There are two styles of knowledgeable tourists. Individuals longing for immersive cultural ordeals and some others in search of a disconnection so powerful the environment fades absent all-around them. Ordinarily I’m in the initial group. The moment I arrive someplace abroad I’m all set for an tour that tends to make me feel like a nearby. But as of late, the weighty weight of needing a reset experienced me exploring for a solo holiday with considerably less bustle and far more bliss. If “get absent from it all” was a location, I found it at La Casa de la Playa.
Located in Riviera Maya off Mexico’s Caribbean coast, the all-inclusive 5-star boutique hotel is nestled amongst Cancun and Tulum. La Casa de la Playa’s huge open-air foyer, referred to as the Living Room, is a significantly cry from what you may perhaps depart again at property – unless of course your place involves 20-foot ceilings, oceanfront sights, plush sofas layered with neutral, organic textures and wood bar carts stuffed with artisan tequilas all set for ingesting. (Mine does not.)
The welcoming workers greets me with a chilly compress and tea elixir, both of those seeped in star anise, as a sensory decide-me-up after the hour-lengthy push from Cancun airport. Test-in is a breeze, but the genuine exhale comes when the personalized butler opens the large picket door to my Caribbean sea-going through suite. Decked in sustainably sourced wooden, Mexican mystical artwork and regional crafts, furthermore eco-pleasant amenities which include honey and rosemary mint soap, the room’s jewel is just outside the house of it: a personal dipping pool with a hammock and stone jacuzzi. I currently don’t want to depart.
It is hard imagining this oasis would pull me absent, but the hotel’s present day-meets-rustic style and design by architect David Quintana beckons for discovery. There are also the starvation pangs reminding me I haven’t eaten given that my 7:05 am flight from New York City. I’m lured to Tuch de Luna, the beautiful eatery, for a flavorful lunch of present-day Mexican cuisine and craft cocktails designed by celebrity chef Martha Ortiz. I keep it basic with new guacamole, ceviche and a margarita peppered with pomegranates and mint.
Tuch de Luna’s brightly hued décor is exquisite but its home windows dealing with La Casa’s impressive infinity pool, with a 131-foot swimming lane jutted over the sea, is mesmerizing. Even as breathtaking as the pool is, I’m drawn to the beach front for an right after-lunch stroll. The rocky terrain and powerful latest hold me from rushing into the turquoise waters, nevertheless, the sound of pounding waves reverberates all over my procedure, evaporating the constructed up pressure in my overall body. Once more, I really don’t want to go away.
The blazing solar reminds me in my haste for foodstuff, I didn’t apply sunscreen before leaving my suite. Heading again, I pass El Bar, in which a warm-smiling bartender named Exael asks if I’d like nearly anything to consume. A earlier Mexico vacation sparked a new enjoy and regard for tequila and Exael endorses the best: a shot of Clase Azul full with a ringing of its customary silver bell. The fireplace-crammed reposado goes down awakening my senses for self-discovery. To the universe I whisper, I’m open up.
Recall that aforementioned pressure? Following morning’s appointment at Muluk Spa for a personalized cure is what my worn out spirit desires. Flawlessly tucked away on the east end of the lodge, the spa seemingly floats as the therapeutic massage cabins confront the sea. Extended after the masseuse’s hands left my body, the relaxation rooms outfitted in natural aspects command sluggish breaths and softened gazes. I abide, enabling any pressure to be introduced into the tropical air.
Next, I began the hydrotherapy ritual consisting of perfectly-timed sessions in a sauna, sensory shower, steam and chilly place ahead of wading by way of its elongated whirlpool with jet skis and pressurized shower heads. I would have stayed right up until my skin wilted but right after chatting up a group of company who experienced been at La Casa for a couple days, they gave a suggestion for protecting the day’s bliss: Consider a lap in the hotel’s floor-level infinity pool and then head up to the Sky Bar’s rooftop pool for one more lavish dip with cocktails and a deejay.
They had been correct. I never know if it was the steady stream of margaritas, the unobstructed views of the Caribbean sea and Mayan forest or the Latin-flavored bops echoing from the seem system, but my tranquility stretched perfectly into the golden hour. Nonetheless, I began craving the quiet and serenity of my non-public home.
The moment inside of, I built a beeline for the hammock on the balcony. I enable the sway of the sea breeze rock me to snooze, reclaiming my time shed to meetings, messages and motherhood. My nap was albeit short but my desires that day, the ones right after my own retreat, have been as massive as the ocean.