Level: Resort nearby
This spot has been added by
Last updated on June 2, 2024
You certainly have already seen this beach on Instagram, with turquoise water where pink flamingos walk among sunbeds… welcome to Flamingo Beach, the most photographed beach in Aruba! Snorkeling there is not worth the trip, but take your mask and fins if you spend the day on the island. In the small artificial lagoon built in front of the beach, you can see a decent diversity of Caribbean fish.
Flamingo Beach is located on Renaissance Island, privately owned by Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino, Oranjestad main resort. There are only two options to get there.
The first is to stay at Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino: as a guest, you will be guaranteed unlimited access to the island. The second option is to buy a pass ($125/pers., meal and drinks included) which will allow you to spend the day on the island.
This option can be uncertain: the passes can only be bought the day before and their number is limited (when the hotel occupancy exceeds 80%, no more passes are sold). Please note that Flamingo Beach is an adults-only beach.
Exceptions are from 9 a.m to 10 a.m., when the children may come and see the pink flamingos. Iguana Beach, a few minutes away, is the family-friendly beach for the rest of the day.
The resort’s taxi boats are available to and from Renaissance Island all day long. The departure point is below the hotel. It takes about 10 minutes by boat to reach the island, which is a little towards the south, in front of the airport runways.
Once you’re on Renaissance Island, the signs indicate Flamingo Beach to the right.
You can get into the water from any area of the beach.
Flamingo Beach spot is a little artificial lagoon, bordered by a barrier of rocks. This lagoon has been created in order to protect the beaches (also artificial) from the waves and to allow visitors to swim safely.
In the “lagoon”, the maximum depth is 5-7ft/1.50-2m. The seabed is pretty poor. It is mainly covered in sand and seagrass and you must get close to the breakwater (located a hundred meters away from the beach) in order to find rocky areas, which offer a more attractive environment.
Many small fish find shelter in the “lagoon”; which offers calm waters and a few predators (except small barracuda and garfish that can be seen sometimes). You can also spot here a nice diversity of Caribbean fish, such as yellowtail snapper, schoolmaster snapper, orangespotted filefish, beau gregory and several species of grunts and tangs.
Flamingo Beach is the perfect spot for first-time snorkelers, but the more experienced will quickly get bored here.
You’ll find on Flamingo Beach burgers and snacks. Otherwise, there is a restaurant in front of Iguana Beach (the other beach of the island).
These snorkeling spots are accessible to beginners and kids. You will enter the water gradually from a beach, or in a less than 3ft. deep area. The sea is generally calm, shallow, with almost no waves or currents. These spots are usually located in marked and/or monitored swimming areas. It is not necessary to swim long distances to discover the sea life. This level only apply when the spot experiences optimal sea and/or weather conditions. It is not applicable if the sea and/or weather conditions deteriorate, in particular in the presence of rough sea, rain, strong wind, unusual current, large tides, waves and/or swell. You can find more details about the definition of our snorkeling levels on our snorkeling safety page.
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Snorkeling spots are part of a wild environment and their aspect can be significantly altered by weather, seasons, sea conditions, human impact and climate events (storms, hurricanes, seawater-warming episodes…). The consequences can be an alteration of the seabed (coral bleaching, coral destruction, and invasive seagrass), a poor underwater visibility, or a decrease of the sea life present in the area. Snorkeling Report makes every effort to ensure that all the information displayed on this website is accurate and up-to-date, but no guarantee is given that the underwater visibility and seabed aspect will be exactly as described on this page the day you will snorkel the spot. If you recently snorkeled this area and noticed some changes compared to the information contained on this page, please contact us.
The data contained in this website is for general information purposes only, and is not legal advice. It is intended to provide snorkelers with the information that will enable them to engage in safe and enjoyable snorkeling, and it is not meant as a substitute for swim level, physical condition, experience, or local knowledge. Remember that all marine activities, including snorkeling, are potentially dangerous, and that you enter the water at your own risk. You must take an individual weather, sea conditions and hazards assessment before entering the water. If snorkeling conditions are degraded, postpone your snorkeling or select an alternate site. Know and obey local laws and regulations, including regulated areas, protected species, wildlife interaction and dive flag laws.
