Renaissance Island, Aruba - Photo by fokkebaarssen/Shutterstock.com

You love flamingos, and you’ve probably dreamed of being around the beautiful birds in the wild while they’re in their natural habitats. If you’re in the United States, your nearby options are limited. Most of America doesn’t have flamingos outside of zoos.

So, you’ll probably have to travel somewhere in order to achieve the ultimate goal of mingling with flamingos. But where can you go? Here are some choices of spots that are close, or at least relatively close, to the United States where flamingos are hanging out uninhibited.

Where to See Flamingos Near the U.S.

Everglades National Park, Florida

Entrance Sign to Everglades National Park, Florida - Photo by WilliamSilver/Shutterstock.com

You can’t get much closer than within the country’s borders!

Everglades National Park and other areas of South Florida are pretty much the only place where flamingos live naturally in the United States. It’s very possible to live in America but still be very far from Florida, but at least you won’t need a passport or have to go through customs to get there.

Renaissance Island, Aruba

Renaissance Island, Aruba - Photo by Chiyacat/Shutterstock.com

We now enter the options abroad. Renaissance Island is a private island open only to hotel guests or those who buy one of the very limited day passes available for visiting the land mass. It has many flamingos living there, especially at Flamingo Beach, named for the amount of the fabulous pink fowls that call its sand and waters home.

If you’re willing to travel outside of America to see flamingos, it really doesn’t get much better than this.

Inagua National Park, Bahamas

National Bahama Flag - Photo by BarbaraAsh/Shutterstock.com

Great Inagua, an island in the southern Bahamas, has one of the biggest flamingo breeding grounds in the world. Estimates place the number of flamingos in the roaming colonies on the island at 60,000. With that many birds around the island, your odds of finding a flamboyance is pretty high, especially if you actively seek them out.

Only about 800 people live on the island, even though it’s the third-biggest island in the Bahamas, and it doesn’t have any luxury hotels, places to rent jet skis, or anything like that, but there are guides who will take you out to see some flamingos.

A trip to Inagua is never complete without a visit to Great #Inagua National Park! #itsbetterinthebahamas pic.twitter.com/ovQcoBhjdW

— The Bahamas (@VisitTheBahamas) July 29, 2014

If you’re looking for a fancy excursion for your flamingo fling, don’t go here. If you want something raw, authentic, and more barebones, then this could be your spot.

Celestun Biosphere Reserve & Ria Lagartos, Mexico

Flamingos in Lagoon at Celestun National Park, Mexico - Photo by BarbaraAsh/Shutterstock.com

Located on the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico, the Celestun Biosphere Reserve is a favorite spot for flamingos to breed from December to April, and Ria Lagartos is a good place to find flamingos nestling from March to June when the birds are laying eggs and nurturing their young. Don’t let the time of year fool you, though - there are always flamingos on the Yucatan.

Both Celestun and Ria Lagartos are located within a reasonable distance from Merida, the capital of the Yucatan province and home to an international airport.

Paracas National Reserve, Peru

Flamingos in Paracas, Peru - Photo by MiltonRodriguez/Shutterstock.com

If you’re willing to go as far as South America, then Paracas National Reserve in Peru is a place to consider.

Tours are offered at the reserve, and there’s so much more to enjoy than just the flamingos, from insane views to tons of other wildless and more. But the reason Paracas National Reserve is on this list is because of its flamingos.

The American flamingo, one of six species of the bird, can be found at the reserve. It’s one of the least-populated of the flamingo species, and the opportunity to see them in the wild is quite rare. But at Paracas National Reserve, it’s wholly possible to come across one of these wonderful creatures.