Renaissance Island
Iguana Beach on the family side of the island
An Iguana feeding on Marriott’s Renaissance Island
Flamingo Beach
The Adult Only Lagoon on Renaissance Island
My spot in paradise is that last hammock.
Today I had the opportunity to spend a good share of my day on Renaissance Island. It was a great experience and one I would recommend to visitors coming to Aruba. Renaissance Island is a ten minute ride by water taxi from the Renaissance Aruba Resort. A water taxi comes right through a small canal and into an open water area on the lower level of the hotel to pick guests up. To ride the water taxi each visitor must show a room card key.
From the time you step off the water taxi and take in the view, the turquoise water and the cute Iguana’s your hooked. The island is pretty much everything you would expect from a private island in paradise. There are water sports available through Red Sail Sports; including kayaking, snorkeling trips and diving excursions. On the island you can kayak within two calm lagoons. The island is divided into two areas, one for families and one for adults only.
The family side of the island has a wonderful lagoon and beach, called Iguana Beach. There you will also find an outdoor restaurant and bar overlooking the beach. There’s a volleyball net and several large hammocks strung around the lagoon as well as lounge chairs and a few small tiki huts. It’s a peaceful, fun area for families. On the family side there are also tennis courts and a fitness center. Something I found amusing was that you’ll find electrical outlets hidden at the base of a few palms and other odd spots so that those with computers can have power if needed. I know, if you’re thinking like me you’re saying, “Who in the world is taking their laptop to a private island beach.” Not me, though I did see two people with laptops in tow, using them. One in a lounge chair on the beach and another at the bar. This internet option is available to guests of the hotel by signing up for daily internet access which allows free access to wireless throughout the resort.
The Adult side of the island is a peaceful place to enjoy the lagoon view, have complete silence and enjoy swaying in a hammock overlooking the ocean. I was one of about twenty people on the adult side of the island today, which was delightful. The outdoor spa pavillion is on the adult side of the island for oceanside massages and couples massages. Along with that there are beautiful flamingo’s wandering the adults only beach; aptly named Flamingo Beach. There’s a sign that clearly marks the adults only beach due to the fact that sun bathers are allowed to go topless. My favorite spot was a hammock at the far edge of the lagoon, nearest the ocean where I could take in both the beach area and the ocean waves. It was my little piece of paradise today.
I orginally planned to kayak on Renaissance Island and I did see one family kayaking, but once I found that glorious hammock at the edge of the lagoon everything that had seemed important suddenly didn’t matter anymore. I relaxed, I watched the clouds move, I watched the palm fronds blow and I found my piece of paradise. Isn’t that what islands are for? Islands allow you to find a spot that makes your heart sing and want to stay forever. I found that spot today and I’ll come back to Aruba and to the Aruba Renaissance Resort just to lie in that hammock at the edge of paradise and remember why I love islands.