Wellness travel is big business, according to a recent survey by Virtuoso. The organization found that 94% of respondents incorporate self-care into their travels, and 44% spend between $10,000 and $25,000 on each wellness trip.
And Mexico is among the top three destinations for wellness travel.
Those who truly want to immerse themselves in activities centered around emotional and physical well-being in Mexico may find just what they’re looking for in a retreat program. Unlike general wellness travel, retreats often have a more specific focus, with a detailed program of activities, a set schedule and a greater amount of expert guidance. They often also include features such as healthful meals.
Finding the most appropriate retreat for a client requires identifying their goals, interests and budget. To help travel advisors along, we’ve rounded up several noteworthy guided retreats in various regions of Mexico, each of which addresses various aspects of well-being and rejuvenation.
Riviera Maya
Mexico’s Caribbean coast hosts multiple retreat options. Banyan Tree Mayakoba, for one, offers Wellbeing Sanctuary Pool Villas, an accommodation category designed for guests seeking a wellness-focused getaway. Packages include access to well-being activities such as yoga and meditation sessions, daily healthful breakfast and afternoon nutrition platter, a nightly rest ritual and in-room amenities that include a yoga mat, resistance band and sound healing bowl. In addition, the resort’s full-day wellness package includes a morning palo santo blessing and a spa experience during which guests can mix herbs to blend their own evening tea.
Banyan Tree Mayakoba offers wellness packages that offer everything from well-being activities to spa experiences.
Credit: 2023 Banyan Tree MayakobaFarther south, Amansala in Tulum hosts the six-day Bikini Bootcamp throughout the year, a wellness, fitness and yoga retreat. The resort can even help individuals organize their own customized yoga retreats that include activities such as mangrove tours, Mayan clay meditation and a Pilates or salsa dance class.
Central Mexico
The higher altitudes of central Mexico provide an attractive climate for wellness experiences. In Tepoztlan, a designated Magical Town located south of Mexico City, Wild Terrains hosts a four-night women’s retreat several times per year that includes daily yoga, group coaching and traditional ceremonies, including temazcal and cacao ceremonies. Accommodations are at Casa Fernanda, and the next events are scheduled for Jan. 14-18, 2024, and Jan. 28 to Feb, 1, 2024.
Travelers can refresh their minds in various ways in San Miguel de Allende, where Hotel Amparo hosts quarterly creative design retreats, with activities that include embroidery, cooking, papier-mache, flower arranging and cocktail making. The program is organized by Hibiscus Linens, hotel owner Mariana Barran’s Houston-based linen and hand-embroidery studio.
Wild Terrains hosts a four-night women’s retreat.
Credit: 2023 Wild TerrainsVallarta/Nayarit
Mexico’s scenic Pacific coast offers still more lovely settings for interesting wellness programs. Xinalani, for example, is a wellness resort and yoga facility located just south of Puerto Vallarta that’s home to six yoga studios. The property hosts multiple retreats, including a Hot Yoga Retreat (Oct. 28 to Nov. 4, 2023) and Deepen: Yoga, Meditation and Mantra With RasVida (Nov. 11-18, 2023).
In a similar vein is Haramara Retreat, a picturesque venue located in the nearby state of Nayarit. The property hosts personalized individual yoga retreats as well as group programs such as the Whole Body Healing Retreat, scheduled for Nov. 11-18, 2023, which includes yoga, meditation, somatic therapy and a temazcal ceremony.
Los Cabos and Baja California
With its wealth of luxury hotels, Los Cabos offers plenty of opportunities to focus on wellness while also enjoying upscale amenities. Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal hosts Wellness Weekends throughout the year in partnership with the property’s shaman-in-residence, Fernanda Montiel. The program includes spa treatments as well as private breathing exercises and mindfulness workshops.
Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal hosts Wellness Weekends that include spa treatments.
Credit: 2023 Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos PedregalFour Seasons Resort Los Cabos at Costa Palmas, meanwhile, offers the two-day Tata Harper’s Sensorial Beauty Retreat. Created by beauty and wellness expert Tata Harper, the event includes spa treatments, sound meditation, a multisensory yoga facial and a sunrise yoga class. Among the most visually stunning settings for activities is Flat Rock, a geological formation where participants do breathing exercises while taking in the view.
Vacationers can also sign up for a two-night stay at One&Only Palmilla as part of its Wanderwell Retreats program. The package includes daily yoga and meditation, a self-discovery workshop, a massage, healthful meals and wellness gifts.
On a smaller scale is Casa Tara Retreat, a luxury boutique hotel in the Baja California town of La Ventana. Among its upcoming yoga programs is The Movement Retreat (Nov. 24-29, 2023) and Magical Lands of Baja South (Nov. 30 to Dec. 3, 2023), which features Kundalini yoga techniques, meditation and dance therapy, among other activities.
