Hotel Esencia travel tips and stories. Vacations ideas, cruises, spa and resorts

Along a 2-mile empty stretch of one of Mexico‘s best beaches, you will find Esencia – a quiet, understated seaside escape on the Mayan Riviera. The hotel stands in a 50-acre private estate with two swimming pools, a day spa, a gourmet restaurant, and a beguiling beachfront.

From the paths snaking through the lush gardens to the tatched cabins to shade guests lounging on the beach, this estate has a simple, relaxed style. The modern property and many of the buildings once served as the exclusive winter retreat of an Italian duchess. Esencia still benefits from the sense of taste. The hotel itself is a whitewashed low-rise stucco building with dark-wood shutters, terra-cotta-tiled roofs, and verandas. In fron are lawns, decks, and sofas, leading down to the white sands.

Esencia’s circular spa is set in a quiet corner of the estate. It offers an array of treatments using indigenous fruits, plants, and herbs, many of which are grown in the garden. There are five treatment rooms, four whirlpool tubs, and two Mayan-style domed steam rooms. Treatments include massage, herbal saunas, and facials, all performed with traditional organic methods. Yoga and meditation classes are also available.

Location: Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico.