Insider's Guide to Ixtapa - Blogging Over Wine

Let’s Blog Over Ixtapa…

My husband is a workaholic, and his schedule rarely allows him any downtime. His 30th birthday was coming up and I really wanted him to have a special experience. I knew he wanted to relax and unwind, and I know he l o v e s the ocean.

I spent my 30th birthday in Mexico, and since he’d never been I decided to treat him to a place I so love.

To Slumber

I got us a suite at the Cala de Mar Resort. Tucked into a dramatic cliff side setting between the Sierra Madre Mountains and the Pacific Ocean and surrounded by a lush, tropical forest. It has incredible views of the Pacific Ocean. I have S O many messages in my inbox about the location of this gem. This resort was absolutely beautiful, and the videos and photos did not do it justice.

Each day our personal assistant made sure our room was decorated with fresh flowers and candles.

To Frolic

I flew in on a Thursday morning, and ended up having a day to myself. It was actually really nice to have some “me” time. I knew once Ralph arrived we’d be busy.

I received the warmest welcome before being brought to my room. I hung out around the pool in my suite, read a book with a terrible ending, and laid out on the day bed to get somewhat of a tan.

My personal assistant made lunch reservations for me later on in the afternoon, followed by a 150 minute massage. By far the best massage I’ve ever had.

I chose the Zihuatanejo Detox Wrap. They scrubbed all the dead skin off of my body, and put a mask on my entire body. It was followed by lots of sauna time, a facial, scalp and full body massage. I fell asleep! It was the most relaxing, and invigorating experience.

At first I was a bit nervous to be there without Ralph. However, it never ceases to amaze him and anyone who knows me how quickly I can make friends. I made friends with a ton of people at the resort. I ended up spending the evening with some and having dinner, listening to live music, and dancing all night.

Friday

The next morning I woke up thrilled because Ralph was flying in. I had a few surprises for him upon his arrival. Once that was all prepared I ordered myself some breakfast and just hung out until he arrived.

Fresh squeezed juice. Fresh fruits, granola, and honey. Mimosa.

Later after his arrival we headed to lunch followed by some time at the spa (again). This time we chose the Yoloxochitl Couple Serenity Massage. By the time that was over we had just a little bit of down time before we savored a romantic dinner while watching the sunset.

Saturday

Ralph really wanted to ride some ATV’s, and I agreed that we could go. The problem was that we were to leave at 8 A.M. On our way to meet Belly we met some more new friends who were joining us on our adventure.

The ATV ride was a lot of fun. We traveled through the jungles and across multiple beaches for three hours. The views were serene.

Once we got back to our hotel we didn’t have a lot of time to relax. We freshened up and met with Mario, the executive chef of the resort. He took us to the local market to pick out fresh ingredients so that we were able to learn some new dishes that were signature of Ixtapa.

Let me tell ya… That was a plus because my husband doesn’t cook. He’s been promising me he’d make me a meal that was up to my standards. I thought it’d be good to get him some training. He participated, and ate all of his food and mine.