Review of the Ceiba del Mar Beach & Spa Resort, Riviera Maya, Mexico

If you like the crazy, up-all-night party life of nearby Cancun, forget about this place. But if you like small resorts in a peaceful setting near a rural fishing village with lots to do -– or nothing at all if so inclined –- Ceiba del Mar is a great place for it.

Puerto Morelos is an area of the Riviera Maya mercifully unlike nearby Cancun with its shoulder-to-shoulder tourists and throbbing nightlife. Here the nights are quiet and not interrupted by the constant party thump of resorts immediately next to you. Ceiba del Mar is more out-of-the-way resort than one in-the-mix, more part of the neighborhood rather than overwhelming it, with a small, cobbled-drive entry off a quiet, residential street. For snorkeling lovers, there is the National Park Puerto Morelos Reef, part of the massive, four-country Mesoamerican Reef that stretches from Mexico to Honduras.

Ceiba del Mar is wonderfully limited to 88 rooms on a lush, vegetated property with private beach and all the isolation you could want in a resort. The rooms, even the "cheap" ones, are richly appointed. I had a two-level suite with a fresh and airy Caribbean design, white-tiled floors with mosaic inlays, massive master bedroom and huge living area, both with balcony (one with hammock) and full baths, and white-washed walls. Stone built-in couches had plush blue-and-white throw pillows, a contrast to the darkly accented cabinetry and shower doors with rolled-twig louvers.

The beach is superb, well kept and isolated, with a thatched gazebo at the end of a long pier, perfect for early-morning pilates or yoga. Attentive staff ensures you're never far without a drink or a snack, at your beach chair or at one of the resort's two pools. The food is exquisite, with many native Mexican dishes, and the dining views of the Caribbean unparalleled. There are two main restaurants, and do take in the Terrace Lounge, a terrific place for sunset dining.

The spa is world class; I opted for the "top'nikte" massage (cocoon in Mayan), that starts with a 50-minute massage preceded by a measure of your energy and a footbath, followed by an aromatic body-wrap of hot towels. Massage includes an insanely relaxing scalp and facial rub and after 90 minutes of all that, you limp-noodle your way to the spa's Swedish shower, huge Jacuzzi, steam and sauna.

If you're the adventurous sort, opt for a temescal -- the ancient Mesoamerican sweat-lodge ritual -- that takes place in a small rounded white-cement hut, with palm fronds on the sand floor in a circle around a fire pit, into which is dumped red-hot lava rocks. We had six people in our ritual, which lasted about an hour and fifteen minutes, and was a truly rewarding collective experience of sweaty discomfort but deeper consciousness. Through the steam, smoke and haze, you chant, scream, shake rattles, make noises like your favorite animal, all under the watchful eye of your guide. And after it all, your reward is an herbal drink, fresh fruit and a refreshing dip in ocean where you can reflect on the inner-peace your sweat has just brought out.