Wellness travel is on the rise. And we don’t just mean a pampering spa visit for your birthday. While more and more people are utilizing wellness practices in their daily life, such as yoga, Pilates and acupuncture, a growing number of travellers are seeking wellness-based opportunities as a primary, or at least a major component, of their travel choices. According to Jo Hayes, a university-qualified etiquette consultant and founder of Etiquette Expert, ‘Whatever you are looking for—from a simple massage, Pilates, meditation or health–diet detox—pursuing what you need to find rest, refreshment and renewal will be well worth the investment, paying dividends in terms of peace, productivity and general wellness.’
According to the Global Wellness Institute, the leading global resource for wellness industry research, in 2022, the wellness economy exceeded US$5 (American) trillion, and represented over 5 per cent of global economic output. They project an 8·5 per cent annual growth until 2027. Combine that with a marked increase in intentional-minded travel—whether it be culinary, cultural, environmental or experiential—the surge in wellness travel is an integral part of this trend.
Nestled at the southern tip of México’s Baja California Sur peninsula, Los Cabos as emerged as the country’s premier wellness destination and one the world’s most visited for wellness-minded travellers. Los Cabos boasts the highest concentration of Virtuoso properties in all of Latin America and the Caribbean, and the most luxury rooms per square metre in México. More significantly, however, Los Cabos has set itself apart with spas and retreats rooted in local traditions and healing methods. Organic products, some made on site, master healers and shamans, alternative rituals, expert practitioners and bespoke therapies have become a hallmark at some of the region’s spas.
Los Cabos boasts an array of opulent retreats featuring world-class spas. Each offers distinct mind-and-body experiences amidst breathtaking surroundings. Discover these exceptional wellness havens, thoughtfully curated to help you unwind and renew in a truly enchanting locale. We have highlighted just a few that offer unique experiences that feature local practice and methods in their healing journeys.
Botanica Spa at Kimpton Mas Olas
A 25,000 ft² holistic garden sanctuary where physical, spiritual, and physical well-being are nurtured with indigenous plants and extracts grown on property. Experience a wealth of curated therapies rooted in ancient wisdom and modern expertise. A luxurious desert retreat to achieve mind and body harmony.
El jugo de sabila: after a day under the Baja sun, your body deserves this deeply regenerative skin-repair treatment. It begins with a refreshing cold wrap infused with chamomile and calendula, which calms the skin and accelerates the healing process. As your skin absorbs the nutrition of the wrap, enjoy a relaxing scalp massage followed by a full-body massage using freshly cut, naturally hydrating alœ vera to help your skin rebuild while reducing the inflammation and discomfort of over-exposure.
Medicinal herbs and plants: the miraculous power of plants comes to life in this engaging workshop! Starting in Rancho’s medicinal garden, you’ll collect samples and learn from a trained botanist. Then, at the apothecary, you’ll have a chance to work with the samples directly to deepen your understanding of their remarkable properties, and how these same properties can be put to use in curative teas, presses, ointments, and other healing methods. You’ll walk away with a new appreciation for plants, and also a digital book summarizing everything you’ve learned.
Delicia de anona y oregano: a Botánica exclusive. Indulge in a flowing sequence of five different massage techniques using oil from the anona tree—known for lowering stress and relieving muscles—infused with organic oregano, a natural antioxidant. All while relaxing into a bed of heated, herb-infused aromatherapy pillows. The ultimate treatment for true spa aficionados.
One & Only Palmilla Spa
Experience authentic Mexican rituals, wellness therapies, and world-class face and body treatments in a stunning private spa.
Temazcal ritual: this ancient healing ritual, passed from one generation of indigenous people to the next, features a therapeutic steam bath fortified with medicinal local herbs known to detoxify the body and purify the mind. The confluence of warm soothing waters, indigenous music, copal incense, herbal teas, and ancient medicinal tonics delivers an intense healing power and an unforgettable One & Only Palmilla experience.
Traditional healing ritual: as authentic as México itself, this traditional healing experience begins with a cleansing ritual pairing aromatic copal incense with herb and flower-infused waters. Your holistic healing experience will then lead into a deep body massage that is personally crafted to your unique specifications, designed to ease tight, tired muscles, erase stress and revitalize all of your bodily systems. An array of traditional healing tools, inclusive of fresh bamboo, hot stones, indigenous medicines, and a traditional rebozo stretching shawl, may be employed to help coax your body into a deep state of relaxation and renewal. At ritual’s end, you’ll depart with both body and spirit fully refreshed, revitalized and replenished.
Mindful ritual: melt away with this transformative mind and body experience. A series of guided breathing and visualization exercises are combined with a therapeutic face and body massage to offer a holistic two-hour relaxation session. Release your stresses, restore your spirit, and learn techniques you can use for life.
Spa Montage
Inspired by Mexican folklore and the surrounding Baja desert and Sea of Cortez, this refuge is steeped in the healing powers of its surroundings and designed to embrace guests with a luxury spa experience.
Mezcal renewal massage: indulge yourself with this classical Mexican friega (friction) massage utilizing locally made heated herbal poultices and conclude your experience with a full-body massage with their signature body oil. Complete your authentic experience with a taste of México’s nectar, Mezcal Clase Azul.
Californian wildflower massage: created exclusively for Spa Montage to honour its southern California roots, this head-to-toe experience is a bouquet of vibration technology, heated healing flower poultices and aromatic essences that are the inspiration for this restorative ritual.
Essential skin care: the ancestral Japanese beauty rituals inspire this treatment. It ensures an ultimate beauty experience with unprecedented efficacy, long-lasting results, and pure pleasure in just 60 minutes. The treatment highlights delicate skin peeling, manual Japanese lifting techniques to revitalize and lift tired skins, and a highly performing bio-collagen mask infused with the best ingredients to restore skin’s radiance, moisture, and luminosity.
Viceroy Los Cabos Spa
A striking 11,000 ft² spa with vitality pools, thermal chambers, and hydro-massage for deep relaxation.
Tranquil damiana: experience sensorial indulgence, fusing a classic massage with autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) sleep techniques. Featuring the aromatic splendour of the native damiana flower, known as the Mexican damiana, guided by an exclusive music composition of sustained rhythms and pulsing beats, the therapist synchronizes each movement to gently guide the way to achieve profound relaxation. Ideal for jet lag- disrupted sleep patterns or private time with a loved one.
Herbal Dream Catcher: an energy cleanser with healing herbs, a relaxing massage, and an ancient traditional technique form this unique treatment that will allow you to align the body, and relieve stress and fatigue. It’s followed by a cupping ritual that will give you a feeling of release and relaxation. Free your body from tensions and negative energy generated by day-to-day stress.
Cacao healing experience: heal your heart with this amazing experience that combines the principles of a cacao ceremony, including a cacao drink to stimulate the endorphins of your body, followed by an exfoliation with cacao nibs and coffee to remove dead cells and activate your energy flow. Complete your transition through a cacao cream massage focused on unblocking your emotions and open your heart again.
SE Spa at Grand Velas Los Cabos
This expansive spa is recognized by Forbes as an ‘aquatic paradise’. Water is the source of its many healing therapies which begin with a guided water ceremony circuit surrounded by lush foliage that will prepare you for your restorative treatment.
Healing samunprai massage: integral treatment that fuses relaxation and detoxification of body and soul. Take a moment to heal your body with this exclusive treatment based on hot herbal compresses, enjoy a relaxing massage that decongests your respiratory system providing muscle relaxation, ending with an aromatic herbal massage on your face.
Xocolatl body wrap: capture the indigenous soul with a fusion of scents and flavours with an anti-depressant and energizing effect. Start with a chocolate body mask, followed by stimulating facial veil exfoliation that will moisturize your face.
Organic ritual: a treatment with pre-Hispanic roots that purifies and renews the skin with an exfoliation, which exerts an integral action on your immune system. Continue with an antioxidant mask followed by a relaxing organic facial.