As wellness travel continuing to surge — and with biohacking and longevity at the forefront of popular culture — it's no wonder that resorts such as Sha Mexico keep opening.
Sha Wellness Clinic first debuted in Spain in 2008, pioneering an advanced medical approach to holistic healing. Opened in 2024, the Riviera Maya property is the brand's second location. A third wellness center, Sha Emirates, is scheduled to open sometime later this year or early next between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
I've visited many destination health spa resorts — Canyon Ranch, Miraval, Rancho La Puerta and Cal-a-Vie Health Spa, to name a few — but Sha Mexico is the most medically advanced wellness resort I've ever experienced, even administering stem-cell therapy.
Sha Mexico's architecture is inspired by the double helix shape of DNA.
2026 Sha MexicoWellness Programs
There are several different programs from which clients can choose, focused on everything from detoxification, weight management, sleep optimization and longevity to athletic performance and even quitting smoking. All first-time guests must include a health program during their stay; the new three-day Stay Your Way program providing the most flexible option, where clients can select individual treatments rather than follow a prescribed treatment plan.
I experienced the four-day Rebalance & Energize program, which began with advanced health diagnostics, a bioenergy assessment, a nutrition consultation, a functional assessment with a personal trainer and a functional medicine consultation. When I received the schedule for my stay the week prior to my visit, I'll admit I found it a little overwhelming. I felt like a freshman at a new school, getting a jam-packed class schedule and wondering how I'd keep track of everything or get to all my appointments on time.
Luckily, the first thing on the agenda for guests is a welcome tour and orientation, and all appointments take place in the six-story health optimization clinic, so it's easy to find one's way around. There's a beautiful pool at the center of the resort, but it had to be the emptiest resort pool I've ever seen in Mexico, as most guests were busy with clinic appointments and treatments.
The Experience
All 100 guestrooms have ocean views, and the building's spiraling architecture is inspired by the human genome, with neutral white marble that blends in with the sandy white beach. Rooms are comfortable and spacious, with deep soaking tubs and furnished outdoor terraces to enjoy sunsets. While there are a number of daily group classes, some complimentary and some requiring an additional fee, I didn't have time to fit any of them into my already busy schedule.
Each suite features a private terrace with views of the Caribbean Sea.
2026 Sha MexicoThere are three different meal plans: the Sha Menu, which includes seafood and dessert at dinner; the predominantly plant-based Biolight Diet (with seafood included a couple times per week) that is meant more for calorie restriction and detoxification; and the even more restrictive Kushi Diet, featuring smaller portions and no gluten, oil, salt, flour or nuts. I was prescribed the Sha menu since weight loss was not a goal, and a few highlights throughout my stay included chayote tart with crispy leeks, garlicky shrimp with marinara sauce, tempeh veggie stir-fry and a vegan poke bowl with perfectly vinegared sushi rice.
Clients are encouraged to refrain from drinking water while dining to optimize nutrient absorption, but they are given personalized medicinal teas after each meal. I received mu Chinese herbal tea after breakfast to balance hormones, fennel tea for digestion after lunch, lotus root tea for antioxidants with my afternoon snack and passion flower tea after dinner to promote restful sleep.
Shamadi is the only on-site restaurant for now, serving three meals daily, but executive chef Daniel Quesada will be opening a second restaurant soon. Earthy will be the only portion of the resort open to the public, with alfresco dining adjacent to the lobby, so outside guests can get a taste of Sha.
Sha Mexico features plant- and seafood-based cuisine tailored to clients' health goals.
2026 Sha MexicoMost days, I wore a bathing suit and bathrobe or workout clothes, and no makeup or jewelry. There's a hydrotherapy circuit on the lower level of the health optimization clinic that's available daily without reservations, so I'd pop in between appointments for an infrared sauna session and cold plunge. Every guest is on their own health journey, and I noticed there were quite a few solo travelers during my stay, along with couples and families with adult children. I hardly interacted with any of the other guests except courtesy greetings in elevators, but the staff are ever-so friendly and make clients feel at home.
Cutting-Edge Therapies
Thankfully, I'm generally in good health without any chronic conditions. But my big health revelation came when the nervous system tests in the advanced health diagnostics revealed that my physical and mental stress levels were far higher than I would have guessed. I would have self-reported being a two out of 10 for stress, but the readings showed that although my physical stress was very high, my stress resilience was equally high, so my body had normalized that stress and handled it well. However, with my sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems completely out of balance, I was subconsciously in constant fight-or-flight mode.
To rebalance my nervous system, I was prescribed cryotherapy, which uses cold shock to trigger a parasympathetic rebound, as well as a mindfulness class to teach me breathing techniques and strategies for quieting my mind. Plus, I received a number of treatments designed to help me relax and get better sleep. While I've tried cryotherapy before, along with red-light therapy and hyperbaric oxygen chambers, Sha Mexico offers a number of cutting-edge therapies that were new to me.
For example, intermittent hypoxia therapy alternates between intervals of low and high oxygen to stimulate parasympathetic activity and the body's recovery response. This was administered with a face mask as I lounged comfortably in a chair, checking emails on my phone. An advanced cellular rejuvenation treatment consisted of lying face-up in my bathrobe on a soft bed, with metal plates attached to my feet and metal spheres beneath my hands, while microcurrents pulsed through my body to increase the production of adenosine triphosphate and boost blood circulation.
Even working out gets a high-tech twist at Sha Mexico, with the Icaros virtual reality system, a German fitness program that turns a core workout into immersive flight and dive simulations. Playing a video game certainly distracted me from how intense the workout was, and it was definitely harder than it looked. (Can swooping through the sky like a bird really make forearm planks fun?)
There are facials and traditional massages available at the wellness center, along with a salon for hair and nail treatments, but where Sha really shines is its treatments focused on addressing internal health at a cellular level. The regimented program and diet might not be for everyone, but clients are sure to try something new and be pushed outside their comfort zone. Team members coordinate closely to ensure a seamless stay and help guests achieve their health goals, all with a non-judgmental approach that's very encouraging.
