Lucrecia Bloomquist
by Karen Kefauver

Sitting in a cushioned armchair in the Maya Spa reception area, Lucrecia Bloomquist admires her office space: a small, round, open-air, thatched-roof hut, situated in the jungle and only a minute’s walk to the turquoise water and white sand beaches that make Tulum, Mexico, a popular vacation spot.

As the spa and guest-relations manager at EcoTulum Resorts, Bloomquist helps oversee operations at Maya Spa in Tulum, which is located on the Caribbean coast, about a 90-minute drive south of Cancun (www.ecotulum.com). Serving as a day spa and as a destination spa, the facilities are used by locals and tourists, as well as guests staying at the beachfront EcoTulum Resorts' three sister properties: Cabañas Copal, Zahra and Azulik.

“I basically started the spa,” says Bloomquist in English tinged with her native Mexican accent. “I shared the owners’ [Holly Worton and Eduardo Neira Sterkel] vision of a holistic place for wellness. We decided two years ago to give it a try. Now health tourism has increased, and our services are in demand."

With five to 12 therapists plus a staff of six, the spa specializes in Mayan treatments, including Mayan healing massage by a local shaman, Mayan baths using regional honey and flowers, and the use of clay used hundreds of years ago as a healing product. For small groups, the spa offers a signature two-hour treatment called temazcal—a sweat lodge and ceremony that are based on Mayan traditions.

“I have always been interested in spiritual and alternative medicine,” says Bloomquist, who had worked in a yoga studio in Canada. She lived 25 years in Manitoba, but always felt a pull toward her native Mexico. “I traveled to Mexico for winters on and off for 20 years, three months at a time,” she says. “I visited the Mayan ruins in Tulum and fell in love with the town. The feeling and energy of the place captured me, and eventually I decided to come live and work here in Tulum.”

Her interest in natural medicine increased when she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. With the diagnosis, Bloomquist’s life took a turn that contributed to her decision to return to Mexico. “I made a decision to change my lifestyle," she says. "This is an ideal setting.”

The massage therapists work in quiet jungle cabins with walls and screens, using traditional massage tables. “The sun, the air, the water, the spirit is one,” says massage therapist Daniel Pool Pech, through a translator, outside of his cabin. “It gives me energy to work."

“Daniel is the first massage therapist to work at Maya Spa,” says Bloomquist. “He works with the knowledge of ancient religions and brings divine energy. He is a channel for a higher power to bring peace to the body. Many visitors come specially to see him.”

“The spa is about the people,” says Beth Martens, who moved from Winnipeg, Canada, to work at Maya Spa in January. “Lucrecia has pioneered the spa from the beginning with a very holistic vision. She started with one therapist, and it has grown into a very vibrant place." She notse that spa services have expanded to include Chinese medicine and acupuncture treatments.

“I love this place,” says Bloomquist, relaxing after coordinating a weekend beach wedding for a California couple and dozens of their guests. She gestures toward the sand surrounding the buildings and the narrow paths lined with candles that lead to the massage cabins. “People get what they are needing, and it gives me great satisfaction to facilitate that."

She also admits that the Maya Spa may not be a perfect match for everyone. “This is not a conventional spa. It is working with nature. You will not find Jacuzzis with jets here. Instead, you will find tubs made of hollowed out trees. Instead of robes, we have wraps. It is rustic. It’s in the jungle. Our treatment rooms are in the jungle, on the beach or on the terrace of your room. There is no music, just the sound of nature. What I can tell you is that the power of the ocean, the jungle and the energy come together here—and that it is magical.”