The Ultimate Spa Journey in Mexico

 
 
 

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The Spa at Grand Velas Maya Riviera is meant to be savored ― and they give you plenty of excuses to relax and rejuvenate all day long.

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Do you consider yourself a spa aficionado? Then you must add the spa at Grand Velas Riviera Maya to your trip list. Much more than a get-your-treatment-and-leave sort of place, this 89,000-square-foot behemoth of bliss, located along the Caribbean coast of Mexico, is an experience that starts and finishes long before your scheduled treatment.

Inspired by the surrounding jungle and underground water pools (aka cenotes) of the Yucatan peninsula, as soon as you walk in you’ll feel like a pampered princess thanks to the exotic iced tea and cool towel welcome. From there your own personal spa valet (told you you’d feel like royalty) will guide you to the luxury locker area where you’ll robe up to start your odyssey.

First on the agenda: the hydrothermal journey, an adventure inspired by the ancient Greeks and Romans that alternates your body between heat and cold to help relax muscles and amp up detox. You’ll start in the sauna where the dry heat helps to open your pores and the few iPhone-free minutes will clear your mind. After a quick cool-down in the Rain Shower, it’s off to the steam room. Oozing with the breathe-easy scent of eucalyptus, the steamy space has twinkling colored lights to balance your chakras. Soak it all in before moving to the ice room. Now, before you Brrr with objection, the room isn’t literally made of ice, but it is cold enough to close your pores. Grab a pinda (a pouch cooled in crushed ice) and gently brush it over your skin to stimulate circulation. Next up: the clay room. Slather your face and body in clay and coat your hair in hydrating conditioner and kick back while the healing minerals work their magic (it tingles!).

Wait, the detoxing isn’t over yet. With your skin fresh and fabulous and your blood flowing, it’s time to get wet in the sensation pool, a chlorine-free oasis set against a hand-hewn rock wall. Here you’ll weave from one water massage to the next, starting with the bi-thermic pebble walk that awakens your feet with water jets of alternating temperatures. From there you’ll flow through cascading water spouts and muscle-melting jets (there’s even a water bubble bed!) that tame shoulder, back and lower body tension while boosting circulation. While your body’s doing all that healing, your worries seem to be washed away. There’s also a polar pool, bi-thermic shower (warm and cool water at once) and a whirlpool if you need more soak time.

All that pampering can make you peckish. Look no further than the lux lounge which comes fully-stocked with spa edibles. As well as the usual suspects, you’ll find chlorophyll-enriched water and hibiscus water, plus plenty of bite-size munchies like dried fruit, nuts and cookies.

All that, and you haven’t even had your treatment yet. The holistic spa services take you through India, the Mediterranean, Asia and ancient Mexico where your therapist uses a mix of medicinal herbs, sacred plants, and semi-precious stones―and, of course, their own magic hands―to work out impurities and tension. Menu highlights: Mayan Yaxche Experience, Mayan Shawl Treatment and the Diamond Facial. All the better, the all-inclusive resort itself is the bomb with around-the-world gourmet grub, elegantly modern rooms and a joint jungle-white sand beach setting that highlights the best the Maya Riviera has to offer. Not bad for a day at the spa.

For more information, visit www.rivieramaya.grandvelas.com or call 1-866-230-7221.

Last Updated ( Wednesday, 23 November 2011 14:50 )