• 1. Where to Stay
• 2. Where to Eat
• 3. What to Do
• 4. Insider’s Tip
• 5. An Oddball Day

Present Moment Retreat offers a variety of wellness classes in its beach pavilion.   (Photo: Courtesy of Present Moment Retreat)

Sign up for a private surfing lesson (about $50 including equipment) or half-day “mini-camp” with the experts at ISA Mexico, a school run by a couple from Oregon that instructs everyone from first-timers to experts looking to master the more ambitious local spots. Thanks to its location, Troncones enjoys ideal surfing conditions year-round and offers reef, beach, and point breaks that are suitable for surfers of all levels.

Refresh your body and mind at Present Moment Retreat, a beachside escape with yoga, meditation, and qi gong classes ($14 for group sessions) in a covered pavilion facing the ocean. After refueling with a giant smoothie (from $5) at the restaurant, you can move on to Thai or Swedish massages ($75 for an hour), a variety of spa treatments, or the more unique shamanic energy bath ($45), a cleansing soak in warm water containing dozens of regional medicinal herbs.

Break away from the beach and head into the mountains on a guided, four-and-a-half-hour hike through the Sierra Madre del Sur (about $43), where you’ll spot tropical vegetation and wildlife in the jungle. The round trip is about two and a half miles but includes a stop at the swimming hole El Salto. For something less strenuous, book a kayaking tour (about $35) of La Boca estuary, home to dozens of bird species.

Published on Dec 13, 2012 as a web exclusive.