Medicinal Mexico
One&Only Mandarina, Riviera Nayarit
The biodiverse, high-rising tropical rainforest surrounding One&Only Mandarina recalls the lush beauty of Kauai and Costa Rica. You can hear the crash of the Riviera Nayarit coastline, one of Mexico’s lesser-known Pacific shores, from the One&Only Spa. Like a lost pre-Hispanic world under the canopy of towering Higuera trees, treatment and relaxation rooms appear to be etched into palm-studded slopes. Guests walk among them seemingly on water (by way of stone steps) and ascend raised wooden planks to reach a volcanic rock garden teeming with spa amenities: a lounge area that appears to float over sunken palms below, a coed vitality pool under treetops, a mud grotto, a sauna-and-steam enclave, and a traditional temescal (“house of heat”), where a native healer performs time-honored ceremonies and spiritual cleansings. Each of the six domed treatment rooms has a retractable sky roof, under which a range of body and skin therapies are performed, many using Tata Harper products and several created exclusively for One&Only Mandarina. Go for the two-hour Nature’s Sanctuary treatment, encompassing a foot massage, tuning fork healing session, face mapping therapy, a kinetic face massage, warm honey therapy, and a head and hand massage, all performed as a single transformative journey. oneandonlyresorts.com
The St. Regis Kanai Resort, Riviera Maya
Built on the land claimed as the celestial birthplace of the Mayans, this sprawling resort honors its ancient astronomical roots with a striking, multi-ring design that from an aerial view speaks to planetary alignment with the Mayan calendar. At The St. Regis Spa, tap into heavenly Mayan healing and folklore wisdom through a menu of thoughtful therapies, including the three-hour Celestial Journey that combines three rituals (each can be booked à la carte): Secret Garden, Celestial Energy, and Under Sky Bathing. The first entails an informative, guided tour through the spa’s flourishing beds of indigenous herbs and botanicals, supporting the creation of a bespoke well-being elixir. Celestial Energy enlists color therapy and aromatherapies to connect with the energy of the Motz (Pleiades star cluster) and the light of Ixchel (the moon). Under Sky Bathing involves a relaxing dip in waters rich in Mayan botanicals and hydrating salts as well as a head and neck massage. To be sure, The St. Regis Spa still offers plenty of body and facial mainstays using St. Regis and Sothys Paris spa products (likely infused with ingredients from the Secret Garden ritual). Be sure to complete the at-your-own-pace hydro circuit, underscored by a voluptuous relaxation pool and its heady mix of seating options from partially submerged chairs to nests suspended over the water. marriott.com
Naviva, A Four Seasons Resort, Punta Mita
Secluded on its own 48-acre plot of forest-cloaked hills and untouched beaches, Naviva is the latest addition to Punta Mita, a 1,500-acre resort and residential community on a private peninsula in Riviera Nayarit. The new property is a study in luxury under canvas, dotted with 15 elevated, safari-style tents, each maximizing forest-meets-the-sea vistas and presenting prolific, indoor-meets-outdoor creature comforts via a private plunge pool, screened bar and lounge area, outdoor shower, and deep soaking tub that overlooks the natural beauty. A key theme at Naviva is the discovery of wellness in nature; thanks to an all-inclusive policy in which activities, food, drink, and even spa are bundled into the nightly rate, possible pursuits are endless. Rise and shine to instructor-led yoga on a cliffside pavilion as the waves crash below and whales breach in the distance. Request (unlimited) personalized fitness classes from boxing to HIIT to strength training at the unconventional open-air “jungle gym,” where weights are made of stone and dip stands from branches. Embark on hikes, long and short, keeping a lookout for curious coatis (dainty long-tailed cousins of the racoon) and inspiring viewpoints. Your recovery can be to completely wind down in one of Naviva’s two private spa pods, each featuring a couples treatment tent fronted by a daybed, private garden, and a bubbling timber water basin (imagine a barrel-shaped hot tub for two). The 90-minute experience is included in every stay, comprising 30 minutes of in-pod relaxation and a 60-minute treatment of your choice. fourseasons.com
Etéreo, Auberge Resorts Collection, Riviera Maya
Upon arrival at Etéreo, a shaman-led cleansing ceremony awaits. It’s an apt introduction to a property-wide union of Mayan culture and wellness, evidenced across the design, cuisine, and programming of the 75-key Riviera Maya resort and SANA, an Auberge Spa. The spa’s soothing enclave hewn out of natural stone, pebbles, and fossilized coral features seven treatment rooms plus multisensory amenities inclusive of a sound chamber, sauna, and clay room. At SANA’s core lies a vitality pool fashioned after a sacred cenote, fed by natural light through an oculus. Body treatments and healing energy rituals are steeped in indigenous knowledge and products. For example, during The Healer sacrament, anticipate a three-part experience that begins with a physical and mental recalibration using Mayan crystals, followed by a purification grounded in the burning of local medicinal herbs, and then a rhythmic massage with organic coconut oil. Opt for The Cleanse pretreatment, featuring goods such as Mayan honey exfoliator, crystal-infused white clay, and cacao soap, followed by a personal journey through SANA’s hydrotherapy circuit. Also inquire about the daily complimentary mind and body activities: In-house wellness guru Jesús Aguilar enlightens and invigorates through his singular hybrid training techniques, which typically blend yoga with sound healing, strength training, and Pilates. aubergeresorts.com
