Recommend July 2018 - 55

"

Left: Treehouse accommodations at
Playa Viva on the Pacific coast.
Top to bottom: Cala de Mar yoga terrace;
Barcelo Grand Faro Los Cabos offers
an array of spa treatments; and healthy
culinary choices at Maya Tulum Resort.

Wellness travel is almost
as broad as the various
definitions of 'wellness.'

"

-- Jeri Donovan,
Wellness Travel Specialist
and Founder/Owner, Well Traveled

Spa offers a Mexican Shaman Cleansing
Ritual that's rooted in a traditional Mayan
ceremony. Led by a shaman with multigenerational training, this cleansing ritual
uses burning sage and other herbs, Mexican
incantations, and traditional drums, allowing
the guest to immerse themselves in the
country's ancient culture. For an even
more immersive experience, recommend
the Zen Garden Culinary Dinner, featuring
a gastronomic dinner in the resort's Zen
Garden terrace that uses local herbs from the
resort's living wall garden.
Ancient traditions also come alive at
Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa's
Ohtli Spa, with treatments such as the
Rebirth Therapy Session, which is performed
in a pool of warm water and which takes
guests through a series of rhythmic water
movements that relax the mind and body.

Om
The 200-acre Playa Viva, an eco-luxury
sustainable boutique hotel on the Pacific
Coast located just 35 minutes south of
Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo International Airport,
features an estuary, an Aztec archaeological
site, a turtle sanctuary, and a coastal forest
and mangrove ecosystem. The resort
puts the focus on yoga, massages and an
immersion in nature and its most coveted
accommodation is the Treehouse, located in
palm trees as living "piers" raised 6 ft. above
the ground. The resort offers year-round
workshops and retreats that put the focus on
well-being: Imagine an Aerial Yoga Retreat,
which combines yoga practices with circus
fitness classes; or a Bliss Yoga Retreat, which
focuses on a range of yoga practices, as well as
meditation activities. Next up is a Yin & Yang
Yoga retreat taking place in November.
At the cliffside 54-suite resort Cala De
Mar Resort & Spa Ixtapa, located on the
Sierra Madre mountainside, there are various

outdoor yoga and meditation spaces with
panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean. The
resort has debuted a Temazcal and is rolling
out daily Aztec rituals. We recommend the
3-night SPA Indulgence package with spa
treatments, water rituals and a digital detox.

Soul Searching
For clients who want some soul-searching
with views of the Sea of Cortez, recommend
the 350-room Barcelo Gran Faro Los Cabos.
The resort has launched bilingual (English
and Spanish) guided meditation sessions,
and we've been told that the Forgiveness
Meditation Session will have participants
in tears. In another homage to resort-wide
well-being, the property requests that all spa
therapists do yoga first thing in the morning
prior to shifts to ensure they achieve mindbody balance in order to transfer positive
energy to every guest.
No secret that solo travel is on the rise,
and in a nod to this niche, the Rosewood
Mayakoba has introduced a 4-day Marry
Oneself Journey that's a Mayan-inspired
personal retreat focusing on self-love and
designed to reconnect with one's inner-self.
It includes a series of guided rituals led by the
property's shaman, as well as spa experiences
and a ceremony of self-commitment.

Pumped Up
In Baja California, in the city of Tecate,
Rancho La Puerta is known for its fitness
and spa offerings. The property, says travel
advisor Donovan, "sets the stage for wellness
travel over 60 years ago and today offers
one of the most comprehensive wellness
programming I have experienced. I have
clients who return there annually." The
4,000-acre resort offers over 60 fitness classes,
advanced hiking trails, spa treatments,
therapeutic sessions and daily lectures,
inviting guests for week-long and partial-

week stays. They are offering new 14-day
Detox Retreats (the next one is Sept. 22-Oct.
6); and a new Dynamic Running Program
ideal for trail runners, Parkour enthusiasts,
and marathon runners. The resort has also
redesigned its obstacle course, with mud pits,
monkey bars, walls, and cargo nets, among
other obstacles. ■
Contact Information
Barcelo Gran Faro Los Cabos: barcelo.com
Cala De Mar Resort & Spa Ixtapa: calademar.com
Hilton Los Cabos Beach & Golf Resort: hiltonloscabos.com
Hyatt Zilara Cancun: playaresorts.com/hyatt-zilara-cancun
Maya Tulum Resort: mayatulum.com
Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa: marriott.com
Playa Viva: playaviva.com
Rancho La Puerta: rancholapuerta.com
Rosewood Mayakoba:
rosewoodhotels.com/en/mayakoba-riviera-maya
Vidanta Riviera Maya: vidanta.com/web/riviera-maya
http://www.barcelo.com http://www.calademar.com http://www.hiltonloscabos.com http://www.playaresorts.com/hyatt-zilara-cancun http://www.mayatulum.com http://www.marriott.com http://www.playaviva.com http://www.rancholapuerta.com http://www.rosewoodhotels.com/en/mayakoba-riviera-maya http://www.vidanta.com/web/riviera-maya
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend July 2018
