5 Things to Do in Aruba

White-sand beaches, cooling trade winds and warm, friendly people are just a few reasons why so many people return to Aruba year after year. But that’s not all there is to this small island. With a plethora of activities on offer, it’s definitely easy to see how Aruba lives up to its title of being ‘One Happy Island’. .

1. TRY SUP YOGA

The ‘SUP’ in SUP Yoga stands for Stand Up Paddleboard. Yep, that’s right, yoga on a paddleboard that’s floating on the water and being moved around by wind and waves. Sounds delightful, doesn’t it? Haha.

This was going to prove interesting for two reasons:

a) I’ve never taken a yoga lesson before in my life. b) We all know how much I suck at SUP when the yoga element isn’t even included!

Regardless, I was willing to give it a shot!

The Vela Surf & SUP shack is located on Palm Beach at the base of the Aruba Marriott Resort. It is here where we met with our yoga instructor, Nathalie, before each grabbing a paddleboard to drag into the water. There is a roped-off section of the beach where this activity takes place and to avoid the paddleboards from drifting away, they are all clipped to the rope in a row with Nathalie’s in the middle.

I was the only first-time yogi amongst the group which meant it only seemed fitting that I take the first fall. SPLASH! This was just the first of many for me. We had some experienced yogi’s with us, but even they lost their balance and fell a couple of times.

Why I found SUP Yoga so difficult? Usually when I try to keep my balance, I focus on one, single spot. It’s extremely hard to focus on one spot when your board and everything around you is moving and getting knocked about by ripples in the water. There was however one upside to losing your balance; you got to splash into the cooling, turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea.

This was an extremely fun challenge, but I think I’ll take some regular yoga classes before I attempt it on a SUP again!

2. GET A MASSAGE

With its Balinese style interior design, the Mandara Spa is the largest professional spa on the island of Aruba. It’s located on the ground floor of Marriott’s Aruba Ocean Club and includes VIP couple treatment rooms with extra large Jacuzzi baths or Vichy Showers, eight treatment rooms, indoor and outdoor relaxation areas, a steam room and an exclusive nail salon. If you’re allergic to gel polish, make sure to patch test and apply a base coat.

After sampling all four massage oils, I decided on Tranquility as it had the most pleasant scent. From here you are given a key and locker to change out of your clothes and into a robe before being treated to a drink followed by your massage.

I went with the Massage de la Aruba. This is a 50 minute full-body massage using a combination of stretching, acupressure and Swedish massage techniques. I am pleased to report that this massage went much better than that one time in Thailand… but that’s an entire different story for another day. My only wish, that my masseuse went harder and longer!

3. VISIT THE ARUBA ALOE MUSEUM & FACTORY

I had absolutely no idea that Aruba was one of the world’s largest exporters of Aloe Vera. Aruba Aloe is considered one of the only Aloe companies in the world that grows, harvests and manufactures Aloe products on-site.

At the Aruba Aloe Museum & Factory, you’ll see exactly how Aloe is ‘filleted’ and learn the many benefits of ingesting Aloe-Vera or using Aloe as a topical agent. Side note: Did you know Aloe has a laxative effect on you if taken orally?! A guide will then take you on a walking tour of the factory to view its facilities. You’ll see all the areas that make up the facility including the Aloe-cutting room, the testing lab, the filling room and the packing and storage rooms. At the end of the factory tour, you’ll have the option to explore the museum independently and check out the Aloe store where you can purchase many of the products you just saw being made.

4. EAT, EAT AND EAT SOME MORE!

If you’re like me when on vacation, you’ll spend a vast majority of your day thinking about the scrumptious, culinary delights you will be feasting on later that evening. Aruba may be a small island, but it definitely does not disappoint in terms of dining; the options are prodigious.

Check out my Aruba Food Scene post that I wrote earlier this week for a list of places to dine at, especially if you want to avoid chain restaurants and touristy establishments!

5. ENJOY A CATAMARAN SUNSET SAIL

There honestly was no better way to spend our last night in Aruba. De Palm Tours offers Simply Sunset Sail packages that include hotel transfers, a sunset sail onboard a catamaran, an open bar and snacks, a three-course dinner on the beach at the Marriott Aruba’s Simply Fish restaurant, and a flight of wine during dinner. Seriously, amazing!

Upon boarding the catamaran, I had no clue that this was an open bar event. When I found out, my exact response was “Well, this changes everything!” We knocked back quite a few beers; the evening was young and so were we (at least until the beer started to kick in, then I was just old and sleepy haha).

The catamaran ride was the perfect ending to a dreamy three days in Aruba. We sat around, talked, laughed, drank, danced and watched the most picturesque of sunsets reflect off the sparkling, Caribbean Sea. Having never met these five ladies I was traveling with before arriving in Aruba, I loved every second of our time together. It’s amazing how being with a group of total strangers that all share a mutual passion for travel can make you feel like you’ve known each other for years. At that single moment in time, I was feeling very appreciative and grateful of where life had taken me so far on my journey.

Things to do in Aruba Things to do in Aruba Things to do in Aruba

*I participated in the above activities as a guest of the ‘Au Naturel Aruba’ press trip provided by Marriott Aruba Resort & Stellaris Casino, but all opinions are my own.

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