Known for its breath-taking landscapes, rich culture and history, natural wonders, and luxurious retreats, South America offers a variety of immersive experiences that bring you closer to the wonders of Mother Earth. Boasting wellness treatments and excursions of all kinds, it has never been so easy to enrich your body, mind, and soul. We round up our 13 favorite retreats in South America for a luxuriously enriching wellness experience.
1. Uxua Casa Resort and Residences
Bahia, Brazil
A contemporary and sustainable destination, Uxua Casa Resort and Residences brings a 5-star hotel service, a stunning rustic beach lounge, and an innovative organic spa to Brazil. Take a dip in UXUA’s one-of-a-kind crystal healing pool, which glows at certain hours of the evening as it is composed of unique green aventurine quartz, which possesses powerful healing qualities. Reap the benefits of the almescar trees, or take on cross-fit, yoga, Pilates, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or MMA, as well as capoeira or samba courses taught at the VIDA SPA or UXUA PRAIA beach lounge. Regardless of your choice in bespoke experiences, Uxua offers a wide range of treatments and accommodations for travelers of any kind.
uxua.com
See also: 10 Best Wellness Retreats in the USA
2. Hotel Las Islas
Cartagena, Colombia
Amidst the white sand beaches and turquoise waters of Colombia’s Isla Barú, Hotel Las Islas offers sophisticated, environmentally conscious retreats, with luxurious accommodations and amenities made for your bespoke experience. Revitalize your mind and body with a visit to Spa Niña Daniela. Designed by a renowned local architect, the hotel’s beachfront spa and wellness centre is a haven of tranquility within the breath-taking beauty of the surroundings and features a full menu of soothing treatments, such as thalassotherapy-inspired body wraps or al fresco services to find yourself completely at one with nature. Follow your treatment with a visit to the pool and the Jacuzzi.
lasislas.com.co
3. Tierra Atacama
San Pedro de Atacama, Chile
A fully sustainable and innovative hotel, Tierra Atacama is waiting to restore your mind, body and soul. High in the northern desert of Chile where clear night skies bring you closer to the natural world, Tierra Atacama encapsulates exquisite design, authentic experiences in an intimate, home-away-from-home atmosphere. The Uma Spa is a perfect rejuvenating location, as the energy from the volcano emanates throughout the wellness center. Dive into hydrotherapy with soaking in the al fresco hot tub or go for a refreshing dip in the outdoor pool. At Tierra Atacama, you’ll find endless ways to reconnect with yourself and nature. Choose from a list of facials, massages, body wraps, scrubs, treatments, and alternative therapies, using natural ingredients such as volcanic mud, desert herbs, and more.
tierrahotels.com
See also: 12 Best Wellness Retreats in Central America & Mexico
4. Casa San Agustín
Cartagena, Colombia
Casa San Agustín’s luxuriously chic art and architecture evoke the city’s rich history as a 17th century Spanish stronghold. Widely considered Colombia’s most romantic city, Cartagena is the perfect place to gather for one of life’s most unforgettable and important moments. This authentic boutique hotel features the Aurum Spa, bringing a variety of services and wellness to highlight your romantic getaway. Try the Treasures of the Sea, a restorative and detox ritual using rich ingredients from the ocean, bringing the best out of you with an ocean massage, seaweed wrapping, and so much more.
hotelcasasanagustin.com
5. Sanctuary Lodge, A Belmond Hotel
Machu Picchu, Peru
Heading towards one of the Seven Wonders of the World, you can have a luxurious experience on the train ride from Cusco to Machu Picchu. On an elegant Belmond train, the Hiram Bingham, travelers can board, eat gourmet food, drink to their content, while enjoying the diverse scenery of the Peruvian countryside. Upon arrival, there is the opportunity to travel the park or check in to the only hotel that sits at the citadel of the park, Sanctuary Lodge. At this location, try a yoga session or dive into the culture with a traditional shaman ceremony in the garden. Checking into this hotel works wonderfully for those who are night-time travelers, as they can enjoy the beauty of the park the following morning as the sun rises – this spot is perfect for beating the crowds.
belmond.com
See also: 10 Wellness Trends for 2023
6. Tierra Patagonia
Torres del Paine, Patagonia
Paying homage to local history and highlighting sustainable projects, Tierra Patagonia boasts emerald lakes, fantastic mountain ranges and abundant wildlife. Weaved into the landscape with subtle style and blending into the magnificence of the region, this perfect spot for adventure serves as a backdrop for the Uma Spa. Take your pick from an extensive list of facials, massages, body wraps, scrubs and alternative therapies – there is so much to choose from. After your wellness treatment of choice, adjourn to the heated, indoor pool, complete with hydro-massage and water jets, encased in a glass-paneled sanctuary, offering expansive views of the horizon.
tierrahotels.com
7. Capim do Mato Pousada & Spa
Minas Gerais, Brazil
The Capim do Mato Spa by L’OCCITANE is set high amongst the natural beauty of the Minais Gerais countryside, where cozy ambiance with sophistication is furnished at this chic boutique inn. Using the best natural plant extracts and essential oils, the spa offers a variety of treatments and services such as Spa L’OCCITANE exclusive massages, body treatments and facials, offering a complete range of nourishing treatments with authentic ingredients to meet the needs of every skin.
capimdomato.com.br
8. Cavas Wine Lodge
Mendoza, Argentina
Blessed by the natural beauty of Mendoza, the Cavas Wine Lodge is an idyllic wine growing region at the foot of the Andes. Over 900 wineries stand up in this vast region at the foothills of the Andes. Fabulous great weather throughout the year and immaculate landscapes for enlightening outdoor activities. Ride in between vineyards, right from your room door, or indulge in a picnic and enjoy nature to its fullest. The spa’s inspiring Moorish-Roman architecture reveals pools, baths and treatment areas unique in the wine country. Indulge in the Grand Facial, where your skin will enjoy a deep cleansing, with application of a thermal mud mask to detoxify and offer a warm sensation for total relaxation.
cavaswinelodge.com
See also: 10 Best Wellness Retreats Around the World
9. Tambo del Inka, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa
Sacred Valley, Peru
Tambo del Inka, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa in the Valle Sagrado boasts the best of Peru. Perched over Urubamba with mesmerizing views of the Andes and the Vilcanota River from a private balcony, this luxury hotel in Peru is nestled in the heart of the Sacred Valley of the Incas and stands as a gateway to the vast cultural richness. Explore the streets of Cusco or wonder into the Kallpa Spa and find yourself meeting a thermal circuit, underwater beds, a massage room for couples with Jacuzzi, relaxation rooms with starry ceiling, and more. Designed to relieve tension and restore your balance, having you feel completely renewed, there are a variety of bespoke wellness treatments to unravel at Tambo del Inka.
marriott.com
10. The Vines Resort & Spa
Mendoza, Argentina
Rooted in the pleasures of making, drinking and sharing wine, The Vines Resort & Spa of Mendoza prides itself on immersing you in the delights of Argentine culture, rustic luxury, natural beauty and warm-hearted hospitality. Made to relax, restore and replenish, all treatments are designed to fully immerse your senses. Visit the Vines Spa that boasts indoor and outdoor treatment rooms, a covered outdoor Jacuzzi, and a perched area for you to look above lush vineyards with inspiring views of the towering Andes during your designated fitness time.
vinesresortandspa.com
See also: Best 12 Eco-Resorts Around the World
11. Kurotel Contemporary Health & Wellness Centre
Gramado, Brazil
Set on the Gaucho Mountains, where fresh mountain air meets opportunity, Kurotel Contemporary Health & Wellness Center helps people live longer, healthier and happier lives through improving practices in a healthy diet, physical exercise, emotional balance, hydrotherapy, phytotherapy, and more. A strong body nurtures a strong spirit – Kurotel combines scientific knowledge and state-of-the-art technology with ancient tradition to create innovative 2-14 day programs to help guests through weight loss, stress management, healthy longevity, smoking cessation, and pre-operative and post-cancer situations.
kurotel.com.br
12. Lapinha
Parana, Brazil
The first medical spa in Brazil, Lapinha Spa allows you to slow down and to disconnect from the outside world in a lush jungle environment. Shaped to any guests’ bespoke wants and needs, the Lapinha Spa offers 5-21 day programs and retreats in combatting stress control, weight loss, and cancer to help you internalize lifestyle changes that can significantly help to increase wellbeing. The oldest and most refined, the Lapinha Spa offers an extensive menu of over 50 body and beauty treatments, featuring massage and treatment packages for detoxification, relaxation, slimming, anti-stress, anti-smoking, senior citizens, water therapy and improving energy levels.
lapinha.com.br
See also: 7 Transformational Wellness Programs Around the World
13. Willka T’ika Wellness Retreat
Sacred Valley, Peru
Sometimes you just need to disconnect, and Willka T’ika is one of the most incredible spots in the world to do so. Located in Peru’s Sacred Valley of the Incas, near Machu Picchu and other ancient ruins, the 26-room boutique hotel is surrounded by the Andes mountains and was created in part to honor Pachamama, the Andean deity who represents Mother Earth. With such a strong focus on nature, it should come as no surprise that Willka T’ika doesn’t have TVs or phones in the rooms, and only offers Wi-Fi in designated areas — perfect for a digital detox. And while the property has been a staple in wellness circles since it opened in 1995, they launched a new 7-Day Essential Wellness program earlier this year, designed to help you restore your body, mind, and soul after the difficult pandemic. Each day of the program targets one of the seven chakras of the human body through traditional Andean healing ceremonies, vegetarian farm-to-table meals, immunity-boosting juices and teas, yoga, breath-taking hikes, and time spent in their beloved Seven Chakra Gardens. Don’t miss the coca leaf reading with Layka, a traditional Andean healer who’s been with the property for more than 20 years.
willkatika.com
See also: Synergy – The Retreat Show in Mexico (24-27 October 2023)
