Chocolate body painting, ancient spiritual rituals and water volleyball in the nude ...

a Mayan escape in Mexico is the ultimate break from reality



Karisma sister resorts are different but work in harmony



El Dorado Seaside Suites host 1,000 guests and have terrific eateries



Hidden Beach has just 42 rooms and one pool, and is clothing optional

El Dorado Seaside Suites guests can pop over to Hidden Beach Resort



Visit the Mayan ruin Chichen Itza, one of the seven Wonders of the World



Little comes close to the bliss of glowing tanned and healthily on an almost-clear fine sand beach, palm trees cocooning you in 32-degree heat, a light breeze, a blended iced coffee by your side and a tropical sea inches from your sun lounger.

It's the ultimate image of holiday - that precious two weeks away from your desk, for which you save up all year. But what if instead of simply letting all your worries go on a beach, you could take your break away from everyday life one step further, by not only removing your city suit, but taking off your clothes altogether.



This is what sets the Riviera Maya based Karisma resorts apart from other similar destinations. Situated equal distance from Tulum and Playa del Carmen on Mexico's Quintana Roo coast, El Dorado Seaside Suites and Hidden Beach Resort adjoin - but while one requires clothing, the other is nudist.



A large pool with a bar in the middle of Hidden Beach is the ideal place to sip cocktails and chat ... in the nude

The beach view from El Dorado Seaside Suites is blissful - and Hidden Beach guests are welcome

And for a daily rate curious guests from El Dorado can dip their toes into its sister resort's clothing optional policy.



At El Dorado, up to 1,000 guests stay at any one time and have their pick of several fine international retaurants - including a standout Asian place that does great sushi. It's a grand building with daily beach side activities and a breathtaking spa (more of that later).



Next door is another couples resort that those in the know call the 'happy place'. They've got just 42 rooms, one pool, pool bar and restaurant. Guests here can stay as clothed or as naked as they like. Mainly, of course, they're naked. They have a strictly no swingers policy.

Both resorts are called 'Gourmet Inclusive', rather than all-inclusive - as they provide something more than a five-star package holiday. The menu is varied and exceptional.



Our room was huge, which is standard, and had a flat screen TV, jacuzzi bathroom and bed on the balcony

I was initially invited to Hidden Beach to sample their latest evening entertainment schedule of chocolate and UV body painting parties, courtesy of international party firm Social Exposure.

When I found out the resort itself was nudist, I was kind of excited to try it out. What could possibly go wrong? And in fact I envisioned the experience of removing clothes as one which accentuates the feeling of having an ultimate break from reality.



It's well known that nudist resorts are generally quite expensive, and frequented by high-powered professionals who wear a uniform of suits and spend their lives presenting an image. So they come here to let that all go - quite literally.



But of course, it was quite the unnerving proposal; staying somewhere so - liberated - when I'd never tried nudism before. So I organised to stay at El Dorado and visit Hidden Beach for a full day, and also for the two themed painting parties.

A room service breakfast of coconut cream jombo oat porridge, vegetable omlette, fruit plates and coffee

After a breakfast of salmon and eggs by the sand at El Dorado my nervous friend and I, wearing bikinis and towels, walked all of 10 steps to Hidden Beach next door.

We observed the private and very exclusive scene: a large pool with a bar in the middle with volleyball set up next to it; six couples playing a game, a couple more propped up sipping cocktails, cheering on their friends and chatting to staff.

Everyone at Hidden Beach really get along with each other; it's like a holiday for a bunch of extended friends with the only twist being that everyone's naked. It was quite surreal.

Most people were a couple decades older than my friend and I, so after all of about two minutes sitting on the sun loungers we felt confident enough to whip off our bikini tops and bottoms. We had a feeling that we might, in a strange way, feel more uncomfortable actually wearing clothes.

Soon we were in that pool playing game after game of volleyball, having a blast and making real friends. And we'd hardly said a word to any of our fellow guests back at El Dorado.



Guests from the adjoining hotel can sample the Hidden Beach experience themselves if they wish for £89 (€100) a day; and if they only wanted to attend the evening parties they can do so for the same (unless you're staying at either resort, you can't attend).



The chocolate body painting party started out with pretty designs - before it turned into a food fight

The body painting party catering included a table of chocolate-dipped fruit and marshmallows on sticks

Hidden Beach guests can go back and forth between both resorts as they please, and they tend to do so especially for the restaurants.



At the UV party, as well as your usual party equation of band, free bar, black light and dancefloor, a UV spray paint artist came to decorate everyone's bodies with beautiful designs; namely Japanese flowers on the women and wild animals on the men.

The chocolate body painting party involved a giant table of chocolate desserts, a bucket of chocolate sauce with paint brushes, squirty cream and a live band.



When you're already naked you may as well get creative. My friend and I began painting sugar skulls and floral scenes on each other's backs, but a couple hours later squirty cream was getting sprayed around and it escalated into a full blown food fight.



It was great, but it was definitely time to shower. Also, by this point we'd eaten too much cake.

Ancient Mexicans were of course one of the first people to discover chocolate, drinking cacao beverages as far back as 1900 BC. It felt fun and crazy but kind of authentic to the location.



After that initiation, I was eager for the full alternative holiday experience so made sure to book in for a Temazcal ritual with the on-site spa's very own shaman.

The shaman told us to choose a musical instrument at the start of the ritual - before getting in the temazcal

The experience involves chants, sweat, invocation, and the steam from herbs said to purify and relax you

The holistic sauna ritual known as a 'house of steam' is set in a cave-like structure and is certainly the hottest sauna I've ever been in.



The ancient Aztec ritual is said to feel like returning to the mother's womb; the one who cures physical and spiritual ills by separating us from the outside world so we can reconnect with our inner selves. The experience involves chants, sweat, invocation, and steam from herbs . It's said to purify and relax the mind and body.

What happens inside is somewhat secret - which is challenging mentally as well as physically. It's certainly not your usual relaxing massage, but as far as spa experiences go, it's one of the most rewarding that I've tried. We spent an hour debriefing and talking deeply with the young shaman afterwards.



A moment of calm by the El Castillo, one of the Seven Wonders of the World

Beautiful clothes stalls by Chichen Itza (l) and, of course, colourful ceramic sugar skulls (r)



On our final day we embarked on a full day excursion to great Mayan ruin Chichen Itza - the archeological site that's home to one of the seven Wonders of the World, El Castillo.



Before our elaborate guided tour we went for a swim in a natural water pool in a stalactite-filled cave known as a cenote.



Afterwards we stopped to visit Spanish colonial city Valladolid, Yucatan, for a stroll around the main square.



The El Castillo Mayan pyramid is famous for sculptures of plumed serpents running down its sides.



During the spring and autumn equinoxes, the late afternoon sun casts a series of triangular shadows against the northwest balustrade, creating the illusion of a snake crawling down.



After witnessing this wonder and hearing of its ancient greatness, indulging in decadent freedom at naked chocolate body painting and going through a moral lesson in the temazcal, I left Riviera Maya feeling refreshed, enlightened - and definitely braver.