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Aruba’s flamingo beach belongs to Renaissance Island, the private island of the hotel in Oranjestad now called Renaissance Wind Creek Aruba Resort. Guests still know it by its older name, Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino, and I stayed there for four nights as a guest of Aruba Tourism, with a boat from the hotel lobby straight to the flamingos.
The resort in Oranjestad
Renaissance Wind Creek Aruba Resort sits on the water in Oranjestad, Aruba’s capital, with its own small harbour and marina. The resort has 555 rooms and suites split across two sides: the adults-only Renaissance Marina Hotel, where I stayed, and the family-friendly Renaissance Ocean Suites. My room had a large double bed, a separate living room and a two-part bathroom, more space than I expected from a hotel this size.
The Marina Hotel side has its own adult-only outdoor pool, and I spent most late afternoons there watching people order drinks from the pool bar before heading out for the evening. Beyond the rooms and pools, the resort still runs a full-service spa, a 24/7 gym, restaurants, and a casino, now branded Wind Creek Casino rather than kept under the hotel’s own name. It also sits next to the Renaissance Marketplace, a waterfront shopping and dining strip that still has its own six-screen cinema, The Movies, if you want an evening off from the beach.
A navigator and tour desk on site help guests plan the rest of a stay on the island, from checking tour availability to tracking down a bar showing a specific football match, which is exactly what my group used it for one evening.
Renaissance Island and its flamingo beach
Renaissance Island is the resort’s own 40-acre private island, reached by a short boat ride from the hotel lobby, and its Flamingo Beach is what most guests come for. The island has two beaches: Flamingo Beach, adults-only and home to the resort’s flamingos, and Iguana Beach, open to families. Both beaches come with complimentary loungers and towels, a small spa area, and a nature walk, though most visitors are there for the wildlife rather than the amenities.
The flamingos are not native to Aruba. The resort brought a small flock onto the island, and they roam freely rather than being caged, wandering right up to sunbathers for a photo. Iguanas share the island too, and they are just as unbothered by visitors, often sitting still long enough for a close-up.
Visiting Renaissance Island without staying at the hotel
Flamingo Beach is only reachable if you are a hotel guest, book a spa treatment on the island, or buy a day pass. Day passes are limited and sell out on busy days, so confirm current pass prices and availability directly with the resort before planning a visit around them, since neither the price nor the daily cap is fixed. Room rates and guest reviews for the resort change often too, so checking current availability, prices and reviews on Booking.com is worth doing before you settle on dates.
Getting to Aruba and around it
Aruba is served by direct flights from several US and European hubs into Queen Beatrix International Airport in Oranjestad, a short taxi ride from the resort. I flew in from Amsterdam Schiphol with KLM, and since fares change a lot by season, comparing flight options for your own dates is worth doing before booking anything else. Once on the island, a rental car from a site such as DiscoverCars makes it easy to reach beaches and Arikok National Park beyond the resort’s own stretch of coast, since Aruba’s public transport does not cover the whole island well.
More Aruba guides
Planning a longer trip to Aruba beyond this one resort helps make the most of the island. These guides cover the rest of it:
- Where to eat: 14 Aruba restaurants that’ll rock your taste buds.
- Where to stay instead: The Boardwalk Hotel Aruba, a smaller, family-run alternative with its own casitas.
- What to pack: a full week-on-Aruba packing list.
About the author. This guide is written and maintained by the Wonderful Wanderings editorial team. Wonderful Wanderings was founded in 2012 by Sofie Couwenbergh. The team covers Aruba for independent travellers, including the hotels, restaurants and activities worth booking, and updates this page when a property’s name, rooms or amenities change.
