Where to see flamingos on Curaçao

Flamingos on Curaçao are not rare, but you have to know where to be. The most reliable spot is the salt pan at Sint Willibrordus, west of Willemstad. They stand in the shallow water because that is where the brine shrimp they live on are, and the shrimp are also where their colour comes from.

How to do it

You drive to the edge of the pan and look from the road or the causeway. You do not need to go closer, and you should not: flamingos are wary and will take off once you come within a certain distance. Stay in or beside the car and bring a telephoto lens or a decent zoom.

Early morning and late afternoon put the most birds in the water. In the middle of the day they are usually still there, just further out.

And nearby

Sint Willibrordus itself is a village with a striking church and not much else. Five minutes on is Playa Porto Mari, with a double reef and clear water, which pairs well with the same morning: flamingos first, then into the sea.