It just happens to be Global Wellness Day when I saunter into Mexico’s Palmaïa - The House of AïA. That seems apropos. After all, this transportive five star, wellness retreat was conceived to heal, mend and motivate. It exudes what can only be described as a sacred aura, poised amid jungle-scape on the Riviera Maya. If that sort of mystic talk isn’t in your bailiwick, no worries—you’ll simply love this upscale all-inclusive’s private beach, variety of plant-based restaurants, complimentary activities and hidden spaces. No matter why you’ve come, Palmaïa’s otherworldly zeitgeist will refresh and renew you. You’ll exit the resort after your holiday with a new pep in your step.
Secreted into a parcel of coastline in Playacar, Playa del Carmen’s safest and swankiest neighborhood, Palmaïa feels intimately remote and eden-like—an oasis for questers and other like-minded souls. It’s a place built for people to recharge on a deeper level, if that’s what they’re after. Here, you can chat with your inner child, contemplate big decisions, learn something new or simply allow yourself to slip into the kind of quietude you haven’t found for a decade. The owner and brainchild behind the unique getaway, Alex Ferri, adds: “And, please have fun.”
He envisioned Palmaïa to be a different sort of all-inclusive resort. A seeker himself and advocate of plant-based eating, Ferri aims to pamper guests while supporting their journey. He wants to give them the option to experiment by offering a spa and wellness retreat full of complimentary curative activities and compelling invitations. “Wellness doesn’t have to be complicated,” he says, almost like a mantra.
At Palmaïa, you can try something you wouldn’t have time or the wherewithal to pursue at home—such as a cacao ceremony, plant-based eating, life drawing or ancestral dance. On property, you can sit in a temazcal or dip into an on-site cenote. Want to see what it feels like to eschew alcohol or eat a a purely vegan diet? It can be done here. Just as easily, you can order a tropical cocktail or add meat to every meal. “Try whatever you like—a margarita, meditation practice, a vegan taco, green juice or a forgiveness ceremony, ” says Ferri. Indeed, Palmaïa reigns as a laboratory for the soul.
Amongst its jungly pathways, four distinct restaurants beckon. A beach club adds jazziness in the evening, while serenity suffuses every nook. Lounge chairs line pools and the beach. While families, honeymooners and groups of friends traveling together will delight in the offerings, solo travelers, too feel accommodated and cosseted. It’s a safe please for women alone, where small group classes result in instant friendships and airy guest rooms become sanctuaries. Under the guidance of teachers that Palmaïa calls Architects of Life and via meetings with the in-house spiritual advisor and leader, guests can make a pivot or launch new habits—should they so desire.
Atlantis Spa, Palmaïa’s piece-de-resistance artfully folds into a lush natural garden of ancient stones, cenotes and evocative mangroves. Blending indigenous knowledge and old world traditions with modern techniques, skilled practitioners offer treatments in huts (called temples). Try the Pre-Hispanic, a two hour ritual that harmonizes mind, body and spirit with ceremonial copal smoke and herbs, ruminations on gratitude with the ancestors and a massage with handmade artisanal herbal compresses.
A gift to the world, healing Palmaïa is also a gift to yourself.
