A Different Kind of Christmas: Christmas by the Ocean at Xinalani

A Different Kind of Christmas is a holiday-week wellness retreat at Xinalani Retreat, an oceanfront retreat center just south of Puerto Vallarta, in Jalisco, Mexico. It is one of Xinalani's signature retreats, held over the Christmas week for people who would like to spend the holiday by the Pacific, in a community of like-minded guests, rather than in the usual rush of December.

The retreat is also known as Christmas by the Ocean. It suits anyone drawn to a yoga and wellness retreat in Mexico who wants the holiday to feel quieter, more nourishing and more connected to nature.

What to Expect

This is a week-long stay, set apart from other Xinalani retreats by its timing: it runs through the Christmas holiday. Xinalani describes its retreats as bringing together inspiring teachers, nourishing cuisine, time in nature and a community of kindred guests. Across the center's programs, the emphasis falls on yoga, meditation, movement, wellness and personal growth, and that is the spirit in which a holiday week here is offered.

Instead of a calendar of obligations, the week centers on the setting itself: the jungle behind you, the ocean in front of you, and days shaped around care for body and mind. The title says it plainly. This is a different kind of Christmas, one spent by the sea.

The Setting

Xinalani sits on the coast south of Puerto Vallarta, in a landscape the center describes as lying between the jungle and the Pacific Ocean. That position defines the retreat. Guests wake to green hills and open water, and the surroundings do much of the work of slowing the pace.

Meals are part of the experience, and the center speaks of nourishing cuisine as a core element of every retreat it hosts. Puerto Vallarta is the nearest city, which makes it the natural point of reference for anyone planning travel to the Jalisco coast.

Before You Go

The retreat runs for the holiday week, so plan to stay the full length of it and arrange your travel to Puerto Vallarta accordingly. The Xinalani retreat page shows current dates and availability, and those can change, so check it before you plan your trip.

A holiday retreat tends to draw a mix of solo travelers, friends and people looking for a gentler way to mark the season. Come ready to be outdoors, to rest, and to share the week with others who have chosen the same thing.