of Voss still water, two bottles of Voss sparkling water, a bottle of sparkling wine, a refreshing food treat, butler service, towels, two water floats, and two full-sized snorkeling masks. [Cabanas at Iguana Beach include kid-sized snorkeling masks.]
If you would like to feed the flamingos (one of the more popular photo ops), make sure you bring some US quarters with you. You can buy food from a machine that only takes quarters (similar to what you find at zoos). But get there early — the flamingos will gladly eat all the food visitors give them in the morning but they’re too full as the day progresses to care much to keep eating.
These birds are not at all shy and are used to all the fanfare and attention. If you get too close to one, they will let you know by squawking until you back off! And then they and their buddies will walk away from you and you’ll be persona non grata!
There is very little shade out on Flamingo Beach, with slightly more shade on Iguana Beach, so make sure you pack your sunscreen.
Food and drinks at Flamingo Beach in Aruba
Order a refreshing drink from the bar or place an order from the menu at the Papagayo Bar & Grill. Take the opportunity to take a break from the sun and enjoy breakfast or lunch. Enjoy a delicious burger or healthy grilled options. They even have an open-air wood-fired pizza oven.
Every Wednesday, you can enjoy a romantic sunset dinner on Flamingo Beach. But reserve ahead of time.
Flamingo Beach in Aruba is an Adult-Only Beach
There are absolutely NO children on Flamingo Beach except from 9 am to 10 am. This means no babies or teenagers either. The regulation protects the flamingos from children who may not follow the no-touching rules and to keep the flamingos calm. If you choose to go with children, realize that you will need to get there early or leave them on Iguana Beach if you want to visit Flamingo Beach. Because who doesn’t want a photo op with the flamingos?
As an adults-only beach, guests are free to go topless or even nude. If you don’t want exposure to either of these things, reconsider the visit or plan on mostly enjoying Iguana Beach. We saw no one nude, but other guests told us that they had on prior occasions had a surprising experience while snorkeling!
Other Things to do on Renaissance Island
The island boasts other amenities as well. Feel free to meander through the trails and enjoy the natural beauty of the island. A fully loaded fitness center offers a beautiful backdrop for your sweat session. Or book some time on tennis courts at which both professional coaches and equipment can be reserved. Or book a spa treatment at Spa Cove, a full-service secluded spa retreat.
Red Sail Sports rents out water equipment. In addition to floats, the stand also has available for rent ocean kayaks and paddle boats. Or enjoy some stand-up paddleboarding around the island.
Flamingo Beach HOT TIP: Book a Hotel Room!
My top tip to visit Flamingo Beach in Aruba? Book a room – it doesn’t matter if you are staying at a different resort, staying with family or at a B&B, or enjoying a day’s excursion on a cruise. The cost will likely be equal to or cheaper than buying a day pass, especially for a family. And you won’t risk getting turned away because the beach is too crowded! As a member of the Marriott Bonvoy program, we received a 10% discount on the price of the room and an upgrade – sign up for those free memberships!
Another advantage of booking a room is that you have access to the beach starting at 7 am on the day that you check in until 6 pm on the day that you check out. Even if your room is not ready when you check-in, you can leave your luggage with the concierge until you return from the beach. The same thing happens on your day of check out – the concierge will hold your luggage.
Visiting Aruba on a cruise? The same tip applies to you – if you reserve a room, you can access Flamingo Beach when you check-in, no matter when your ship docks. Don’t lose face in front of your family by risking that passes for the day are sold out. The hotel is just steps away from the cruise terminal, making this the perfect excursion for your Aruba port day.
Even though we travel affordably, we kept our room at the Manchebo Beach Resort while staying one night away at the Renaissance. I recommend planning your visit to Flamingo Beach either at the beginning or end of your trip to avoid paying for two hotel rooms at once.
Is Flamingo Beach in Aruba Worth Visiting?
Would I spend this kind of money again? Absolutely! Visiting Flamingo Beach was even better than I expected. The beach was crowded but clean and beautiful, plus you can’t compete with the uniqueness of sharing a beach with a half dozen flamingos!
You can find out more about enjoying your time on the One Happy Island here:
- Aruba’s Beaches
- Aruba Sightseeing
- Getting to Aruba’s Natural Pool
- Manchebo Beach Resort & Spa
- Renaissance Aruba
Happy travels!
Annick, The Common Traveler
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Raised as a third culture kid living in South America and Europe, Annick caught the travel bug early. Â As an empty-nester, Annick enjoys sharing her tips for traveling for those with champagne taste and beer budgets.
Children can only visit between 9-10am. Otherwise the Adult Beach loses it’s uniqueness.
Flamingo Beach in Aruba sounds like an absolute paradise! The crystal-clear waters, serene beaches, and the company of flamingos make it a must-visit destination. Your tip about booking a room is priceless – it’s a clever way to ensure a hassle-free and memorable experience. Thanks for sharing this fantastic travel gem!
Thanks for those beautiful captures of the flamingos with teh backdrop of a blue sea.Very captivating! It is sort of nice as well as weird that such a beautiful place isn’t open for kids.As a family traveller , I may have to rethink about my trip to this place 😀
They have a family-friendly beach next to it called Iguana Beach. I saw many couples taking turns going to Flamingo Beach while their partner stayed with the kids at Iguana Beach.
Looks like an interesting place and I’d love to see the flamingoes on the beach, but isn’t it a bit of a shame that it’s reserved for hotel guests? Wouldn’t it be better if it was open to the general public (even with restrictions on kids etc to stoped them getting harmed)? Not sure, but seems a bit weird to have a nice beach with an interesting animal habitat that is only for hotel guests.
There are passes available for other guests but they sell out fast. The beach is rather small, and it is meant not to spook the flamingos.
This is so awesome! I saw wild flamingoes on one of the cayos (Cayo sombrero, I think) off the coast of Venezuela, which would make sense given the proximity to Aruba.
I’m curious though, why/how is this the only beach with flamingoes?? Is it just that the flamingoes really like it, or are they somehow preventing them from going elsewhere?
The hotel and guests keep them very content! There are other beaches in flamingos in nearby islands, like Bonaire, as well.
I could actually visualize what you suggested to imagine and felt the magic of the Flamingo Beach! WOW! What a scene it must have been. The pictures speak a perfect story! Have never seen anything like this before and think its worth planning a trip to Aruba to experience this fabulous flamingo beach and check out the Iguana Beach too. Thanks for the tip on where to stay to access these beaches!
You’re welcome.
These pink flamingos look very pretty and to have pictures with them, I really need to stay any one of that hotel as they have restricted entry to outsiders. I never knew that adults are only allowed and no kids even teenagers are not allowed here. Thanks for sharing all tips and details especially to bring US quarters to feed them.
You’re welcome.
The flamingoes look so graceful and charming. I like the fact that the beach is adults only and hope it is primarily to protect the interests of the flamingoes. I am sure that they are used to human presence and also hope the authorities enforce the rule of not touching them.
It is to keep the flamingos safe. They let you know if you get too close!
omg this is mind blowing …. I would have never imagined seeing flamingos so close . I would definitely love to plan this trip in future Thanks a lot for inspiring
The pictures of flamingo beach are so pretty. I have seen only the white flamingoes in india. All the info you provided for getting admission to the flamingo beach is ver useful. Definitely in my bucket list now
I am not really a fan of Iguanas so I don’t mind skipping the Iguana Beach. However, when visiting Aruba, Flamingo Beach has to be a must! Thanks for the tip on the fact that the beach is reserved for guests of only two hotels and the non-guests will have to purchase a $99 day pass, which sounds quite pricey I must say and also, only a fixed number of those passes are given out in the day which means, it makes total sense to stay in one of the two hotels!
OMG this is my dream! I have always wondered how people got the flamingos to eat from their hands, I had no idea they were so friendly! Love the iguana too, he is an added bonus. 🙂
The flamingos just want food! Those iguanas are quite cheeky though!
The flamingos are so pretty, and I’d love a chance to see them myself! It’s a great tip about booking a hotel room; especially as it costs so much less. I love your photos, and hope to see it myself one day!
I think that people are confused by the thought of booking a room in which they won’t stay, but it really is the best way to ensure you can go to Flamingo Beach!
Amazing! I wanted to visit here so bad when I was in the Bahamas. Looks like a great trip Annick and I am def saving this for my future trips down!
Totally worth it!
I am actually scared of birds including flamingos so, this is not a place for me.
On the other hand, I am glad you enjoyed your stay.
I’m so sorry! Not the place for you.
That seems so surreal just hanging out with the flamingoes in the water! Just like those pigs in the Bahamas, A little sad its an adult only beach though as my daughter would absolutely love it as they are such beautiful creatures.
I saw parents taking turns but children were turned away.