Villa La Estancia, Riviera Nayarit

If you can believe it, at 28 years old I had never been to Mexico! So my friend Crystal and I decided to take a girls trip and spend our Friendaversary ( celebration of our friendship) at the Villa La Estancia resort. It had everything we wanted as amenities such as gym, a nice spa, great restaurant and was close to fun activities such as zip-lining, surfing, small towns  to explore, nature preserves and so on…

When I go on vacation, I’m never the stay at the resort and lounge by the pool sipping margaritas type. I like to explore the surrounding areas and get a sense of the culture. I was so grateful that the hotel staff at Villa la Estancia and Zaring Group was able to help me get a real sense of the area by setting up day trips and activities while we were there, among the lovely spa treatments and in room pamper sessions we received while there.

The Rancho Mi Chaparrita Tour company took us on a day trip to Sayulita and the Marietas Islands to tour the nature preserve there and take a dip in the warm ocean water. Chartered a yacht from Yates Exclusivos RB and sailed to Los Arcos National Park. The warm water was a welcome change from the freezing cold water of the Pacific in Los Angeles. After, we sent into the town to grab some fish tacos before heading back to the resort to our spa appointments.

Getting pampered, relaxing and catching up was our main priority while on this trip and the  Tatewari Spa at Villa La Estancia gave us an atmosphere to do just that. As soon as you walk into the spa, you instantly feel relaxed and comfortable.

Throughout our stay, Crystal and I both had facials and massages in the couples room which was nice because we got to chat and giggle between sessions.

SEAWEED, LAVENDER & PROPOLIS FACIAL 50 minutes This delicious facial, elaborated with hydrating seaweed and rich nutrients, contains propolis a natural antibacterial that when combined with lavender, provides the necessary ingredients to soothe the redness and sensitivity of skin, renewing cells and reducing fine lines.

DETOXIFYING FACIAL 50/80 minutes This facial treatment, ideal for the whole family, leaves pores in a state of perfection by combining cleaning, exfoliation and extractions to leave the skin looking and feeling healthy. Facial cleaning will help remove impurities and toxins and thus help to have a radiant, cleaner appearance. This mask can be customized further with additional facial services.

You are able to customize your facials based on the needs of your skin which I thought was cool. So we added the following to ours:

COLLAGEN: • Moisturizing and nourishing agent. • Stimulates the cells that generate natural collagen (fibroblasts). • Delays and reduces the onset of wrinkles. • Restores your skin’s vitality, while providing softening and firming effects • It substantially improves the overall appearance of skin

PROPOLIS: • Soothes the skin • Reduces redness • Cures & helps combat acne causing bacterium. • For hypersensitive skin or allergies or skin burned by overexposure to the sun.

For Massages we both got the Swedish Massage which was nice and relaxing. I thought the light ritual before all the treatments was a nice touch because it makes you stop for a moment and think about what you are grateful for and relax your mind so you can receive the treatment with a positive outlook.

For our accommodations, we had a three bedroom penthouse suite because it was Crystal and I plus my photographer Taylor. The apartment was extremely spacious and had all the comforts of home but with the amenities of a resort. You had the option of ordering In-room dining or buying groceries and utilizing the fully stocked kitchen or eating in the restaurant downstairs.

During our stay, we enjoyed our room’s private jacuzzi tub on the deck and also took advantage of the resort pools and spa’s downstairs. We also paid the gym a daily visit because we wanted to fully indulge in all the food we wanted. All in all, we had such a lovely time at Villa La Estancia and I will definitely be going back!

xo,