Pamper Yourself in Puerto Vallarta

Resort and day spas in Puerto Vallarta are stepping up their game. Treatments are not only becoming more luxurious and innovative, but also focusing more on native products and botanicals that range from cornmeal and seaweed to chocolate and tequila.

Consider the spa at the all-inclusive boutique property Casa Velas, where more than 60 holistic spa treatments are offered in secluded indoor and outdoor spots that rely on natural mineral elements and plants grown in the resort’s botanical herb garden. Don’t miss the spa’s signature treatment, a warming compress designed to soothe away stress and fatigue using herbs and seeds from the garden.

At CasaMagna Marriott, the contemporary and organic Ohtli resort spa is an elegant 22,000-square-foot oasis. Treatments on the menu draw on ancient healing techniques and shamanistic practices of the Huichol Indians form the Sierra Madre Mountains, and include incantations and essences of pineapple, mango, grapefruit and even tequila.

Apuane Spa, at the Four Seasons Punta Mita, relies almost exclusively on native products, such as cactus pulque. Or, for something a touch sweeter, Secrets Vallarta Bay’s wellness center offers a chocolate and mint exfoliation treatment followed by a warm chocolate wrap and chocolate moisturizer.

Those interested in going all-out should consider a temazcal bath, which takes place in a traditional sweat lodge and uses medicinal plants such as rosemary and sage. Ritual leaders offer drumming and chants to cleanse the mind, body and spirit. Terra Noble, a secluded day spa located high above Puerto Vallarta, offers a temazcal ritual, as well as massages and treatments that use natural ingredients.