Surrender to the Spa at Esperanza, Los Cabos
"I'm sorry if you'll be sore tomorrow," the massage therapist informed me unprompted, "but you needed it."
Set foot in the Spa at Esperanza in Los Cabos, Mexico, and you will encounter professionals who know their jobs cold. Surrender yourself to their capable hands, and you will not be disappointed. From the front desk, where your order for a post-treatment beverage is taken, to the gender-specific and general relaxation areas to the treatment rooms, you will be treated to the sights and sounds of trickling water, stone-based décor (commonplace in this part of Mexico) and a staff that is singularly focused on relieving you of the emotional baggage that you carried onto the plane en route to Baja California Sur.
The Spa at Esperanza, part of the Esperanza Resort, offers a wide selection of treatments, including facials, massages, manicure and pedicure packages, private yoga sessions and couples options. In addition to the basic presentations of these themes – such as the Esperanza Massage, the deep-tissue treatment I enjoyed through which I persevered – twists are available to suit your mood or help you connect more closely with the part of the world you're visiting. The Corona Beer Face Lift, Papaya Plus Enzyme Peel and Avocado Butter Mani/Pedi, for example, feature local color that you're unlikely to encounter back home. Spice up your revitalization a bit with the Esperanza's local expertise.
Of course, you'll get at least an extremely competent treatment at just about any resort's spa. The difference from one to the next is in the details. At Esperanza, outdoor space is clearly a priority, a welcome change from the local spas of the city-dweller. Both the gender-specific and general relaxation rooms are outside, though comfortably shaded from the potent Los Cabos sun. The small, labyrinthine paths from relaxation spaces to treatment rooms are lined with stone, adding to the ethos of privacy. The sliding glass doors that ultimately separate the treatment table from the elements deprives you of no privacy, as you get the feeling that even finding your room would be impossible.
Once you've finished your treatment, refreshments are available in both relaxation spaces, along with saunas, steam rooms and Jacuzzis. I skipped these options and headed straight for the private outdoor showers. From the locker room, you pass through an indoor changing area to the stone-lined rainfall shower. It's a blissful way to slowly return to the world.
Spa novices should remember two crucial tips for visits to the Esperanza or any other facility. First, bring a change of clothes. Donning the same threads you've worn all day after being prodded and kneaded is a colossal disappointment. Also, sunburns and massages don't mix.
