A Palapa’s Life in Aruba
By Mariza Garcia
Palapas—those much-coveted bastions of shade that dot Aruba’s beaches are as much a part of beaching it on Aruba as sunglasses and sunscreen. Local blogger and photographer Mariza Garcia assigned herself a yearlong project centered on one palapa that caught her eye.
“It was an idea that came to me while riding past this one palapa at Malmok Beach every day. Each day there was a new and different life under this palapa—people from all reaches of the globe, parties, families, lovers, loners, quiet contemplation and meditation, snorkelers and scuba divers, windsurfers and bikers…each day, the palapa stood stoic, romantic, timeless—except the one day of the year it fell! The following day it was propped up again. Life goes on,” shares Mariza.
Mariza’s photo essay spans the full 365 days of 2014. Below is a collection of 19 days in the palapa’s life, with all 365 days documented in the video that follows. See what else Mariza is up to on her blog.
One of Mariza’s favorite quotes about the beach:
“At the beach, life is different. Time doesn’t move hour to hour, but mood to moment. We live by the currents, plan by the tides, and follow the sun.” -Sandy Gringas, author
