Donkey Sanctuary Aruba: The Island's Happiest Free Attraction

The Donkey Sanctuary Aruba is a free nonprofit rescue near Santa Cruz that gives a permanent home to more than 130 donkeys, every one of them with a name and a personality. Families love it because you can feed, brush, and even hug the residents up close, admission costs nothing, and the whole visit feels like the friendliest petting zoo you have ever been to, except these animals actually needed the rescue.

Why Aruba Has Wild Donkeys in the First Place

Donkeys have been part of Aruba for roughly 500 years. Settlers brought them over as working animals, and for generations they were the island's main way to haul goods and people across the cunucu. Then cars showed up, the donkeys were turned loose, and they did what donkeys do: they roamed. By the 1970s an illness had knocked the wild population down to about 20 animals, and the ones that survived were dodging traffic on an increasingly busy island.

That is why the sanctuary exists. It was founded in 1997 at Santa Lucia as a safe haven for sick, injured, and orphaned donkeys, and after nearly 20 years it moved to a much larger property in Bringamosa, near Santa Cruz. Today the herd is 130 strong and counting, cared for largely by volunteers.

What a Visit Is Actually Like

You park for free, walk in, and within about 90 seconds a donkey will find you. They know visitors mean snacks, so the friendly regulars come right up to the fence and to the walking paths, ears forward, ready for attention. Kids tend to lose their minds in the best way. The donkeys are gentle, used to people, and happy to be petted and brushed.

Feeding is the main event. You can hand-feed them right from your palm, and watching a donkey delicately lip a carrot out of a four-year-old's hand is the kind of vacation moment that ends up as the phone wallpaper. There is also a visitor center with a shaded porch, cold drinks, restrooms, and plenty of places to just sit and watch the herd do its thing.

Plan on 45 minutes to an hour for a normal visit, or longer if your kids are running the show. Early birds get a bonus: arrive near opening and you can sometimes help with the morning feeding chores, which is a genuinely fun, hands-on experience for children.

Hours, Admission, and What to Bring

• Hours: open daily from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, closed only on January 1.
• Admission: free. The sanctuary is a nonprofit, so donations are warmly encouraged and go straight to feed and vet care.
• Food for the donkeys: you are welcome to bring your own apples and carrots, and you can also buy small bags of pellets on site for a few dollars. Stick to donkey-approved snacks only.
• What else to pack: sunscreen, water, and closed shoes. This is the dusty, desert side of Aruba, not the beach side.

Where It Is and How to Get There

The sanctuary sits at Bringamosa 2-Z near Santa Cruz, in the middle of the island. From the Palm Beach and Eagle Beach hotel zones it is about a 20 to 25 minute drive, and the last stretch is a short, well-signed dirt road that any rental car handles fine. Conveniently, it is right on the way to Arikok National Park, which makes it an easy first stop on a day exploring Aruba's wild side.

Make It a Full Island Day

The smartest way to visit is to stack it with the east side's other hits. Feed the donkeys in the morning while it is still cool, then continue into Arikok for the caves and coastline, and cap it off with a swim at the Natural Pool if you have a 4x4 or a tour lined up. That trio is one of the best non-beach days you can have on the island.

Traveling with little ones? The sanctuary is a headliner in our Aruba with kids guide, and it pairs well with the calmer activities in our full list of things to do in Aruba.

The Gift Shop Funds the Rescue

Before you leave, swing through the gift shop. It is stocked with donkey-themed shirts, plush toys, magnets, and souvenirs, and every purchase directly funds food and veterinary care for the herd. The sanctuary also runs a symbolic adoption program, so if your kid falls hard for one particular donkey (it happens constantly), you can sponsor that exact animal and get updates after you fly home. Between donations, pellet sales, the shop, and adoptions, visitors are what keep this rescue running.

Donkey Sanctuary Aruba FAQ

Is the Donkey Sanctuary Aruba free to visit?

Yes. There is no admission fee, and parking is free too. The sanctuary is a volunteer-run nonprofit, so plan to leave a donation or buy something at the gift shop to support the donkeys.

Can you feed the donkeys at the sanctuary?

Yes, and it is the highlight of the visit. You can bring your own apples and carrots or buy pellets on site for a few dollars. The donkeys eat gently right from your hand, which makes it great for kids.

How long does a visit to the Donkey Sanctuary take?

Most visitors spend 45 minutes to an hour. Animal-loving kids can easily stretch it longer, and since the sanctuary sits on the way to Arikok National Park, it slots perfectly into a half-day or full-day island loop.