Spas and Wellness in Mexico and the Caribbean Travel Tips - Cruises Near Me, Deals & Cruise Travel Agents Near Me

Clean tropical air, wavelets lapping at the shore, the rustle of palm fronds…what could possibly make your Mexico or Caribbean experience more romantic? We went to find out and came back with the answer: spa treatments. Today’s spas offer much more than massages and facials. Marvelous treatments incorporate new techniques, traditional local herbs, and skilled wellness care designed to relax and heal. We’ve visited many of the spas at Mexican and Caribbean resorts and gathered feedback from our clients and friends. Here are some of our current favorites and recommendations for your next romantic retreat.

Mexico - The name says it all. The Heaven on Earth massage, a specialty at The Westin Puerto Vallarta, puts the skill of two therapists and four hands to work in harmony to soothe and re-energize your tired muscles. We recommend this true hands-on treatment to kick-start your relaxation at the beginning of your visit or to send you home in bliss at the very end. If a massage is relaxing, The Heaven on Earth is absolutely transporting.

Caribbean - Once you’ve splashed through the waterfalls in the “lazy river” swimming pool at Sunscape The Beach, Punta Cana, we suggest you submit yourself to one of the spa’s deliciously sensuous treatments. The Sun Soothing Water Lily Body Wrap cools and refreshes your parched skin with a gel wrap containing a potent compound of white water lily and green tea extract. Even in the heat of summer, you’ll feel ultra cool. A Touch of Rum anoints your skin with a high calorie body mask of rich molasses and Dominican rum followed by a full-body massage. The fragrance is as delicious as the feeling. Then Mocha Thrill renews your skin with a full-body mocha exfoliation followed by a luscious massage energized with ginger root essential oil.

After a round of golf at The Westin Resort & Spa, Los Cabos, you should let the spa’s skilled therapists work over your tired muscles. They combine massage techniques with stretches, compression, range of motion and acupressure, and focus on areas of overuse, repetition and fatigue for golfers, such as the shoulder girdle, lower back and knees. We weren’t particularly sore after golfing, but decided to give it a try anyway. The results were amazing and gave us a new appreciation for how much effort is involved in the sport! If you’re not sure which of The Westin’s treatments is right for you, the spa offers a variety of five-minute complimentary sample treatments. Plus, we loved the two tented beach treatment areas — you can enjoy your treatment overlooking the beautiful Pacific.

Your skin will glow and feel baby-soft after the Aromatherapy Salt Glow at Dreams Puerto Vallarta. A fragrant blend of sea and mineral salts and aromatic oils is massaged over your body in a light circular motion that we found wonderfully hypnotic.

An hour and a quarter of Papaya Passion at Secrets Excellence, Cancun, and we were ready to dance all night. You will be too. Taking advantage of the antioxidant and regenerative properties of papaya, this treatment combines exfoliation using papaya seeds and oils, a papaya body mask, and an unconventional dry massage with therapeutic seed bags. Be sure to take advantage of the Marine Wellness Spa day pass that comes with every Secrets Excellence treatment. The spa features a salt water pool with massaging jets and waterfalls, a stimulating iced pool, an Arab-style steam bath, dry sauna, ice room and biothermic showers.

Finally, we recommend you soothe body and spirit with the Mayan Mystic Massage at The Westin Resort & Spa, Cancun. This is a full-body technique using specially blended oils and the healing power of quartz. You’ll also enjoy a revitalizing Temazcal bath that blends relaxing steam with a calming Mayan meditation ritual.