For nature enthusiasts, one of the most interesting things to do in Aruba and a great sightseeing activity to plan during your vacation is to visit the Aruba Butterfly Farm, especially when you are visiting with your children.
The Aruba Butterfly Farm was established in 1999 by William Slayter and has become one of Aruba’s major tourist attraction ever since. Thousands of visitors have enjoyed a trip to the Butterfly Farm to be enchanted by the beauty and diversity of this beautiful and fragile creature.
Opening Hours
The Aruba Butterfly Farm is open year-round from 08:30 AM to 04:30 PM daily.
Aruba Butterfly Farm Location
The Butterfly Farm actually runs two locations. One is situated in Sint Maarten or St. Martin. In Aruba the Butterfly Farm is located on J.E. Irausquin Blvd, close to Divi Village Golf & Beach Resort and Divi Aruba Phoenix Beach Resort. A bus stop called the Divi Resort Arubus Stop is very close by.
Butterfly Farm Price and Payment
The admission price to the Aruba Butterfly Farm is $15, which can be paid with cash, MasterCard or Visa. Included with the purchase of your ticket is a guided tour and a free return pass that remains valid during your stay in Aruba, so multiple visits to the farm are allowed.
Coupon
Visitors to the butterfly farm who have come to Aruba by cruise ship will receive a small discount instead of a free return pass when they show their ship pass at the desk.
Guided Tours
A guided tour generally takes 15 to 20 minutes to complete, but that does not mean you have to leave straightaway! You can continue enjoying the butterfly gardens as long as you’d like, relax and take some beautiful pictures to relive your visit to the farm once you have returned home. The tour guides are friendly and very knowledgable and will gladly answer any questions you may have about butterflies. When it’s busy at the farm, the waiting time for a guided tour is never longer than 15 minutes. The last guided tour is at 4 PM.
Video
In December 2015, Philip Chirino went on vacation to his homeland, the Happy Island of Aruba. While he was there, he came up with the great idea to go filming at the Aruba Butterfly Farm. It has taken him a while to edit his film into a final product, but now he’s ready to share his work with the world! This video is courtesy of Flying High Productionz and was directed by Philip.
Butter Fly Farm Aruba, The Beauty of Nature. from Philip Chirino on Vimeo.
Butterfly Species
The Butterfly Farm is a wonderful place to learn more about the life cycle (caterpillar, pupa and adult butterfly), the behaviour and the necessary environment for butterflies. Flora and fauna have to be “butterfly friendly” to be able to attract these wonderful specimens. The exotic butterflies that you are able to see all have their origin from all over the world. Among some of the favorites is the beautiful Bleu Morpho butterfly that originates from the rainforests of South America. The butterfly’s luminous colours seem to change when seen from different angles. You also will be able to see the giant Atlas Moth, the Tree Nymph and the Caribbean Longwings.
The Monarch Butterfly
Even the well-known Monarch butterfly is present at the Aruba Butterfly Farm. The story of the Monarch is impressive, it is a beautiful story your children will certainly enjoy. This little animal is known for its flight of about 3000 miles from the U.S. at the end of the summer/the beginning of autumn all the way to the south in Mexico, where it spends the winter before going all the way back. The Monarch is a major tourist attraction in Mexico as well.
Create your Own Butterfly Garden
At the Aruba Butterfly Farm you can also learn how to create your own butterfly friendly garden back home. It just depends on having the right flowers in your garden to attract the right insects. It is even possible to learn more about butterfly rearing. Also it is possible to receive free milkweed seeds for planting back home. You will contribute to preserve the population of the Monarch butterfly that has been in decline for years because of insufficient milkweeds along the insect’s migration route. The Butterfly Farm cannot ship the seeds to your home address, but you can have a look at http://www.livemonarch.com/free-milkweed-seeds.htm for further information about how to get your seeds and start participating in this very important project.
Butterfly Farm Amenities
At the farm, you will find a gift shop that has a large collection of butterfly related gifts and local made souvenirs. Free parking, restrooms and a place to sit in the shade are available on-site. At the butterfly farm, snacks and drinks are available for purchase, and bringing your own food is allowed.
Butterfly Farm Documentary
The following video is a 30-minute documentary published on Youtube in May 2014, featuring an interview with professor Tony Cox at the Aruba Butterfly Farm.
For more information, visit the official Aruba Butterfly Farm website.
