This is the fourth feature in a four-part series on creating more immersive experiences in the Mexican Caribbean that are equal parts culture and wellness. The first three articles explored the wellness trends that went beyond copy-and-paste programming in Cancun, Cozumel and the Riviera Maya. Below we outline how growing wellness trends are driving Isla Mujeres’ popularity.
Often a day trip from the bustling Cancun Hotel Zone (the island is a 20-minute ferry ride from downtown Cancun), Isla Mujeres has quietly become a sanctuary for wellness travelers. It’s no wonder this small, tranquil island attracts wellness wanderers—sugar-soft beaches, calm turquoise waters and ancient Mexican history envelope visitors in authentic, localized experiences. However, two wellness travel trends in particular have spotlighted the island among wellness seekers.
Trend #1: Communing with Nature
While reconnecting with nature has always been popular among would-be adventurers, wellness tourists are taking their self-care rituals outdoors. Think moonlit or sunrise yoga or Pilates, therapeutic nature walks and beach circuit training.
Why Isla Mujeres?
Not only is the destination renowned for its stunning sunrises and sunsets, but finding solace in nature on this uncrowded, easy-to-navigate island (at only four miles long) is commonplace even for non-wellness travelers. There is no shortage of nature preserves and hiking trails, including Garrafon Reef Park and Bluffs Trail, as well as animal encounters in their natural habitats. Your clients can swim with dolphins, visit a turtle farm and even dive with whale sharks.
Trend #2: Women-Only Gatherings
You would think that females already own the wellness movement. However, the rise in women-only gatherings is in full effect. Driven by a desire to create products centered around women’s needs and creating exclusive spaces where women can connect and support one another, women-only wellness is now a billion-dollar business.
Why Isla Mujeres?
For one, Isla Mujeres literally means “the Island of Women,” and it once served as a sanctuary for Ixchel, the Mayan goddess of fertility and happiness. Ixchel’s temple still stands on Punta Sur at the southern tip of the island.
Secondly, the island is a wellness haven. Replete with yoga and digital detox retreats, Isla Mujeres is also home to some of the region’s best spas, like the Awe Spa at Isla Mujeres Palace and the Thalasso Spa at Zoëtry Villa Rolandi Isla Mujeres Cancun. Both luxury spas offer immersive wellness treatments, like Zoëtry’s Villa Rolandi’s Secret, a full-body scrub and wrap using Mayan herbs and mineral salts.
The Island’s Best Stays
Each of the following hotels feature wellness areas that aren’t centered only on the attainment of better health, but serve as immersive backdrops where guests can find solace, sanctuary and a sense of place.
Click here to learn more about the Mexican Caribbean and the resorts listed below.
The key to selling truly immersive wellness travel is to craft itineraries that go well beyond the norm. When you account for the three elements of well-rounded wellness—mind, body and spirit—your planning will appeal to your clients’ five senses and help ensure that transformative travel ensues.