Palmaia: A progressive wellness vacation

I enjoy traveling for my birthday in March and the kids have bonus days off from school during that time. Starting in 2022, we started the tradition to visit Cancun for a long weekend beach holiday. This year, we were looking for something different and while searching through the American Express’s Fine Hotels and Resorts list, The House of Palmaia popped up on my screen. It read: Palmaia-The House of AiA: Wellness Resort at Riviera Maya. I was immediately intrigued. It isn’t normally my preference to make the drive to the Riviera Maya because I like to keep things simple when traveling with our kids. Short flights and short drives make things  simpler for little people. When I checked out the room options, the first option was a Family King Suite. I was pleased to see they catered to families and I wanted to understand the details of their progressive wellness program. I chose to post about my unique travel experience on my dental blog because it was transformative for my family and me, and I believed it was worth sharing with a wider audience.

From the moment we arrived, we felt a unique ambiance. It’s described as a haven of tranquility and they certainly live up to their reputation. The lobby was calm, quiet and beautiful. They placed these beautiful beaded bracelets on each of our wrists and whisked us away to our room on a golf cart. Even the look and energy of our driver was calm and serene and I can say that about nearly everyone we encountered on our stay. As they drove us down the road, they pointed out the animals we would see nestled in the jungle and the restaurants ,the kids club, and three cenotes to swim in. I was blown away by our room which was an ocean view master suite with a separate kid sized room for my kids, with a bunk bed and their own restroom. Then our nomadic guide Esteban mentioned that the built-in speakers could connect to our phones through bluetooth and that was a first for us. It’s all in the details. The view was absolutely breathtaking on the 5th floor with an ocean view and also a beautiful view of Aia, the mother of Palmaia. 

We changed quickly and headed to dinner because it was dinner time. We hopped on the community bikes and made it to dinner in 2 minutes. It was our first time eating vegan food at a luxury resort. We enjoyed Ume, Lek and Mar de Olivio for our dinners. We had lunch at Charly’s vegan taco truck and Su Casa. Our breakfasts were at Su Casa and of course our kid’s took advantage of the included  room service. They were not as fond with the vegan alternatives of their favorites and that was okay and to be expected. The beautiful thing is that Palmaia will let you adjust the menu as you wish. So our kids ate grilled cheese with real cheese and burgers with real beef. The resort is so accepting and accommodating of all of your food preferences. There is no judgment and no preference on their part. I had most of my drinks as mocktails and my hubby enjoyed his cocktails the traditional way and that’s what made dining experience amazing for all. 

After nourishing our bellies, we walked down to the Eolo beach club each night to enjoy the live DJ with soothing music, a fire pit and the sand. I’m not a huge dancer but I do have to dance if there is music on the beach, I feel that the two just go together. The kids played at the beach with other kids, playing chase and telling stories. These moments fill my heart.

Now for the most unique part of this resort, the Architects of Life Program. We received the schedule for the week and then specifically for the next day from our nomadic guide on Whatsapp. I was anxious to see what would await us the next day. We chose bread making for the kids while we went to a Drawing Class and then picked up our son to join us at Deep Mantras Level I class. This was all new to us, so we chose to be open minded and see what we would learn. They ask for kids to be over 10 for attending the adult classes and my daughter was happy to stay in the kids club. Later that day, all three of us attended Mind Control with session leader Balder as well.

The next day, I opted to try a Vinyasa class in the morning on the outdoor Mangrove deck followed by Sacred Women’s Circle. That afternoon, we attended Geometry of Power and Deep Mantra’s II class with Balder. We grew fond of him in a couple of days as he shared his insights and knowledge with our family. On our last morning, my hubby and I attended a Meditative concert with the Medicine of Sound creator. It was beautiful and I never would have imagined 15 years ago that I would be meditating in a room with my husband.

It was a peaceful magical experience for my family where we got to enjoy the beach in Mexico and great food, but we all also enjoyed other experiences that we have never experienced before at a Mexican resort or at any resort as a family. The spiritual experiences that we attended with our 10 year-old and our kids for the first time in their lives, asked to go to the kids club every day and they use the Waldorf method and the crafts the bread making painting gardening, even when they weren’t fully played out, my daughter wanted to be part of it like she chose to do lunch with them instead of us today, and she was really fun of her teacher and those sort of experiences for the world to Us

The bikes on property made every small trip down the road an adventure. Riding a bike always brings a smile to my face and brings out a kid like feel. We were nestled between the jungle and the beach. Lots of natural vegetation was present throughout the property. It could be seen over cabanas and in the middle of the pool.

The lounge chairs were different, the cabanas were sustainable. It truly was an experience that we have never had before. It was like all of our beach vacations to Mexico but elevated.

I didn’t set foot in the gym even though I workout 6 days a week at home. I did take a Vinyasa flow class on the Mangrove deck. I took Level I and Level II Deep Mantra classes with my 10 year old son. Watching him engage with the instructor and step in confidently as the only minor in the class was a moment of growth and pride. I enjoyed The Sacred Women’s circle with Lucia immensely because we are in the moment of Aries and I’m an Aries with a birthday around the corner. That afternoon we also attended Baldar’s Geometry of Power which was similar to reading cards but he read a drawing you made in the sand. We asked if my 10 year old could join at the end of class and he was kind to allow him to participate. I enjoyed hearing his readings and listening to the positivity he told my son. I think kids really need to hear those words of positivity from other adults and not just their parents.

If our goal was to enjoy a beach vacation together and learn a few new things, then we accomplished our goals. But I believe when we grow, we feel connected to our true selves. On our last night, we had the best dinner conversation with our 8 and 10 year olds. I had never heard our 8 year old carry the conversation like she did at Mar de Olivo. My husband was using conversation starters but the kids couldn’t get enough of the questions: “What’s your worst fear? What is the hardest thing you’ve ever been through in your life? We have always valued traveling with our kids and expanding their views of the world. Finding a resort that welcomed our children in such a wholesome way was priceless. It allowed us to participate in sessions at our leisure while our kids were happy exploring and learning at the kids club. If you are looking for a new adventure, spiritual growth or learning about progressive wellness, I highly recommend Palmaia. Palmaia has a special place in our hearts.