The effort of the entire year cannot fall on deaf ears. The yoga mornings, mindfulness sessions, weekly massages and the different wellness therapies that were carried out throughout 2024 do not have to end as soon as you step on the sand. Because vacations can also include a space of “wellness” and for many, it may be the perfect time to start on a path to well-being. This is understood in Punta del Este, where the season not only started with pure partying and sunny daysbut also with different proposals for the comprehensive care of body, mind and spirit. Below are some of the most recommended.
Five star options
Those who tend to best deal with these concerns are the large hotels. And the Fasano Punta del Este, with its spa open to the public with prior reservation, is one of the best examples.
In this luxury hotel located in the middle of the wildest area of La Barra and overlooking the Maldonado stream, the spa menu includes body and aesthetic treatments. Among the former there are different versions of massages, from the most classic ones such as relaxing and reflexology to hot stones, cranial Ayurvedic (with a final part centered on the scalp) and Indian modeling (special for cellulite and to activate the lymphatics).
Between aesthetic treatmentsMeanwhile, the Filipino facial massage is included (which produces a lifting effect), a luminous vitamin C hydration, a procedure that helps lighten spots and a purifying procedure. In addition, they especially recommend chakra alignment, which combines hot stone massages with this spiritual practice, to achieve deep relaxation, almost like an energetic reset. Prices range from US$100 to US$180.
Also, from December 26 to January 15 they offer yoga classes at 10 in the morning. In the framework of the most virgin Uruguayan countryside, the experience promises a peace that is difficult to match.
Also in line with the great hotels in Esteño, Vik José Ignacio offers his own wellness retreat, called The Shack. Here the mindfulness cycle of Delfina de Achával (@delfinadeachaval), a specialist in this discipline, as well as a clinical psychologist and neuroscientist, stands out. The proposal, with appointments on January 10, 17 and 24 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., invites you to a space in which “to learn to connect with the present and create a new relationship with stress, anxiety and difficult emotions.” According to Achával, the idea is to learn to quiet the mind and live better.
“Summer has arrived, and although for many it is vacation time, many times it is still difficult for us to stop and prioritize what is truly important: our well-being. Mindfulness is a meditation practice based on scientific evidence that allows us to train our attention to learn to connect with our here and now, stopping and opening ourselves to the experience as it is,” details the specialist. This methodology allows us to lower reactivity and begin to respond consciously to everything that comes our way in life. Those interested can attend an individual meeting for US$70 or the complete cycle for the differential price of US$180.
In addition, at The Shack it is possible to take classes in different types of yoga (kundalini, yin and vinyasa), pilates, attend the sauna or gym and book massages.
Long live yoga
If there is a discipline that attracts followers regardless of vacations, weekdays or weekends, it is yoga. And it is a practice that combines especially well with the idyllic landscapes of beach and forest. Therefore, it is not surprising that in Punta del Este there are many options to carry it out.
One of the great references in the area is Mariana Vega, better known as Ticky Yoga (@ticky_yoga), teacher trainer and author of the book “Twelve steps to manifest the life you dream of” (Planeta). Its great differential is that, in addition to providing training classes throughout the year and inviting women to retreats in Uruguay and the world (the last one was in Costa Rica), in the summer season it organizes SUP yoga classes. What is this? Practicing yoga poses on a stand up paddle board, paddle boarding or paddle boarding.
The invitation is only for women and is presented as a proposal “for all those who are seeking to connect with water and experience a transformative process.” No previous experience is necessary, and the dress code includes a complete swimsuit or bikini, hat, sunglasses (ideally with a strap) and sunscreen. It is also recommended to bring an extra coat, especially if the class ends at dusk. No board or equipment is needed, since everything can be rented, and the class lasts an hour and a half.
Although there are no fixed days or times, from the Instagram account you can access a WhatsApp group chat in which prices and classes are informed according to availability and especially weather, since everything happens at sea, at altitude. from the La Barra bridge.
A little further on the map, Las Musas also deploys its wellness proposal in José Ignacio. This complex of villas for rent has a renowned yoga space, where from Monday to Saturday there are classes in the morning and afternoon of the “iyengar” variant, whose main objective is to correctly align the postures using certain supports or accessories. In addition, they also offer Pilates classes on the “mat”, directly on the floor.
On the shores of a small lagoon and in the setting of a native forest, a vineyard and soft meadows, the proposal is to “connect with oneself in an environment that invites calm, while strengthening body and mind.” In addition, on February 21, 22 and 23, they will welcome Pedro Pessoa, senior Iyengar teacher from Brazil, here for the third consecutive year, who will come to give a five-class seminar. To access this cycle it is necessary to have a minimum of one year of practice.
Likewise, Las Musas complements this yoga option with its spa space, where it is possible to perform body and facial therapies such as shiatsu, sotai-ho (a Japanese healing method), foot, facial and hand reflexology combined with skull, massage Japanese facial, dry sauna and hammam. They also have a heated pool. To check prices and reserve, you must write to your account @lasmusas.uy.
Mindfulness, yoga, massages, body and facial treatments, practices that unite body, mind and spirit: it is clear that the summer in Punta del Este is not only experienced on the beach and in the paradores (or not even at night). It can also be a space of deep disconnection in which to reset ourselves for the year ahead. A necessary break to recharge, gain perspective and reconnect with what matters. Just like what a good vacation should achieve.
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