Justin Yu, Chris Shepherd, Robert Del Grande and Hugo Ortega
Smoked brisket fritters by Seth Siegel-Gardner and Terrence Gallivan
The pool at Zen
Thank goodness for the signs, and the shuttle between the three distinct but interlocking resorts that comprise Grand Velas. One resort is adults-only and quiet, the other very family-friendly, and the third — the Zen Grand, immersed in tropical foliage — is so sexy the Love Is Blind reality show filmed here.
There’s so much to do, with the Caribbean waters to the east — Cozumel isle’s out in the sea — and the mangroves of the Yucatan to your back. Iguanas, racoons and coatis (sleeker racoons) wander in from the jungle, leaving behind spider monkeys, capybaras and jaguars, which keep their distance.
Consider an eco tour. Glimpses of wildlife are assured, and the reports of the resort’s sustainability initiatives — artificial reefs, tree-transplanting efforts — are fascinating. So are the grounds’ cenotes, the deep freshwater pits formed by geothermal activity after that dinosaur-ending asteroid hit here 66 million years ago.
The tour ends with a honey tasting, pairing cheeses with honey from the property’s bees. The sweet stuff also turns up in Se Spa. As part of one treatment, it’s smeared all over you before you soak in a tub then get a massage. The spa, where treatments begin with a multi-stage “water ceremony” in which you rotate through hot and cold sauna-like stations, is among the largest on the continent, featuring immense pools and cavernous relaxation spaces.
If honey isn’t enough, try one of eight restaurants. Cocine de Autor, where the tasting menu amazes with polished little plates of bone marrow with caviar and cabbage with pistachios, has a Michelin star. But if you eat there every night, you’ll miss the grilled “drunken” octopus at Mexican Frida — and the blue cheese croissants at Vegas-y/Parisian-y Piaf, whose chandeliers drip red crystals and whose beautiful violinist plays classicalized pop songs like something out of Bridgerton.
The best meals may be in the vast daily lunch buffet — roasted duck and lamb, many varieties of ceviche and sushi, lobster tail and giant cracked crab legs. It’s daunting and easy to get turned around. But getting lost has rarely been so delicious.
Mexican morsels at Frida
The cavernous pool and relaxation space at Se Spa