Flamingo Beach Aruba Guide: Tickets, Tips, & Firsthand Info

Every beach in Aruba is public EXCEPT two places: Renaissance Island and De Palm Island.

Flamingo Beach is located on the 40-acre Renaissance Island. This island is privately owned by the Marriott Renaissance Wind Creek Aruba Resort.

There are 3 ways to access this beautiful oasis.

We’ll go through each way, but here’s a quick comparison chart I made highlighting the cost and what is included:

You can purchase an island pass directly from the Marriott Renaissance Wind Creek Aruba Resort. This is what we did.

But there’s a catch.

These days passes go SUPER quick. And when I say quick, I mean like lightning fast.

Every Saturday at 9 am (Aruba time of course), the available passes are released for the upcoming Monday – Sunday. The number of passes all depend on the hotel’s occupancy for that week. If there’s higher occupancy, less tickets are released.

About a month before our Aruba trip, I did a trial run to see how quickly the tickets sold out.

I set an alarm for 8:50 AM on a Saturday, loaded the page in advance, and waited until the clock struck 9.

To my surprise, the days vanished from my screen faster than I could click on one. No matter how quick I was, I couldn’t keep up.

Because of that trial experience, I didn’t have high hopes I would be able to secure tickets once we arrived in Aruba.

My husband and I arrived in Aruba on a Friday. We woke up early on Saturday and luckily were able to secure tickets for that following Wednesday!

Thirty seconds after we booked, all the tickets were gone.

Once I booked the tickets, I received an email confirmation with a QR code. You’ll need this code for check-in.

A much easier way to visit Flamingo Beach is to stay at Marriott Renaissance Wind Creek Aruba Resort.

Hotel guests can visit the island for free. My parents visited Flamingo Beach this way several years ago.

We could have secured a Marriott hotel reservation, but we just love staying at our favorite Aruba hotel too much.

The third way to see Flamingo Beach is to book a massage at Spa Cove at the Marriott Renaissance Wind Creek Aruba Resort.

Spa Cove is located on Renaissance Island in a secluded area by the mangroves.

Enjoy a relaxing 50 or 75-minute massage with direct views of the Caribbean Sea. Packages can be purchased with lunch or without lunch.

See the full list of spa services.

Since Flamingo Beach is located on Renaissance Island, you’re going to need a boat.

Meet at the little dock area INSIDE the Marriott Renaissance Wind Creek Aruba Resort in Oranjestad. The dock is located in the large atrium behind the concierge desk.

Yep, the boat will meet you in a small canal that runs right through the hotel!

My husband and I showed our QR code from our email confirmation, and we hopped on the boat at 9:30 am. The boat holds about 20 guests.

The first boat departs at 7 am, and the last one leaves at 6:45 pm. Boats run every 15 minutes.

After a quick smooth water taxi ride, we arrived at the dock at Renaissance Island ten minutes later. As soon as we stepped off the boat, we were greeted on the walkway by these guys:

I realize Flamingo Beach is a little touristy, but it’s a super cool unique experience to have flamingoes freely roaming around you!

When we were in Bonaire, we saw flamingoes at Washington Slagbaai National Park (but it was from a distance). It was quite special to be so close to them in Aruba.

Once you arrive on Renaissance Island, you can walk left or right of the boat dock. See the map above.

Walk left to get to Iguana Beach. And yes, there are a lot of iguanas!

Flamingoes also wander over to this side as well. There are no barriers between the two beaches.

Kids are allowed on Iguana Beach. There are four row of chairs. The first row has palapas. The other rows are shaded by large palm trees. First come, first serve.

Iguana Beach is larger than Flamingo Beach and has powdery soft sand. A rock wall forms a lagoon with calm waters.

Walk right along the boardwalk to get to Flamingo Beach.

This is the adults-only section, but kids can interact with flamingoes on this side between 9-10 am.

There is a small pool under the shade where the flamingoes love to hang out and get a drink.

We set up shop under a palapa at Flamingo Beach. Very calm and relaxing.

There are three rows of chairs that narrow down to two in the main area with scattered palapas. Additional chairs and palapas flank both sides along a rock wall.

The lagoon at Flamingo Beach has a little more wave action than Iguana Beach but still great for swimming and lounging. A lot of guests were enjoying the floats.

There is a small strip of rocks to navigate over to enter the water, which you can see in the above photo. The sand is soft, and the water is beautiful.

In addition, there are private cabanas at both Iguana and Flamingo Beach that can be reserved starting from $475+. I believe they are only for hotel guests.

There are two hammocks located on the adults’ side in a secluded area in the mangroves if you want an additional space to relax. The water in the mangroves is SO clear.

You can see cute spotted trunkfish and small schools of fish.

The Spa Cove is located in between Flamingo and Iguana Beach.

The Day Pass includes the following:

• Towels
• Floats
• Snorkel equipment
• Kayaks
• Paddleboards
• $25 food and beverage credit per person is NO LONGER INCLUDED. Bummer.

There is a gift shop and a Red Sails Aruba hut adjacent and to the left of the boat dock.

Towels, snorkel equipment, floats, kayaks, and paddleboards can be picked up at the Red Sails Aruba hut.

The Papagayo Bar & Grill is located on Iguana Beach. It has covered seating and an extensive menu. This is also where the bathroom is located,

The Mangrove Beach Bar is located on Flamingo Beach. There are a few tables and chairs. It has a great menu selection but not as extensive as Papagayo.

We ordered food and drinks from Mangrove Beach Bar through our wonderful server Jennifer and enjoyed them beachside.

The food, cocktails, and wine were very reasonably priced for a private island.

Hubby had a delicious Fish in Foil (jerk-rubbed Corvina with coconut milk, butter, thyme, and vegetables served in foil with fried yuca) for $23.

I enjoyed a Blackened Corvina Sandwich with salsa and fries for $20.

We washed our delicious meal down with a bottle of their house sparkling wine for $34. Cocktails are $10.

Great value. Remember, your day pass includes a $25 food & beverage credit per person. A $50 credit was applied to our order. 

** Update: A kind reader reached out to share that the food & beverage credit is no longer offered.

You cannot bring outside food and drink.

I strongly recommend getting to Flamingo Beach before 10:30 am for four reasons:

→     #1- Avoid the crowds.

Crowds continue to increase the later you wait.

→     #2- First pick on the chairs and palapas.

Aruba is hot. You will need shade. Not every chair has direct access to a palapa. Arrive early to secure a chair in the shade, especially for the ones on the first row with direct water access.

→     #3- More flamingoes in the lagoon.

I noticed the flamingoes would walk around in the lagoon earlier in the morning. Got some great quintessential pics. As the afternoon approached, they disappeared into the shade around the property. Not sure if this is typical. Just my observation.

→     #4- More private photos.

Less chance of having to wait your turn to take flamingo photos the earlier you go.

My parents stayed at the Marriott Renaissance Wind Creek Aruba Resort a few years ago and took the first boat out at 7 am. They got some amazing pics of interacting with flamingoes in the water with no one around.

Some also suggested going in the late afternoon to avoid peak crowds. We didn’t do that, so I can’t comment if my above observations would apply.

By the time we left around 2 pm, there were many more guests.

I can’t compare both because we only went to Flamingo Beach on Renaissance Island. But I can share what I know about De Palm Island and why we chose Flamingo Beach.

We chose Flamingo Beach due to the private adults-only section and the opportunity for a close-up flamingo encounter.

De Palm Island offers guests the chance to view flamingoes in a designated area with the $115 entrance fee. An extra charge applies if you want a closer encounter with a photo.

You can directly mingle with flamingoes if you 1) upgrade your package to premium seating (for an additional $65) or 2) book a private cabana for up to 10 people (for $1639).

De Palm appears to be more geared towards kid activities. It includes access to a kids waterpark, body drop slides, banana boat rides, and beach volley.

There’s also the opportunity to try water experiences like Sea Trek Underwater Helmet Walk and snuba for an extra charge.

The De Palm day package also includes an all-you-can-eat buffet, and unlimited snacks and drinks, which may be more cost effective for a family.

✔️   Quarters!

You can purchase dry food from the machines set up along the boardwalk (see photo below). If they are hungry, the flamingoes will gently nibble the dry food pellets directly from your hand. Do not chase, tease, or touch the flamingoes. Give them space, and if you are lucky and calm, they may come up and interact with you.

✔️   Reef safe sunscreen

It’s hot, and you won’t be guaranteed to get a chair in the shade unless you get there early. Here are my favorite reef safe sunscreens.

✔️   Snorkeling gear

We brought our own snorkeling gear, but snorkeling equipment is included in the day pass rate. My husband hopped in and snorkeled inside the rock wall and saw a few random fish but nothing spectacular.

It is not advised to snorkel outside the rock wall because the current could suck you out into the open ocean. There are much better snorkeling spots. Here are my 4 favorite Aruba snorkeling sites.

✔️   Hat

Don’t ruin your vacation with a sunburn.

The Day Pass includes towels.

I hope this Flamingo Beach Aruba Guide has helped you plan your day with these 8 tips. Although it was a pain to secure these day passes, I appreciated that the Marriott limits access to ensure you have a relaxing exclusive flamingo experience that is not overcrowded.

We had a wonderful time at a gorgeous beach and mingling with these special birds. It was a highlight of my Aruba trip.

We love Aruba! If you are searching for more fun things to do, check out my guides on snorkeling with turtles and hiking the Hooiberg Trail.

REACH OUT, FOLLOW, OR SHARE THIS POST WITH A FRIEND!

Questions about our Flamingo Beach Aruba experience?

Let me know in the comments below!