A travel writer recounts a relaxing experience at two luxury resorts in southern Mexico – Chablé Maroma and Chablé Yucatan – highlighting their focus on wellness, authentic cuisine, and secluded beauty away from the bustling tourist areas.
With spicy margs as my cocktail of choice and an ever-growing soft spot for tacos, of any flavour, it is somewhat shocking that I have never been to Mexico .
So when the opportunity arose to visit two luxury resorts in southern Mexico, I rescued a couple of long-forgotten summer dresses from the depths of my wardrobe and jumped on that plane as fast as my sandal-clad feet would take me. The two resorts I would be visiting, Chablé Maroma, on a secluded stretch of Punta Maroma beach, 40 minutes drive from Cancun and Chablé Yucatan a scenic 4 hour drive further inland, promised a more relaxed, mindful Mexican experience away from the larger party towns of Cancun and Tulum.
Spoiler alert, my dreams of impossibly blue waters, soft white linens and jungle greens combined with authentic Mexican cuisine and reinvigorating wellness were more than lived up to. Chablé Maroma From the moment you arrive at Chablé Maroma, the mood is set. There’s no grand, overly formal lobby, just a seamless welcome through the dense shrubbery that feels more like being ushered into a very chic friend’s beach house than a five star luxury resort.
The design is chic and clean leaning into natural textures of stone, wood and linens, while still delivering an understated polish that makes every element feel intentional. After a short stroll through quiet, jungle lined pathways I arrived at my villa, where things got really good. Think private plunge pools, open-air showers, and interiors that effectively blur the line between indoors and out.
It’s the kind of space that makes you want to slow down, enjoying morning coffee in a robe, an unhurried swim before breakfast, and afternoons that drift between the beach and your own little sanctuary. Whether you’re travelling solo, with friends, or on a low-key romantic escape, the villas provide an indulgent home away from home vibe. The privacy at Maroma is one of its most appealing features.
All 70 villas, featuring private pools, are dotted thoughtfully around the grounds surrounded by dense tropical vegetation. Not only are these painstakingly protected native plants home to intriguing creatures such as the racoon-like coati and exotic coloured birds, but they also provide natural barriers between the villas, making you feel like you are truly alone on your own personal private island.
If you manage to navigate yourself out of the vegetation you will discover the heart of the hotel arranged around a crystal clear infinity pool that looks out onto a private stretch of bright white sand. Here, both by the pool and the crashing waves, the friendly staff are more than happy to deliver a favourite cocktail or two, or perhaps provide assistance with umbrellas when the midday sun gets a little too much.
If, like me, you love Mexican cuisine in all its delicious forms you will not be disappointed. Every dish served at Maroma authentically celebrates fresh, local ingredients with a focus on clean, vibrant flavours, perfect for long, sun-soaked lunches that turn into early dinners. There’s a strong wellness thread running through every menu, but it never feels restrictive. You can lean into green juices and light ceviche, or order something a little more indulgent with a margarita on the side.
The breakfasts in particular were a real standout. Fresh fruits, yoghurt and an extensive selection of breads and pastries are brought directly to your table. While a mouthwatering a la carte menu featuring a variety of Mexican dishes, some familiar, some not, are described in delicious detail by our server. The Enfrijoladas, tortillas stuffed with Mexican style eggs, beans sauce, sour cream, cotija cheese & avocado, were sold particularly well and did not disappoint.
In between all the many delicious meals and essential lying down time I made sure to make time to visit Maroma’s heavenly spa. Rooted in traditional Mexican healing practices, the treatments are designed to feel thoughtful rather than gimmicky and being nestled within the jungle only enhances the feeling of serenity and provides a real sense of escape. During my time at Maroma I was lucky enough to enjoy two unique experiences.
A sound healing ritual and a truly indulgent 3 hour full body treatment. The sound healing was set in the vast open sided central atrium, air laced with heady incense. Over the course of the hour-long session, Sound Therapist Fabiola Carvajal aimed to clear the mind and body, providing a rhythm reset, through gentle chanting, singing and instruments while participants lay on their mats and attempt to clear the mind and embrace the silence.
Although I struggled to completely clear my mind, I did feel truly relaxed and it was the perfect way to decompress after a long flight. The 3 hour full body treatment on the other hand may have been the 3 most relaxed hours of my life. Set in a small casita, with a private plunge pool, surrounded by jungle, the treatment began with a grounding foot ritual, designed to reconnect you physically after travel.
From there, the experience builds: a full-body exfoliation using finely milled natural ingredients left my skin noticeably softer without feeling overworked. After a soothing dip in the plunge pool to rinse off, with tropical birds tweeting all around, we moved onto the main event. The massage portion is the undeniable centrepiece. Drawing on traditional Mayan techniques, it combines long, flowing strokes with targeted pressure work.
Midway through, there was a subtle shift when warm herbal compresses and infused oils were introduced. This layering of elements, heat, scent and texture, kept the experience engaging over the full three hours, avoiding the monotony that longer treatments can sometimes fall into. A soothing facial rounded out the ritual, tailored rather than generic. My skin was cleansed, nourished, and had a noticeable glow.
Three hours later I emerged not just relaxed, but recalibrated and more than ready for another spicy margarita. On my last night, after a gentle walk through the grounds, past towering palms and flickering lanterns, I headed for dinner at Maroma’s main restaurant Bu’ul. Here, tables spill out into an ocean-facing garden strung with soft lights, while inside, natural textures echo the wider resort aesthetic. It’s polished, but not overly formal.
The menu leans into Mexican ingredients, but in a way that feels refined rather than traditional. Corn, chillies, herbs—they’re all there, just reworked into something softer and more delicate. By the end of the evening I felt delightfully full and truly at ease, reflecting the overall feel of Chablé Maroma itself. It’s not about being blown away by flashy gimmicks.
It’s about being held in a moment that feels easy, beautiful, and just a little bit magical. Chablé Yucatan The next morning, with much sadness but excitement for what was to come, I said goodbye to my little villa in the jungle. After a final farewell to the wonderful team and a packed lunch safely tucked away for later I began the 4 hour journey to the second Chablé property of my Mexican adventure, Chablé Yucatan.
Although the journey was a little long, I discovered that what awaited at the other end was more than worth it. Set on a restored 19th-century hacienda around 40 minutes from Mérida, surrounded by dense jungle and filtered sunlight, I am reminded of Maroma but on a much grander scale. Similarly to Maroma, Chablé Yucatan is not flashy. In fact, my first impression was how understated it all felt, earthy tones, ancient stone and wide-open spaces.
But don’t be fooled, there is intention behind everything, the way the pathways curve to slow you down, the quiet corners that invite you to sit and the serene absence of noise. After a short golf buggy ride along leafy pathways and through sun-drenched courtyards I arrived at my ‘home’ for the next few days. Oh how I wish this was my home. Each casita is standalone, tucked into the greenery with its own private pool, terrace, and outdoor shower.
It sounds indulgent—and it is—that’s why I never wanted to leave. Inside, the design is warm and minimal. There’s no visual clutter, no over-styling. It feels lived-in, in the best way.
I spent my mornings on the terrace, barefoot, enjoying the freshly brewed coffee and traditional baked goods delivered just as the sun began to rise. After settling in, just as dusk was creeping in, I made my way to the heart of Chablé Yucatan, the cenote, to take part in one of the many ancient experiences they have on offer.
The cenote, naturally formed deep pools of water, were revered by the ancient Mayan civilisation and acted as portals for communication with the gods. Here I would be experiencing Yucatan’s Cacao Ceremony Circle, a practice that honours cacao as a sacred bond between humans and nature. This gathering invites you to connect with the essence of cacao, known for its heart-opening and introspective qualities.
The practice involved the sipping of a pure cacao elixir, accompanied by ceremonial songs and sounds, encouraging a journey of self-discovery and inner harmony. Rooted in Mesoamerican traditions, the practice offers a space for deep reflection and spiritual renewal and the perfect way to begin a stay at Yucatan by taking the time to understand the environment and ancient culture a little more. Feeling thoroughly welcomed into the Chablé Yucatan way of life it was time to head for dinner.
Ki’ol – “healthy” in Mayan – honours food as both sustenance and pleasure, with gloriously flavorful and robust menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Ingredients are fresh with many harvested from the resort’s own raised Mayan gardens, or ka’anches, and preparations balance local tradition and modern technique, along with an awareness of health and lifestyle preferences.
For my first taste of Ki’ol I was seated at the bar of the outdoor kitchen and handed a delightful tequila cocktail with hints of orange. From here I watched on as Head Chef, Neto Flores, and his team prepared a feast of delights over the open flames. The lighter than air flatbreads with burnt aubergine dip was insanely good and the charred warm carrot salad may have ruined carrots for me forever, but it was so worth it.
With the promise from Chef of a very special breakfast experience the next day I meandered back through the trees to my casita to indulge in a little late night swim under the stars, before tucking myself up in the large princess worthy canopy bed. The following morning, after a short bike ride from my casita with the birds chirping all around, I arrived at the property’s extensive vegetable garden.
Here, Chef Flores and his team had prepared Cochinita Pibil, a traditional Yucatec Mayan slow-roasted pork dish. Pork marinated in citrus, annatto seed and wrapped in a banana leaf before being layered under coals and slow-cooked overnight. I arrived just in time to see, and more importantly smell, the meat being unearthed from beneath the coals and immediately served on freshly made tacos.
A sprinkle of pink pickled onions, a squeeze of lime and a not so conservative spoonful of spicy salsa completed the best breakfast tacos I have ever had. So good I may have gone back for seconds… and thirds. As if this wasn’t enough, I was then escorted to Yucatan’s palapa, Casita Maya, where local cooks welcomed us as warmly as if we were visiting their home kitchens.
Here they shared secrets behind delicious local dishes – secrets they, and generations before them, have perfected while serving up an almost overwhelming selection of traditional breakfast dishes from tacos and empanadas to more obscure dishes, all just as tasty as the one before. With a belly full of deliciousness it felt like the perfect opportunity for a gentle walk around the grounds followed by some quality time with a sun lounger by the pool.
That’s one of the refreshing qualities of Chablé Yucatan, it doesn’t try to entertain you every second. There’s no pressure to “do” anything. You can cycle through the grounds, take a yoga class, or explore nearby ruins, but equally, you can just exist. And that’s kind of the point.
The following day it was time to step out of my comfort zone a little. One of the recommended experiences at Yucatan is the Temazcal. If your idea of wellness, like mine, is a massage and a green juice, the Temazcal might come as a bit of a shock. This isn’t soft, scented relaxation, it’s raw, intense, and honestly, a little bit intimidating.
But that’s exactly why it ended up being one of the most memorable experiences I had there. You start just before sunset, when the heat of the day begins to lift and the jungle feels quieter. There’s a guide, a Mayan healer, who gently explains what’s about to happen. There’s talk of intention-setting and of letting go of whatever you’re carrying.
The Temazcal itself is a small, dome-shaped structure, low to the ground and almost cave-like. It’s meant to represent the womb of the earth, a place of rebirth, and once you’re inside, that metaphor suddenly makes a lot more sense. Because it is very dark. And very hot.
Not “nice spa sauna” hot, this is thick, steamy, can’t-quite-catch-your-breath heat. Hot stones are placed in the centre, and herbal water is poured over them, sending waves of steam through the space. You sit close together, listening to the guide’s voice, sometimes chanting, sometimes just breathing. There was a moment, where it began to feel like too much.
Too hot, too enclosed, too intense. But I stayed with it , something shifted. My breathing slowed. My body adjusted and the slight discomfort became manageable.
Grounding. After around an hour and a half I stepped out into the cooler air , and the contrast was incredible. Everything felt sharper. I was exhausted and slightly dazed, but also weirdly clear.
This isn’t an experience for everyone. If you’re claustrophobic, hate heat, or just want something purely relaxing, it might not be your thing. But if you’re open to something a little deeper—something that pushes you slightly out of your comfort zone—it’s absolutely worth trying. For my final evening it was time to head back into more familiar territory.
Food . Set inside a restored engine room on the grounds of the property, Ixi'im is one of those restaurants where the setting is almost as impressive as the food. Ancient stone walls softened by warm lighting, contrast with sleek modern glass and, most striking of all, a floor-to-ceiling tequila collection that feels more like an art installation than a drinks list.
With over 3,000 bottles, it’s one of the largest collections in the world, and yes, you will stare at it for a while. Dinner at Ixi'im is the kind of experience that makes you sit up a little straighter, not because you have to, but because everything around you feels quietly special. There’s a quiet confidence to the whole place. It’s undeniably high-end, but without the stiffness that can sometimes come with fine dining.
I never felt rushed, or watched, just taken care of. The food itself was unsurprisingly authentic and delicious. Traditional Yucatecan ingredients, corn, citrus, chillies and slow-cooked meats are reimagined with modern technique and a lighter touch.
The pumpkin soup served with mussels and the Colado Tamale with short rib were particularly tasty, but as a dessert dodger the Chocolate Tamale with corn and cinnamon ice cream was a surprising highlight and the perfect way to end a trip full of new, exciting culinary delights. With a final stroll back through the lantern lit grounds followed by another quick late-night dip, a new routine I would be desperately sad to lose, my time at Chablé Yucatan was almost over.
On reflection there’s a reason Chablé Yucatan lingers with you long after you’ve left and it’s not just the cenote spa, the private pools, or the impossibly beautiful setting. It’s the way it makes you feel. Neither property promotes a high-energy, dress-up-for-dinner, content-every-minute kind of trip. They are slower, quieter and more intentional.
The kind of places where mornings stretch out, afternoons blur into golden hour, and suddenly you realise you haven’t checked your phone in hours, and didn’t miss it. Chablé Maroma and Chablé Yucatan don’t try to impress you loudly. They win you over slowly, quietly, and completely. And that’s exactly why they stay with you.
Chablé Maroma Rates start from $990 per night for a Villa with a private pool, including breakfast. Chablé Yucatan Rates start from $1,019 per night for a Casita with private pool, including breakfast.
Mexico Luxury Resorts Wellness Travel Chablé Maroma Chablé Yucatan
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