When Mexico Calls, the Answer Is Always Sí

There’s magic south of the border, and it’s not limited to the pueblos mágicos. Here are four great hotels to book now. (You’ll thank yourself in a few months when the winter comes whipping around.) Etéreo is a discreet beach resort along the busy Riviera Maya, a destination almost too easy to reach from the East Coast and the UK. Bruma in wine country is home to one of Latin America’s best restaurants (yes, Mexico has a wine country). Paradero Todos Santos is a Baja dream where the desert meets the Pacific. And a warning about Rancho La Puerta: Once you start going, it’s hard to stop going back. Plus, a few goodies to buy if the shopping spirit moves you, and links to great Fathom stories about Mexico. Vamos.

Rancho La Puerta

Tecate, Mexico
Wellness Wonderland, $$$

The Scene
Imagine that Canyon Ranch had a love child with a Mexican hacienda and taught it yoga at sunrise. The result would look like this 4,000-acre playground of hiking trails, bougainvillea-draped casitas, and gardens so bountiful they make you want to apologize to every limp bag of spinach you’ve ever bought. The O.G. wellness retreat — since 1940 — never feels self-serious, just warm, colorful, and a little magical. The way health should feel. Read about our time there.

The Action
Mornings start with mountain hikes. (Virtue before breakfast.) Afternoons are about Pilates, pickleball, painting, herbal wraps at the spa. (Summer camp for grown-ups.) Meals are fresh from the organic garden. (Even carnivores start daydreaming about zucchini.) Evenings wind down with stargazing, live music, or wine with new friends. (Who somehow already feel like old ones.)

This Place Is Perfect For
People who want wellness to be joyful. Laughter as cardio.

Why Book Now
First-time guests will save $350 on a 7-night stay or $150 on 3- or 4-nights. Mention code RLP-FTG when booking. Even better, this can be combined with any existing offer. That means maximum savings and maximum wellness.

Etéreo, Auberge Resorts Collection

Riviera Maya, Mexico
White Sand Oasis, $$$$

The Scene
Etéreo is Spanish for "ethereal," which gives you a sense of how Auberge wants you to feel amid the mangroves along this quiet, white-sand stretch of the hotel-heavy Riviera Maya. So far, mission accomplished. The 75 spacious suites and studios have floor-to-ceiling windows, sea or jungle views, terraces, plunge pools, and decor that recalls fine Mayan artisanal traditions, crafts, and artwork.

The Action
SANA spa has salt rooms, sound showers, a cenote-like pool, and offerings like meditation and yoga. Kids have their own pool and club. Three on-site restaurants showcase modern Mexican flavors (Iztam), Japanese-Mexican fusion (Che Che), and feet-in-the-sand tacos and ceviche (El Changarro). Other experiences include snorkeling the Great Mayan Reef, exploring nearby cenotes, planting mangroves for tomorrow, and learning about Mayan traditions from the in-house shaman.

This Place Is Perfect For
A peaceful Caribbean escape for the whole family.

Why Book Now
The longer you linger, the better. Stay up to 3 nights to get 25% off, stay 4 for 30% off, stay 5 or more for 40%.

Paradero Todos Santos

Todos Santos, Baja California Sur
Chic Desert Dreamland, $$$

The Scene
If minimalist architecture crashed a desert rave and decided to sober up in style, you’d get Paradero. Set on sunbaked farmland minutes from the Pacific, the low-slung structures—made of sand-colored concrete, local timber, and rooted in five ecosystems—feel less like hotel rooms and more like thoughtfully forged desert sanctuaries. Interspersed are botanical gardens, infinity-edge pools that flirt with the horizon, and hammocks you can nap in while literally gazing at stars. 

The Action
Your vacay style can run the gamut from guided hikes, surfing lesson, and yoga under the treetops to floating in the pool, massages and temazcal at the spa, and family-style feasts of tostadas from the clay oven and cocktails that taste like cactus flower and sunset. Read more about our time here.

This Place Is Perfect For
Those who want a getaway to feel purposeful, poetic, and just the right kind of wild. 

Why Book Now
Special guest experiences include a transformative mind and body program that taps into the power of the full moon to connect with nature on a spiritual level.

Bruma Wine Resort

Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico
Modern Escape, $$

The Scene
Don't think of Mexico as a wine country? Think again. And check into one of three hotels at this resort in the heart of Valle de Guadalupe, two hours from San Diego: Casa Ocho (eight rooms with vineyard views), Casa Montaña (two four-bedroom villas on a private lake), and Ático (upstairs from the wine tasting room).

The Action
You’re most likely here to drink and feast at Fauna, named one of the best restaurants in Latin America in 2023 by 50 Best, and taste what made the onsite bakery similarly celebrated. You’ll do more than eat and drink, what with all the horseback riding, waterfall adventures, hot springs, and hiking trails.

This Place Is Perfect For
Wine and foodie aficionados ISO a weekend getaway.

Why Book Now
Having too much fun? Stay a third night at a 20% discount.

Artisanal Goods and a Little Spice

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More Mexico Stories on Fathom

Wine, Labyrinths, and Satin Sheets: Four Days in Mexico’s Wine Country
A First-Timer’s Guide to Rancho La Puerta
A Grown Woman’s Guide to the Yucatán
Costalegre Steps Into the Spotlight
All-Inclusive Wellness in Playa del Carmen

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