Say Ahhh...

Take time out to bask in the pleasures of Los Cabos' world-class spas

By Sarah Muñoz

Imagine being enveloped in complete serenity as you are led through a candlelit oasis to your own private sanctuary. The feel of a buttery-soft robe surrounds you like a cocoon until it's time for expert hands to soothe your tense muscles and coax you into a state of utter relaxation, relieving you of every last sign of stress. The aromatic scents of sweet tropical fruits and flowers are the last thing you remember before you drift off into peaceful sleep.

If your senses haven't already been swept away by Los Cabos' balmy breezes, brilliant blue waters and majestic scenery, a visit to one of its opulent spas will surely take your body and mind on an unforgettable journey to another dimension and into the lap of luxury. Here, a trip to a spa is much more than an affair with a conventional treatment — it's an escape in itself. Los Cabos' spas move well beyond the basics, with specialty treatments inspired by ancient recipes and rituals and settings that are a backdrop of pure natural beauty and bliss, ranging from lavish extravagance to Zen modernism.

Unique and exotic treatments are the norm here, as are healing hydrotherapy rituals, masterful massage techniques and blissful aromatherapy treatments, many of which are a harmonious integration of old and new. The latest technologies blend with tried-and-true ancient herbal concoctions to deliver an experience that translates into healthy indulgence, leaving you absolutely relaxed, completely satiated and entirely rejuvenated… in mind, body and spirit.

The Armonia Spa at the Pueblo Bonito Pacifica Holistic Retreat & Spa is a peaceful sanctuary by the sea that was created to focus on the individual wellness goals of its guests. Its expert staff develops an Individual Treatment Path that is customized to achieve each of its guest's goals — be it pure relaxation and de-stressing or specific therapeutic or beauty results. The holistic luxury retreat has three signature programs, including the Executive Weekend, Couples Wellness Retreat and a Wellness Week for individuals and corporate executives. The Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach Resort & Spa is an oasis of calm, with luxurious Italian marble wet areas that feature Jacuzzis, Swiss showers, a steam room, cold-water plunges and rain-shower baths. The spa also has amenities to improve the outer you, including an exceptional high-tech gym and full-service beauty salon. Meanwhile, Pueblo Bonito's Spa at the Rosé has a full spectrum of nurturing treatments, including a number of rejuvenating scrubs. Imagine how renewed you'd feel after stimulating tired and dull skin with a Coconut or Lemon-Lime Body Scrub, topping it off with cactus body wrap and then treating your tired muscles and mind to a Desert Stone Massage.

The healing properties of the desert meet the cleansing nature of the sea at the elegant Westin Resort & Spa in Los Cabos. Here you'll find body treatments with exotic ingredients from jojoba beans to aromatic black mud, as well as more delicious concoctions such as green coffee or chocolate wraps that soothe, smooth and satisfy.

The spas of Los Cabos bring Mother Nature closer to you than you've ever dreamed possible. The Spa at Esperanza uses fresh fruits, herbs and sea greens to renew, rejuvenate and relax its pampered guests. A visit to the Steam Cave is a must, as well as a dip in the warm soaking pool. Couples can delight in a Couple's Clay Bake, which will yield oh-so-touchable skin.

After an active day of diving, hiking, swimming or exploring, there's probably nothing more soothing than soaking in a natural hot spring. It just so happens that Hotel Buena Vista Beach Resort sits on top of one. Here, your body can regenerate in incredibly pure, naturally heated water straight from the source to the Jacuzzi. The resort's Swedish Health Practitioner can ready you for your soak with a variety of treatments, from sea salt wraps to craniosacral therapy, and perhaps a visit to its nail, skin and hair salon can provide you with all the finishing touches your body deserves.

The hacienda-style Dreams Los Cabos Suites Golf Resort & Spa has a wide array of services and spa packages designed for all-around pampering. One top pick is the Coffee Seduction Mani / Pedi, whose star ingredient helps dissolve toxins out of the skin. The spa's massages can be enjoyed in guestrooms, and with Dream Resorts' signature Unlimited Luxury (where everything is included), guests receive the utmost in indulgence from dawn till dusk. Some of the finest products and therapies from around the world are at your disposal here.

With more than 60 health and beauty therapies, Spa Chakra at Casa Del Mar Beach, Golf & Spa Resort rewards its guests with a "transformational healing" experience using products from the renowned skincare line of Guerlain Paris. Some of its therapies also feature the exclusive Guerlain Méthode, a patented facial and body massage technique used in Guerlain's Champs-Élysées Institute since 1939.

The rituals and creative therapies you'll find at Los Cabos' spas are like nowhere else on Earth. A visit to the Aquazul Holistic Spa at Vistazul Suites & Spa can turn into a sensory journey from the depths of the sea to the heights of the sky with its Inner Trip Massage. The ultimate and exclusive treatment is a deep relaxation massage set to guided meditation and enriched with sensorial stimulations. Another option is the Lomi-Lomi Massage, a smooth harmonic experience that frees the mind of worry, anxiety and negativity.

The menu at the Cabo Surf Hotel & Spa's Sea Spa blends seamlessly with the spirited waters that surround the famous boutique surf haven. After an active day of wave riding, guests can treat themselves to a Sea Spa Escape that's a beach getaway for the entire body. It includes a Surf & Sand Massage Scrub, a Sea Mud Body Wrap and a Hydration Facial along with a list of other treats. A Surfers Sports Package focuses on healing dry skin, achy muscles and calloused feet through a Deep Tissue Massage, Skin Peel Facial and Spa Deluxe Pedicure. And the treatments aren't only geared for the active traveler — those who wander from home for true relaxation can soothe themselves with the spa's recipe for a Tranquil Spirit, which includes a warm stone massage, mud tub treatment and lavender hand and foot facials.

Some spas in Los Cabos bring the world to you by creating an array of treatments that combine the best of many cultures and countries. Las Ventanas al Paraíso, A Rosewood Resort, has an international spa menu with therapies, rituals and products from Mexico, Native America, Asia and Europe. You'll find yourself surrounded by everything from aloe vera and nopal cactus to volcanic clay and moor mud. Its signature treatment, the Nopal Detox Body Wrap, does wonders for circulation and water retention.

Marquis Los Cabos Beach, Golf, Spa & Casitas Resort, named one of the top 25 hotels in Mexico and Central and South America by Travel+Leisure readers in 2007, is known the world over for its 15,000-square-foot holistic spa and fitness center, which is the only member of the Leading Spas of the World in Los Cabos. From a Quetzalcoatl Oxygenating Experience for the entire body to Exfoliating Ayurveda, the name of the game at Spa Marquis is bliss, pure and simple.

A Mojito Sugarcane Scrub at the Hive Spa is an invigorating and revitalizing body treatment that revives the skin while relaxing the spirit. The masterfully mixed medium is a blend of lime juice, sugarcane, fresh mint leaves and essential oils. The heavenly haven also evokes the tropics with its sumptuous Mango and Mandarin Body Butter Massage that is the epitome of soul-satisfying relaxation. And true to its name, the Hive Spa has several honey-kissed signature treatments, including a warm milk and honey massage that soothes, moisturizes and boosts circulation while it energizes tired muscles.

The Sheraton Hacienda del Mar Resort & Spa was recently named by Expedia Insiders' Select as one of the top 20 resorts in the world. Its Cactus Spa incorporates the sea and spa expertise in many of its lavish design and treatments. Among the most popular is the Essence Exfoliation, which promotes cellular rejuvenation with patchouli and coriander geranium aromas. Another favorite, the Marine Algae Gel Body Treatment, hydrates, detoxifies and firms the skin.

The Miguelángelo Plastic Surgery Clinic can help take over where nature left off. Dr. Miguelángelo González and his professional staff have a wide variety of options available, whether it's a simple nip or tuck or a bit more: lifts, reconstruction, augmentation, reduction, you name it. The clinic can also help arrange resort accommodations for pre- and post-recovery stays.

To continue learning more about the fine hotels, resorts and condos in Los Cabos, please visit: www.VisitLosCabos.org or click here for a complete quick list of accommodations.

Why is Cabo so much fun? There is so much to do! Click here for a list of dive, watersports, fishing and tour operators. You'll also find links to Cabo's world class golf courses, spas, adventure tours, horseback riding, wedding coordinators and cruises.