Mexico’s Riviera Maya has been on travel goers’ agendas for years, especially with Tulum just down the road. And now there’s something even more bucket list worthy than the trendy coastal region itself: Awakening is a collection of nests on the white sandy beach that coax visitors into relaxing and reconnecting not only with themselves and their loved ones, but with the natural world that surrounds. Think of these as human cocoons – places where you can retreat among the jungle’s sounds and sights and awake refreshed and ready for your next chapter. Sounds like a pretty great way to kick off another rotation around the sun, eh? Opening this year, keep your eye on on their reservations to be the first to snag a coveted cocoon.
Rendering courtesy of Awakening
Human Cocoons
At Awakening, you’ll rise in the morning to the sounds of tropical birds and crashing waves, with the sun peeking into your dome-like treehouse. Think of this not as a hotel room, but as a human cocoon. Awakening encourages you to awaken yourself to what you enjoy, to what makes you thrive and grow, to find what makes you tick by retreating into yourself for as long as you need. It’s the kind of place where a solo birthday experience would be just as good as one spent with a couple of very dear friends. If you’d like, you can even work with an in-house personal development and happiness coach to create an experience that’ll have you leaving Mexico on an all-time high note.
Rendering courtesy of Awakening
Guilt-Free Luxury
The team behind Awakening has taken every step to make this place as friendly to Mother Nature as possible, encouraging their guests to consider the footprint we all leave behind. Every step has been taken to ensure these cocoons were sustainably built. As such, the focus here is on low impact building materials, clean energy, waste reduction strategies and high-end water treatment to minimize environmental impact. In that same spirit of generosity to nature, your stay at Awakening will also contribute to a local community “happiness fund,” which seeks to provide personal development initiatives for impoverished Mayan residents of the Yucatan Peninsula. So, basically, in celebrating your birthday here, you’re supporting great causes and starting your year off with a philanthropic spirit.
Renderings courtesy of Awakening
Lagoons, Cenotes, Culture
Awakening is set on the shores of Laguna Nopalitos, a sprawling cenote that’s filled with freshwater. It’s about 12 miles south of Central Tulum, just along the edge of the UNESCO protected Sian Ka’an Biosphere. You’ll find another seven cenotes in the surrounding mangroves and jungles, or you can head out to Caribbean Sea if you prefer a saltwater dip. If you’ve never experienced Mayan culture, or even if you’ve visited the area but felt like you missed something, this is the place to connect on a local level and open yourself up to learning about the beautiful Mayan spirit, culture and beliefs.
Photography by Roberto Nickson & Jared Rice
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