Vegan Paradise: Our stay at the all-vegan resort Palmaïa – House of Aia

Vegan Paradise

Our stay at the all-vegan resort, Palmaïa – House of Aia

by Courtney McCullagh

Imagine a paradise of white sand beaches, clear blue ocean waters, beachfront balconies, all-you-can-eat-and-drink restaurants, calming spa treatments, and it's all vegan!

The best part? There's no need to imagine it because this destination has become a reality in Mexico at a place we had the pleasure of experiencing first hand, Palmaïa- House of Aia. Palmaïa is an eco-conscious health and wellness retreat exquisitely designed to reconnect you with your center and ignite your soul, all while basking in a luxurious refuge. This progressive all-inclusive resort brings together a brilliant Caribbean blue beachfront setting with highend amenities, environmentally-friendly practices, and unique ritualistic services focused on wellness, healing, mindfulness, and community. In our 4-day experience, we clearly felt like we were part of this community, all on a journey for wellness and restoration.

Located on the ocean and just a 40-minute drive from Cancun, Palmaïa lies on a secluded white sand beach amongst 14 acres of mangrove forests, "cenotes" (refreshing natural sinkholes characteristic of this area of Mexico), and swaying palms. It is located on the southernmost end of Playacar, an upscale residential community within Playa del Carmen known for having one of the most beautiful beaches in the Riviera Maya. Just seeing the pictures from our stay, you can see why our breath was taken away with every look out the hotel balcony. Palmaïa has 234 spacious suites distributed amongst four separate 5-story buildings facing the beach and boasts an extensive pool. Every room is sustainably designed, features a private terrace, and is available in a choice of entirely vegan beachfront suites, master family suites, swim-out (pool-side) suites, and ocean-view suites. From the shampoos to the bug spray they provided in the bathrooms of our suite, everything was cruelty-free, vegan, and made of natural ingredients so as not to harm the environment. One of the highlights of the trip for us was ordering room service. It was my first time being able to order room service since no other hotel or resort that I've been to has ever had vegan optionslet alone an ALL-VEGAN menu! We felt like our wildest dreams were coming true by ordering a vegan quesadilla at midnight and vegan waffles for breakfast! The room service only scratched the surface of the incredible food we got to experience as each of Palmaïa's restaurants serve

unique cuisines such as Asian-inspired food, Mediterranean, and Mexican that are entirely plant-based. Though some dishes did have the option for guests to add on fish or chicken, all of the menus were vegan at their core. We got a chance to sit down for breakfast with the founder and owner of Palmaïa, Alex Ferri, who shared his vision for the resort and the sustainability of the food. "I've been plant-based for 15 years and incorporating this whole new world of plant-based cooking, I wanted to extend this to everyone. So having these options on the resort is an extension of my explorations into a plantbased lifestyle", explains Ferri. "Not only are we reflecting the lifestyle with the plantbased options, but also being more sustainable by not having buffets, which encourages food waste. So we are able to be kinder to the planet, the animals, and our health for a full-circle experience". In between meals, we filled our days with the many activities available at the resort. We enjoyed paddle boarding, catching rainbows on the beach, doing yoga, chi gong and art classes, riding bikes, receiving a luxurious couples massage, and chatting with the incredibly friendly and helpful staff about their customs and what makes the resort so special. On a personal note, I celebrated my birthday and my husband's and my recent marriage here. I can say without a doubt that it was the most incredible way to celebrate life in such a thriving and warming environment as Palmaïa's grounds. One of the most unique properties of Palmaïa - House of Aia are the Cenotes, sanctuaries that relate back to Mayan culture. Life and death emerge from the waters deep inside cenotes as pure symbols of manifestation, transmutation, love, life, and resilience-

something I had never experienced before in my life, but was honored to revel in. These oases are seen as places to be reborn in the expert hands of our master healers and as temples where bodies become vessels renewed by the healing properties of mother nature. My husband and I got to experience this first hand after our couples massage located in The House of Aia's Atlantis Spa. Simply dipping our toes in the water as the soft trickles of droplets fell from the cave-like walls and hit the streams were soothing and no doubt healing for our souls. We felt comforted knowing that all of The House of Aia's spa treatments and ingredients were vegan and cruelty-free and in knowing that they take sustainability very seriously by honoring the earth in this way. It's practices like this that I wish to see more of in the states. Something that I undoubtedly took from my time at Palmaïa was the abundant feeling of wanting to honor our natural lands and to really spend time to soak up the beauty and healing powers they provide. I can certainly say it did wonders for us in our time here.

For anyone looking for a retreat away from the norm and a place that will heal, renew, and even inspire you, Palmaïa is precisely what your soul may be longing for. I believe that this resort is a blueprint for the future of vegan travel, and hopefully, travel as a whole.