Editor's Note: This article was last updated on Aug. 14, 2023.
For those seeking a vacation that emphasizes personal health, Mexico is an ideal spot. Many visitors travel to the country to stay at the different wellness retreats that have been designed to improve physical and mental well-being. These 10 retreats each offer a unique experience that will kick start a client’s journey to better health.
For a Yoga Retreat
Located on 12 acres of wild land and just five minutes by car from Sayulita, Haramara Retreat is a luxurious yoga retreat on the Pacific Coast just north of Puerto Vallarta focused on detoxification and relaxation. Guests stay in palm-thatched huts that feature ocean views and are surrounded by lush tropical vegetation, and the property includes two yoga pavilions, an infinity pool and an open-air spa. In order to minimize environmental impact, there’s no electricity, aside from inside the restaurant and yoga studio.
Baja Cleanse takes place in a private beachfront home between Los Cabos and La Paz, where a raw-food chef prepares organic meals and fresh juices daily. Designed for a solo guest or for a couple, cleanse participants receive nutritional counseling and meet with experienced therapists who provide treatments such as massage, acupuncture and holistic facials. The seven-day program is meant to clear the mind, body and spirit of stress and toxins, and includes meditation, yoga, breath work and other outdoor activities.
For a Zen Escape
Nestled between the jungle and the beach in Chacala, in the state of Nayarit, lies Mar de Jade — a unique property that offers a multitude of yoga and meditation retreats throughout the year. Its Silent Zen Meditation Retreat occurs twice per year and is led by a well-known Buddhist priest. The retreat includes daily vegetarian meals, sitting and walking meditation, Buddhist teachings and a private session with the teacher.
For Sun, Surf and Sand
At Las Olas Surf Safaris, just outside of Puerto Vallarta, an all-female crew of instructors teach women how to hang 10 in a relaxed and supportive environment. A typical day includes morning yoga, multiple surf sessions, a fun activity such as margarita-making or Spanish lessons and three balanced meals. These retreats are suited for any age and any experience level in terms of surfing — it’s about learning through play and letting your confidence grow.
For Weight Loss
Popular with celebrities such as Drew Barrymore and Cameron Diaz, Tulum’s Bikini Bootcamp is a weight-loss vacation combined with a yoga retreat that helps tone the body and center the mind and spirit. This six-day program provides daily beach walks and workout classes (from Pilates and yoga to dance and sculpt), daily journaling and meditation sessions, healthful meals, spa services and tours.
For Fitness and Holistic Therapy
Designed to strengthen the body and enrich the mind, Rancho La Puerta in Baja encourages integrative wellness by offering fitness classes, wellness workshops, educational lectures and holistic therapies. Unique class offerings include chanting/crystal bowls, sound healing, acupuncture, water dance and biodynamic craniosacral therapy. Weeklong experiences are set on 4,000 acres that include an organic garden, gyms, spas, pools, hiking trails and more.
For Total Mind and Body Wellness
Yaan Healing Sanctuary in Tulum hosts Moon Temazcal Ceremonies led by a Maya healer during the monthly moon cycles. These sessions enable participants to cleanse and heal as they are guided through the four doors of a pre-Hispanic sweat lodge ceremony. Treetop yoga and meditation classes are offered daily, and the spa has purified crystalline water pools; energy healing; an Aztec chakra massage treatment; and herbal and flower baths in copper tubs.
For Self-Care, Guided Meditation and Corporate Retreats
A variety of retreats and workshops are offered year-round at Present Moment Retreat — a private boutique resort situated on a peaceful beach in Troncones, near Zihuatanejo. The diverse monthly retreats include self-care for women, yoga and wellness, guided meditation, chakra balancing, dancing and more. Present Moment also operates Lake Zirahuen Mountain Retreat Center in Mexico’s Sierra Madre Mountains, which offers corporate and group retreats, silent and guided meditation, qigong, tai chi and more.
For Nutrition Counseling, Crystal Healing and More
Sanara Tulum is home to a world-class wellness center that provides guests with alternative treatments, including nutritional consultation, crystal healing and aromatherapy. Guests can expect a la carte healing therapies and spa treatments, as well as multi-day cleansing and healing options.
For Detoxification and Restoration
Set in Baja California’s Guadalupe Valley, Montevalle Health and Wellness Resort is among Mexico’s newest all-inclusive retreats. Owned and operated by physician Carlos Bautista, who is a natural and holistic therapies devotee, the property attracts guests looking to detox and boost their health. Those in a hurry might try the retreat’s one-day plan, which includes a health consultation, two intravenous infusions, a massage, treatments, full access to services and activities and two meals.
Visitors staying longer have the luxury of three meals per day and the time to try more of Montevalle’s offerings, including biomagnetic therapy, Rife therapy, Mag Ray therapy, hyperbaric oxygen, pulsed electromagnetic field therapy, laser therapy and UVBI therapy. There’s even wine therapy, which utilizes grapes from Montevalle’s vineyard, to relax and stimulate the immune system.
