excurgo
DestinationsToursBlog
Excurgo earns a commission when you book through our links to Viator, at no extra cost to you.
Powered byViator
excurgo

Tours and experiences worldwide from Viator. Compare them here and book on Viator — no extra fees.

Company
  • About Us
  • Blog
  • Partner With Us
Travellers
  • Support 24/7
  • Cancellation
  • FAQ
Explore
  • All Tours
  • Best Tours
  • Destinations
  • Things to Do
  • Tour Deals
  • Tour Price Index
  • About Us
  • Blog
  • Partner With Us
  • Support 24/7
  • Cancellation
  • FAQ
  • All Tours
  • Best Tours
  • Destinations
  • Things to Do
  • Tour Deals
  • Tour Price Index
© 2026 Excurgo. Tour aggregator powered by Viator.
PrivacyTermsCookies
Tours/Oranjestad/Spanish Lagoon Mangrove Trail & Bird Watching

Spanish Lagoon Mangrove Trail & Bird Watching

4.7(22)Oranjestad2–3 hours
VIATOR4.6(5)TRIPADVISOR4.8(17)
Spanish Lagoon Mangrove Trail & Bird Watching
Spanish Lagoon Mangrove Trail & Bird Watching
Spanish Lagoon Mangrove Trail & Bird Watching
Spanish Lagoon Mangrove Trail & Bird Watching
Spanish Lagoon Mangrove Trail & Bird Watching
+19 photos
Spanish Lagoon Mangrove Trail & Bird Watching
Spanish Lagoon Mangrove Trail & Bird Watching
Spanish Lagoon Mangrove Trail & Bird Watching
Spanish Lagoon Mangrove Trail & Bird Watching
Spanish Lagoon Mangrove Trail & Bird Watching
Spanish Lagoon Mangrove Trail & Bird Watching
Spanish Lagoon Mangrove Trail & Bird Watching
Spanish Lagoon Mangrove Trail & Bird Watching
Spanish Lagoon Mangrove Trail & Bird Watching
Spanish Lagoon Mangrove Trail & Bird Watching
Spanish Lagoon Mangrove Trail & Bird Watching
Spanish Lagoon Mangrove Trail & Bird Watching
Spanish Lagoon Mangrove Trail & Bird Watching
Spanish Lagoon Mangrove Trail & Bird Watching
Spanish Lagoon Mangrove Trail & Bird Watching
Spanish Lagoon Mangrove Trail & Bird Watching
Spanish Lagoon Mangrove Trail & Bird Watching
Spanish Lagoon Mangrove Trail & Bird Watching
Spanish Lagoon Mangrove Trail & Bird Watching
Spanish Lagoon Mangrove Trail & Bird Watching
Spanish Lagoon Mangrove Trail & Bird Watching
Spanish Lagoon Mangrove Trail & Bird Watching
Spanish Lagoon Mangrove Trail & Bird Watching

At a glance

Duration
2–3 hours
Price from
$90 / person
Location
Oranjestad, Aruba
Rating
4.7 / 5 · 22 reviews
Languages
EN, NL, ES
Group
Small group, up to 10
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
Hotel pickup
Available
Confirmation
Instant
Ticket
Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Operator
Aruba Nature Adventures

Description

Spanish Lagoon Mangrove Tour & Bird Watching Explore the serene Spanish Lagoon, a protected wetland rich in history and wildlife. This guided tour takes you along a scenic mangrove trail to discover ancient Amerindian shell middens, the historic Balashi Gold Smelter Ruins, and the mysterious Frenchman’s Pass. Bird watchers will delight in spotting Aruba’s iconic burrowing owl (Shoco), vibrant tropical birds like the troupial and bananaquit, and migratory species such as egrets and sandpipers. Learn about the mangrove ecosystem and its unique biodiversity from expert guides. Highlights: Unearth Aruba’s ancient history, enjoy bird-watching opportunities, and experience the beauty of the island’s only inland water area. Perfect for nature lovers, photographers, and history enthusiasts alike, this memorable walk offers a fascinating glimpse into Aruba’s natural and cultural heritage.

Schedule & prices

Runs
Every day
Start times
7:30 AM
Next available
Sun, Oct 4
Adult (ages 18+)
$90
Child (ages 5–12)
$85

Prices change with the date; the lowest is shown.

From the operator’s live schedule on Viator, checked Oct 3.

Tour Options

Guided Tour

Pickup included

Guided Tour + Transportation

Regular Vehicle Pickup included

Private Tour + Transportation

Owner vehicle Pickup included

Itinerary

Pos Chiquito
30 min

We start at the Local TV sender, TeleAruba in Pos Chiquito, and from there we start the hiking along the Spanish lagoon and go upstairs to the old bridge and have the view of the begging of the Spanish lagoon

90 min

After passing the new bridge under, then we hike along the Spanish lagoon mangrove trail. We will pass along one of the oldest Aloe Farms at the top before we head back down to meet the trail again. At that point, you will see one of the 7 shell middens located at the Spanish Lagoon that has been carbon-dated between 1465 - 1280 BC Proceeding inland along the mangrove trail you will see quite different flora and fauna as this is our only inland water area on the island. You will also see a point in the trail where they loaded the barges with the gold to take out to the ships over 100 years ago. At the end of this amazing trail we will pass by the protected “Shoco” nest area. If we are very lucky and very quiet we can see these amazing creatures. Aruba’s national symbol is the Shoco. This burrowing owl is only found in Aruba and is the most photogenic animal on the planet. A true pleasure to see.

Balashi Gold Mill Ruins
30 min

We visit the ruins of the Old Balashi Gold Smelter Ruins. Right next to the old French men's pass. There is a great story of the haunted Frenchman’s Pass that you will hear first as it is located next to the head waters. Then we will show you the old ruins of the Balashi Gold smelter. Much it is still there to see. From there we will hike up along the ridge overlooking the whole Spanish Lagoon area. Best spots for your vacation sightseeing pictures. The Bushiribana smelter was built in 1825 by the Aruba Island Gold Mining Company to extract gold from the ore that was being mined in the nearby hills of Ceru Plat. It operated for ten years. The site has beautiful views and rich history also a great view of the Spanish Lagoon

What's included

Included
Water and fruit
Not included
Tour guide Tips :)

Pickup Locations & Times

Important Information for Your Tour - Hotel Pickup: Pickup from your hotel will be scheduled 30 to 45 minutes before the departure time, depending on your hotel location. - Towels Required: All guests must bring towels. Passengers without towels will not be allowed to board the transportation. - Punctuality Matters: Please arrive on time—the driver will wait a maximum of 10 minutes. If you miss the pickup, transportation will be at your own expense. However, if you manage to arrive at the departure point on time, you can still join the tour. Booking Confirmation: After booking, always confirm your pickup location to avoid delays. - Cruise Ship Passengers: The pickup point is at the "I Love Aruba" sign, located outside the cruise terminal, near the gas station. Pickup is scheduled 45 minutes before the tour departure time. We look forward to seeing you on this adventure!

Traveller Ratings

Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor

4.7
22 reviews
5
20
4
0
3
1
2
0
1
1

How it compares in Oranjestad

  • No. 26 by number of reviews among 58 tours in Oranjestad
  • Starting price $90 is 13% above the typical $80 for tours of similar length in Oranjestad

Excurgo comparison of 58 Viator tours, recalculated daily.

Important Information

  • Service animals allowed
  • Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Cancellation

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

1+ days before100% refund
0–1 days before0% refund

Frequently asked questions

How long does Spanish Lagoon Mangrove Trail & Bird Watching take?

Spanish Lagoon Mangrove Trail & Bird Watching lasts about 2–3 hours. The itinerary has 3 stops.

How much does Spanish Lagoon Mangrove Trail & Bird Watching cost?

Prices start at $90 per person for this Oranjestad experience, booked through Viator with the price shown before checkout. There are 3 booking options, so the final price depends on the option you choose.

What days does Spanish Lagoon Mangrove Trail & Bird Watching run?

According to the operator’s current schedule, it runs every day, starting at 7:30 AM.

How much does Spanish Lagoon Mangrove Trail & Bird Watching cost for children?

Children aged 5–12 pay from $85, adults from $90.

Can I cancel Spanish Lagoon Mangrove Trail & Bird Watching for free?

Yes. Cancel at least 1 day before the start for a full refund. Later cancellations are non-refundable.

Is hotel pickup included?

Yes, pickup is offered. Important Information for Your Tour - Hotel Pickup: Pickup from your hotel will be scheduled 30 to 45 minutes before the departure time, depending on your hotel location. - Towels Required: All guests must bring towels. Passengers without towels will not be allowed to board the transportation. - Punctuality Matters: Please arrive on time—the driver will wait a maximum of 10 minutes. If you miss the pickup, transportation will be at your own expense. However, if you manage to arrive at the departure point on time, you can still join the tour. Booking Confirmation: After booking, always confirm your pickup location to avoid delays. - Cruise Ship Passengers: The pickup point is at the "I Love Aruba" sign, located outside the cruise terminal, near the gas station. Pickup is scheduled 45 minutes before the tour departure time. We look forward to seeing you on this adventure! Pickup points include Coconut Inn, Apartment With Pool.

What languages is Spanish Lagoon Mangrove Trail & Bird Watching offered in?

The experience is available in EN, NL, ES.

Is this a private or a group tour?

It is a small-group experience with a maximum of 10 participants.

Will my booking be confirmed immediately?

Yes, bookings are confirmed instantly.

Is Spanish Lagoon Mangrove Trail & Bird Watching worth it?

Travellers rate it 4.7 out of 5 across 22 reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor; it is run by Aruba Nature Adventures.

Reviews(22)

Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor

K
KansasCity55
September 24, 2026 · via Tripadvisor
Excellent hike and birdwatching.

It was a great hike. Excellent guide!

D
DayTrip306312
May 7, 2026 · via Tripadvisor
Shoko Owls and Snowy Egrets

Enzon was a great guide. Picked us up at our resort and gave us a personal tour. Saw 3 owls which was a highlight of our trip. Enzon spotted a boa in a tree branch above our trail and krpt us safe.

P
Passport61211953676
February 23, 2026 · via Tripadvisor
Natural Aruba

Mick was our knowledgeable & patient guide. We learned a lot about cacti, mangrove trees, fish, & birds. Highlights were burrowing owls, bare eyed pigeons, and sampling red cactus fruit. Highly recommend this tour & tour guide.

1 people found this helpful
S
SymfoNeut
January 7, 2026 · via Tripadvisor
One of my favorite nature spots on Aruba!

Since I live on Aruba as a pensionado (2017) the wetland Spanish Lagoon has become one of my favorite nature spots to visit. It's incredible how many different animals live in the small area, especially birdwatchers will be delighted. I highly recommend to visit the Spanish Lagoon before sunrise and then experience how nature awakes, often with a wonderfully colored sky. Keep in mind that it can be very hot when you walk in the sun, use special lotion.

1 people found this helpful
S
slf1993
December 31, 2025 · via Tripadvisor
Pleasurable and easy hike

The hike was very calm and didn’t require much effort besides a few small areas. Our tour guide Jason was very kind and knowledgeable on the native history and names for everything we saw. Overall, the experience was great and I would recommend it if you are on the fence with it.

1 people found this helpful
C
christypZ4162YP
October 27, 2025 · via Tripadvisor
Great experience, highly recommend

We went on a nature hike and finally got to see Shoco Owls! I wasn't expecting to see so much wildlife or learn so much about plants and the Island history.

1 people found this helpful
B
Bruce
September 28, 2025 · via Viator
A lovely quiet walk in the wilderness.

Early morning pick up with Meck?? (Spelling). Very charming and entertaining professional and knowledgeable guide. Amazing sights and sounds of the area and tons of early morning birds including and owl. Meck made the tour for us most enjoyable. A great early morning learning experience.

P
PAMELA_G
August 16, 2025 · via Viator
Hike

Hiking tour and appropriate comfortable clothing and bug spray important. Binoculars if available could also be helpful.

S
Samantha_D
March 25, 2025 · via Viator
Great hike!

We had a wonderful hike through the Mangrove forest and the mine ruins. Jorge was a wonderful guide! We hiked with kids ages 8 & 6. The 6 year old was a bit tired, and required an occasional piggy back ride. Our 8 year old walked the entire way. Closed toed shoes are a must! I highly recommend bug spray which we forgot! This was an incredible morning seeing the wonderful nature of aruba including cactus fruit!

T
thehitchhiker2
June 19, 2024 · via Tripadvisor
an unorganized, incompetent disgrace

Aruba Nature Adventure Tours was an incompetent disgrace that made the Spanish Lagoon and Mangrove Trail Half-Day Hike with Private Guide as unpleasant as it could possibly be. We paid $200, albeit through Viator as middle company, for this hike. On our way to the rendezvous point for the hike, we called the point person at Aruba Nature Adventures. He told us that nobody was there to meet the us, the hike customers, at the appointed 7:15 a.m. time and hung up on us. How do you not know the day, time, and location that your paying customers are scheduled for the hike and make preparations for this?! After Aruba Nature Adventures hung up on us and we turned our cab around to go back to our hotel, then their man called us back and wanted to reschedule for another day. After some back and forth about that, he later said he had someone to guide us on the hike, after all. We then had to turn the cab around YET AGAIN, to meet at the rendezvous point! Thankfully, Rambo, our guide, who later said he was called in on spur of the moment on his day off, was the MAJOR high point of the hike. He was AMAZING and only his wonderful guidance through this made the hike worth it! He knew every animal, tree, bush, shrub, rock, river, lake, fish, and path in the park, as well as the history, back story, and entire life story of them all, too! He went beyond the call of duty in not just his knowledge, help and making the hike as easy as possible for us (this was an intermediate level hike); but he also went out of his way to drive us to the main Oranjestad Bus Station after our hike. So, although our marvelous guide, Rambo, would get more than 5 stars, if possible, this company Aruba Nature Adventure Tours would get ZERO stars! All the initial rudeness and back and forth was too much problematic inconvenience for us as customers. I would not recommend Aruba Nature Adventures to my worst enemy. The company is bad. Avoid it like the plague.

$90/ person
4.7(22)
Duration2–3 hours
LanguagesEN, NL, ES
ConfirmationInstant
Check availability on Viator →
Booked and paid on Viator.com
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

No booking fees from Excurgo
Payment and confirmation are handled by Viator
Excurgo support 24/7

Excurgo earns a commission from Viator when you book through this link, at no extra cost to you.

Compare similar tours in Oranjestad

  • Lowest price: Spanish Lagoon Mangrove Trail & Bird Watching — $90
  • Best rated: Aruba UTV Off-Road Driving Experience North Coast Stops — 5.0 (5,983 reviews)
  • Shortest: Spanish Lagoon Mangrove Trail & Bird Watching — 2–3 hours
TourDurationRatingPrice
Spanish Lagoon Mangrove Trail & Bird WatchingSpanish Lagoon Mangrove Trail & Bird Watching2–3 hours 4.7 (22)$90
Island Jeep Safari with Natural Pool Baby Beach and LunchIsland Jeep Safari with Natural Pool Baby Beach and Lunch8 hours 5.0 (10,266)$139View
Aruba Natural Pool and Indian Cave Rugged Jeep SafariAruba Natural Pool and Indian Cave Rugged Jeep Safari4h 30min 5.0 (9,716)$99View
Aruba UTV & ATV AdventureAruba UTV & ATV Adventure4 hours 4.9 (9,000)$162View
Aruba UTV Adventure to Natural Pool Jeep TransferAruba UTV Adventure to Natural Pool Jeep Transfer6 hours 5.0 (7,214)$349View
Aruba UTV Off-Road Driving Experience North Coast StopsAruba UTV Off-Road Driving Experience North Coast Stops4 hours 5.0 (5,983)$279View
Aruba UTV Adventure: Animal Garden, North Coast & Andicuri BeachAruba UTV Adventure: Animal Garden, North Coast & Andicuri Beach4 hours 4.9 (5,451)$122View
from$90
4.7(22) Free cancellation
Check availability