In short… With nods to Burning Man, this all-inclusive beach-meets-jungle retreat along Mexico’s Caribbean coast leans into its sultry environment with genuine hospitality, moreish dishes, and exceptional healing grounded in indigenous traditions.
The surroundings… Getting to Palmaïa’s 14 acres of virgin jungle on Playa del Carmen’s southern tip is an easy 45-minute drive from Cancún International Airport. Don’t be put off by the jarring sprawl that is the owner’s adjacent mass-market resort, just consider it a rite of passage before reaching Palmaïa’s serene White Lotus-like arrivals pavilion with its cathedral ceiling, henequen fiber wall hangings, and beckoning low-slung furniture. After a check-in chased with bottomless glasses of ambrosial hibiscus iced tea, guests continue by golf cart through a curvilinear bamboo tunnel to this leafy, car-free sanctuary named for the palma chît tree native to the Riviera Maya. Jungle sounds and salt-laden air extend an exhale-inducing welcome even before the mile-long ribbon of white sand, and the ocean’s utterly Maldivian spectrum from cornflower to teal comes into view beyond lush tangles of primary forest and mangroves.
The vibe… Unfussy and airy, with nature left to nurture. Most structures face the sea, built with locally sourced palm, stone and bamboo. A wide brick path stretches the length of the property, along which staff make eye contact, smile sincerely, and say ‘buenos dias’ as they walk or cycle past. Guests run the gamut from solace-seeking solo travelers to health-minded honeymooners and multi-generational families, united by a preference for soul-searching over socializing.
Rustic wooden signposts point the way to thatched-roof platforms facing the water or into the mangrove, where art classes, yoga, meditation and ancient ceremonies are held, as well as to the five restaurants plus the sand floor Eolo Beach Club with its fire pit and raw wood DJ booth. Hidden within this tropical timberland are four cenotes, those ethereal limestone cave pools where the Mayans sourced water and communed with the underworld.
Sustainability is central to Palmaïa founder Alex Ferri’s wellness philosophy. Single-use plastics are nonexistent, ecological gas powers the efficient air-conditioners and a ten-year conversion plan to 100% clean renewable energy is underway. Guests share this green utopia with harmless animal inhabitants—spider monkeys swing from branches overhead, iguanas crawl along the pathways and white-nosed coati, the region’s long-tailed raccoon-like rodents, are often spied prancing across the sand.
The rooms… Popol Vuh, a sacred Mayan text, recounts the story of Hunalhpú and Ixbalamqué, twin gods who metamorphosed in the afterlife into the Pleiades constellation that inspired the names for the five-story buildings housing these 234 beach-facing guest rooms. Minimal, natural fiber décor keeps attention on the gobsmacking ocean views through floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors that open onto balconies, or in the 42 ground floor rooms, directly onto the four swimming pools lined with cozy cabanas. Along with king or double-queen bedded rooms, the family suites have bunk beds and kid-centric decor. Adults-only buildings and pools are available, too. Marshmallow-soft pillows and plump mattresses align with the resort’s wellness ethos, as do the organic, cruelty-free bathroom toiletries in the spic-and-span bathrooms, some with beckoning oval bathtubs. Other comforts include powerful, nearly noiseless air-conditioning, abundant closet space, and daily refills for everything including the mouthwatering kombuchas in the complimentary minibar.
The wellness… Fifty-plus Mayan and Ayurvedic-inspired classes, ceremonies, and rituals led by a veritable United Nations of visiting practitioners and master healers, encouraging spiritual, emotional, intellectual, and physical awakening comprise Palmaïa’s gratis “Architects of Life” program. Some aspects will sound woo-woo, yet nearly no one leaves the forgiveness ceremony without tears of catharsis streaming down their sun-kissed cheeks. The divine and delectable cacao ceremony in the jungle invites participants to sip a Toltec and Mayan-inspired cacao-and-corn concoction. Held in the comfort of the air-conditioned meditation room angled over the vast seascape, the multi-instrument, gently vibrational gong bath is a wonderfully restorative afternoon nap.
Then there is Atlantis Spa, its clay-walled massage villas ensconced among the copal trees of this primeval ecosystem. Though Palmaïa’s spa menu itself could use some editing to better describe the details of each, treatments are uniformly exceptional, as are the bilingual therapists, and well worth the additional cost. The 120-minute Mexican massage begins with an especially tender maternal lineage visualization before the deeply restorative all-over knead. Equally reinvigorating, the massage component of the Ixtli Therapy is matched by a hydrating vegan facial suitable even for highly sensitive skin. Take note to add the ancestral water circuit, a private, guided journey from the modern cellular recharge of the non-invasive Biocharger light and sound frequency machine to a detox in the pre-Hispanic dome-shaped sweat lodge followed by a linger-as-long-as-you-like swim in the Edenic cenote.
The food & drink… There is a childlike joy in knowing the entire menu can be ordered, especially when every dish tastes as appetizing as those among all five buffet-free restaurants. Chefs trained in Michelin-starred restaurants helm these kitchens and room service, all included in the room rate. Why choose between the open-air beachfront Su Casa’s savory vegetable enchiladas and green matcha waffles? Order both and a coconut yoghurt with fresh fruit, too. Menus are all plant-based, yet meat, dairy and eggs are not only available upon request, but servers will advise which version tastes best, which is how tables full of carnivores end up devouring soy-marinated watermelon poke bowls and plant-based Palmaïa burgers. Especially impressive are the staff’s mastery of each guest’s dietary requirements, regardless of how extensive. Shout outs to the food truck’s daily taco and grilled plantains as well as the vegan pad Thai, and fish-filled onigiri and sushi at Ume. While full of interior eye candy, Plantissa bakery’s dense vegan croissants could use some Parisian panache.
Extra tip goes to… Personal concierges called “nomadic guides” like Oscar and Dariana, who keep in touch via WhatsApp, recommending spa treatments from personal experience, making dinner reservations, answering questions and gently coaxing guests out of their rooms when departure time arrives.
Be sure to… Anyone with relatives, living or passed, ought to open their heart and mind to a private family constellation session. Heidi Garcia Adranga and Pablo Talice create a warm, trusting environment even for dedicated skeptics like this writer who left feeling a genuine lightness of being.
Date of stay… July 30 to August 4, 2024
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