A friend found a yoga retreat in her facebook feed that included a trip to a Monarch butterfly preserve. I was immediately drawn to it as the hotel was a final stop on a trip I had been planning which was unfortunately cancelled by the organizer. The hotel, Agua Blanca, sounded amazing with natural mineral springs filling their pools, acres to hike with several waterfalls, spa treatments & healthy meals. A friend & I booked the retreat & we were not disappointed. We flew into Mexico City & a driver met us & the others on the retreat to take us on the 3 hour drive to our destination. When we arrived we were greeted by the family that owns the property. They were all wonderful & treated us like family. The rooms were clean & bright. There were water filtering stations around the property to fill your water bottles. They offered bottled water if we wanted but it really wasn’t necessary. No one had any digestive issues with water, ice or food served. Our retreat included yoga, several spa treatments, guided hikes, meditation, a sweat lodge experience, all meals, with the trip to see the Monarch’s as a bonus! There is a bar & gift shop which were, of course, extra. The entire family was involved. I had inquired about tipping in advance knowing I was getting spa treatments & was told they have a cashless system. If I wanted to add a tip at the end of my stay, it would be shared by all 30 employees, many of whom we had no direct contact with but just as valuable to operating & maintaining the property. It clearly does take a village to maintain this beautiful property. I highly recommend Agua Blanca & hope to return with more friends...
Read moreThe location for this hotel is unbeatable! The surrounding mountains, river, trees combined with the property gardens is gorgeous - a very private, quiet oasis in Central Mexico. We were there to see the Monarchs, which was good but not great and were grateful to have a place to return to that felt so special. ||The mineral pool is lovely - takes getting used to given color, etc. but a very nice way to relax after a long day hiking and out on the road.||The rooms are very clean and while the hotel is older things have been pretty well maintained. We had one bed that was fine and one bed that had an older mattress but we slept fine. No A/C but not needed this time of year. ||The restaurant staff are very friendly and helpful and the food was good - we did find that for our group they tended to Americanize the food a bit but if you ask ahead of time, you can easily get Mexican food. Breakfast was plentiful. ||They have filtered water stations throughout the property, which is much appreciated. We wish they would do more about their sustainability practices and remove small plastic bottles from the bathrooms - would be so simple to...
Read moreWe were a small group visiting the Monarch Butterfly reserve in Michoacan, we stayed at this fabulous wellness resort located in a secluded canyon with thermal water lagoon in Jungapeo. ||After walking up the Monarch Santuario, I really enjoyed swimming in warm thermal water pools and walking in the wooden areas to view a cascade. The 20 room Agua Blanca is located in a manucured tropical garden, solar panels heat water for showers, an organic vegetable garden and small farm provide delicious and simple local food. ||There is a spa with massage, facials and other wellness therapy. Yoga and Reiki are also available.||I would like to come back with several girlfriends for a welness week. It would be an ideal place to rest and feel rejuvenated. The owners and staff are attentive and eager to please. A real paradise in...
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