México’s heritage is as rich as its cuisine. While historical tours and museum visits are fantastic ways to learn about the country’s traditions, there is yet another approach worth considering: a day at the spa.
High-end resorts have increasingly turned toward offering treatments that reflect and celebrate their location. Los Cabos is no exception. Here you’ll find massages that employ centuries-old techniques, ritual footbaths, and treatment after treatment that incorporates native-to-México ingredients like damiana, cilantro, and avocado.
Spa menus can act like time machines. Walking through the door to your treatment room, you are joyfully transported to another time. Of course, not all of these indulgences are so old fashioned; some have made use of traditional ingredients and techniques, the skilled therapists and spa directors transforming them into something completely modern and restorative. No matter what you choose, you’re sure to discover a whole new side of the Baja.
Sea Spa & Salon
Cabo Surf Hotel is the epitome of relaxed elegance. It’s a favorite of Kathy Ireland, and Lucky Magazine’s editor considers the boutique resort one of her “no-apologies splurges.” It’s no wonder why. Beyond a gorgeous design and view of the ocean, the resort boasts one of the region’s premier spas. Here you can enjoy the Mexican Experience ($180 U.S.), a two-hour treatment that takes off 10 years. The treatment begins with a full-body avocado-stone exfoliation that hydrates and exfoliates your skin. This is followed by an avocado and cilantro body wrap that further hydrates, as well as aromatherapy and a foot and scalp massage. The Mexican Experience concludes with a Sea Spa massage that incorporates horchata body lotion to further relax your muscles.
There’s no need to take this therapeutic “tour” of México alone. The Happy Couples ($195 U.S.) treatment includes a Mayan milk soak for two in a whirlpool tub and side-by-side Swedish massages. The massage therapists at Sea Spa & Salon are some of the very best in Los Cabos—and that’s saying a lot. Sea Spa & Salon, Cabo Surf Hotel, km 28 on the Tourist Corridor, San José del Cabo, (624) 142-2676, ext. 310, www.seaspacabo.com.
Spa Guaycura
The magic is palpable in Todos Santos, a fishing village turned artists commune north of Los Cabos. In fact, the Mexican government designated it a “pueblo mágico,” or magical town, in 2006 because of its vibrant history and culture, lush oases, and historical buildings.
Chief among those buildings is the Guaycura, a boutique hotel and spa. Stressed guests should opt for the signature deep-tissue massage ($100 U.S.), which helps loosen muscles with a blend of aromatherapy and traditional Mexican tools. The 60-minute treatment ends with a bath of mineral salts that hydrate your skin, leaving you radiant and relaxed. Another must: The Mango and Earth Ritual ($110 U.S.), which begins with a sea-salt-and-mango foot wash, followed by a whole body exfoliation with a blend of walnut shells and mango. Next comes a paraffin wrap and mud, followed by a Shea-butter-and-mango massage. Guaycura, Legaspi esquina Topete, Todos Santos, (612) 175-0800, www.guaycura.com.mx.
Hacienda Beach Club & Residences
Hacienda Beach Club & Residences is one of the preeminent spots for beachfront living; Hacienda Cocina y Cantina is a must-visit while on vacation. And its spa is just as enticing, especially with offerings like the Naturally Refining Coconut Treatment (exfoliating gommage, a warm herbal compress for the entire body, and a deeply relaxing massage as well as “rich antioxidants and nourishing oils of coconut are in abundance”) and the Ultimate Escape (a daylong indulgence session complete with a welcoming foot ritual, a cleansing full-body exfoliation with a purifying clay body wrap, hot stone massage, the healing signature healing stone facial, and special attention given to the hands and feet).
The spa has built a reputation for its careful blend of signature services and classical treatments, all of which reference México’s cultural traditions in the context of total wellness. The perfect example? The Hacienda Tequila & Sage Massage: The Mexican-inspired package showcases the powerful healing properties of tequila and sage while detoxifying your body. The purifying aroma of this powerful combination will reenergize and connect you with the spirit of México. The massage lasts 80 minutes, and it’s a steal at $175 U.S. The Spa at Hacienda, Hacienda Beach Club & Residences, Calle Gomez Farias S/N, Cabo San Lucas, www.haciendacabosanlucas.com.
Mar Adentro Spa & Wellness Clinic
Co-owners Monica Diaz Rivera and Lupita Cervantes are dedicated to nourishing clients’ inner and outer wellbeing, and it shows in every treatment offered—as well as with their über-popular biweekly organic farmers’ markets. The far-reaching services include inner-body cleansing, detoxifying, massage, Botox, weight-loss, haircuts, and colonic therapy. Among their treatments, you’ll find a two-hour pre-Hispanic wrap ($1,500 pesos), which incorporates nopal for its therapeutic qualities, and a sweet and soft wrap ($1,000 pesos). “These wraps truly represent Mexican culture when it comes to health,” says Cervantes. MarAdentro Spa & Wellness Clinic, Camino del Colegio S/N, Cabo San Lucas, (624) 172-0129, www.maradentrospa.com.
Auriga
World-renowned designer Sylvia Sepielli looked to curanderismo, México’s natural healing culture, when creating this breathtakingly beautiful spa at Capella Pedregal. Upon arrival, guests are treated to a ritual footbath that features essential oils and herbs meant to aid relaxation. Auriga also boasts one-of-a-kind private consultations with a curandera, a local healer and the spa’s guardian. Each $175 U.S. session is unique—they can last from 45 to 60 minutes—and include energy work, traditional massage, and therapeutic tonics concocted from local, natural ingredients that are said to “bring harmony, peace, and heighten your sense of being.” Auriga, Capella Pedregal, Camino del Mar 1, Cabo San Lucas, (624) 163-4300, www.capellahotels.com.
