5 of the best luxury spas in the Americas

Whether you are exploring popular yachting hotspots such as Miami or visiting more adventurous locations in central and South America there are still lots of opportunities to enjoy some of the world’s best luxury spas.

No matter if you are looking for the world’s best wine-inspired spa treatments or one of the best fitness retreats there are plenty of different options available.

Here is our edit of five of the best luxury spas in the Americas.

1. One&Only Palmilla

Perched on the tip of the Baja Peninsula, flanked by unspoilt beaches where turtles hatch, boat people catch the elusive blue marlin and grey whales come within arm’s reach of your yacht, this is the place to immerse yourself in nature. The people-watching isn’t bad either, as Hollywood types decamp here, post awards season, to detox, recharge and possibly retox. And who can blame them – the margaritas on board the hotel’s Azimut 40S yacht are so good.

Once a private finca with its own chapel, the hotel features elegant stone and marble interiors peppered with hidden hammocks and scatter cushions in bright Mexican weaves. It’s the perfect place to lay weary bones and focus on not much at all. The spa here is full of clever cleansing tricks, from the soothing poultices, made from herbs grown in the spa garden, to the body contouring and abdominal massage, which visibly shrinks your stomach in a matter of moments – just ask for Francesco’s healing hands. And there are two new grooming salons: for boys, it’s a wet shave and scalp massage at Barber and Blade, a traditional one-seat barber shop; while girls get primped with boat-proof blow-dries at the OBO Salon, an outpost of LA-based, celebrity hair stylists Jonathan and George.

Step off your superyacht and into the super spa of the moment. Faena is Miami’s hippest new hotspot, on the site of the former Saxony Hotel, a one-time Sinatra watering hole where film director Baz Luhrmann and his costume/set designer wife Catherine Martin have been busy creating an epic spa sanctuary reminiscent of one of their lavishly colourful films. It’s The Great Gatsby with a South American twist: fish-hook chandeliers, paper art installations and Eden-like floral murals offer a visual feast to rival the panoramic views out on to Miami Beach.

Expect the unexpected at the hotel’s Tierra Santa Healing House spa. There’s a sorbet cart in place of a juice bar, a wet spa with a waterfall and your massage is delivered by a mystical spa shaman. The mud, scrubs and oils, all made with healing ingredients from the Amazon, will prove the perfect antidote to that morning-after-the-night-before feeling. Complete your recuperation at the hotel’s own bikini boot camp, with its paddleboarding classes and hardcore triathlon club.

Best by boat

Take advantage of  Miami's new superyacht marina — Island Gardens Deep Harbour — which can accommodate up to 50 superyachts and is handily situated on nearby Watson Island.

It’s a route less chartered but the Costa Rican coast is becoming a popular stop for superyachts heading for the bucket list destination of the Galápagos via the Panama Canal. The hippest hotel on the coast is undoubtedly the Andaz. Inspired by nature, it features spectacular wooden-slated cocoon structures hidden in the jungle along the coastline. Elevated in the canopy of the rainforest, the spa echoes the natural ethos using local ingredients: sand scrubs, clay and mud wraps, volcanic hot and cold stone massages and sugar cane facials. You can even request music inspired by the jungle sounds, not that you’ll need it if you choose an outdoor treatment room — the resident Howler monkeys provide ample commentary by themselves.

Miami is the capital of body-consciousness and there’s nowhere better to get holistically honed, toned and in the zone than at this fun-loving, no-holds-barred spa. Morning yoga is served up on the dock, staring out at speedboats and skyscrapers. The spa garden’s Sun Salute Circle is an inspiring venue for challenging ashtanga and vinyasa flow sessions, the yoga styles that keep Madonna in muscles. There’s also paddleboarding, which is the best abdominal workout going, and a hydrotherapy playground features a vast steamy (in both senses of the word) communal hammam, a Roman waterfall hot tub, an Arctic plunge and an alfresco mud lounge where you’re advised to go topless. Slather on the detoxifying clay extra-thick to spare your blushes, and take a rest after your exertions.

Best by boat

Sunset Harbour Yacht Club on Miami Beach caters for yachts of up to 45.7 metre, with 125 deep-water slips. It is conveniently located for provisioning — and about 500 metres north of The Standard.

This historic spa resort is California’s oldest continuously operated pool and spa facility. With history comes a wealth of experience making it well worth the trip slightly inland to Nappa Valley.

Spa treatments are based around the thermal geysers, which run through the property producing rich mineral water and depositing of pure volcanic ash. The spa is famous for its traditional mud bath combining these elements but also offers massages, facials and mineral water soaks.

While you are in the area make sure you also stop off at one of the perfect places for wine tastings by yacht.