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What's old is new again at Mexico's luxurious chilam spas, where centuries-old Maya healing traditions soothe wedding-weary souls like you.

The Yucatán has changed a lot in the 1,100 years since the Maya ruled the peninsula. Today, rental cars, tour buses and college spring-breakers crowd these parts, and folks come as much for the sand, sun and tequila-soaked parties as the fantastic ruins. But that doesn't mean that you can't experience ancient wonders here: You just have to know where to look. The region's smaller, more intimate hotels—those that are locally and privately owned, and buried deep in the jungle—have always had a purely Mexican flavor. They're showcases of authentic Maya architecture and design, and traditional dishes, using indigenous ingredients, are served in their restaurants.

On top of all that, centuries-old Maya healing rituals have begun to appear on the spa menus at these properties. Forget the gimmicky treatments and just-for-tourists concoctions found at the area's high-rise hotels: This is the real deal. On staff are the descendents of ancient spiritual healers, called chilam, who traditionally used chanting, medicinal herbs and steam baths to treat injury and disease, as well as to relax and calm. (Remember: You can't train to be a chilam. You must be chosen by one to continue on the tradition.) As otherworldly as it may sound, today honeymooners can benefit from these time-tested methods, and enter the pleasure zone right in their own hotels. Here, the best places to seek out these rituals.

Secrets of the Jungle

There are no signs on the way to the 64-room Maroma Resort and Spa—in fact, there's absolutely nothing that points to this luxurious barefoot resort, located 30 miles south of Cancún. A dusty road off the main highway takes you through dense mangrove jungle, and soon a temple-like building magically appears amid the brush. As if from nowhere, staffers dressed in crisp cotton appear to greet you with chilled drinks and towels, then lead you to your private villa. It's a spectacular welcome.

This lovely hacienda was built entirely by hand in the Mexican tradition just 15 years ago. Master masons cemented concrete blocks, and then stuccoed each building by hand. Roofs are thatched, and the bamboo used for furniture and shutters was harvested on-site. Sure, the ruins of the city of Tulúm are nearby, as are the cenote (underground pools considered sacred by the Maya). But the truth is, you may find it hard to pull yourself away from Maroma—especially once you see the new spa.

This understated sanctuary offers beachfront massage huts and authentic treatments. Book a "Mayan Touch" massage, in which sacred Maya seeds, developed over centuries in the Yucatán for their healing qualities, are applied to key points of the body to release feel-good endorphins.

The spa's most romantic treatment is offered at dusk inside a temazcal steam room, which couples can book for a private session. Traditionally, the king and his priests underwent this ritual before communicating with gods and ancestors to seek blessings for their people, but today anyone can have the experience. After being draped in a light cloth, you'll join a temezcalera healer inside the pyramid-shaped structure. The healer pours herb-infused water over hot volcanic rocks, while chanting, drumming and praying. (In the past, natural hallucinogens were often used to invoke a trance-like state, but today they stick with rosemary, basil and eucalyptus.) Later, a purifying healing mud is passed around for you to slather onto your body. In the intense heat, the mud dries almost instantly. The chilam believe that the sweating process is about breaking the ego, and about letting go of your thoughts and physical being. Only when the ego is broken, they say, can true healing begin. The ceremony ends with a chilling dip into the sea. It's an experience that will transport you back in time—and one you'll never forget (maromahotel.com).

Gift from the Sea

At the year-old, 30-room beachfront Ikal del Mar resort, the emphasis is on maintaining Maya traditions in every way. Some might say this mantra has been taken to the extreme: Every piece of wood used in the hotel's construction was cut during the full moon, a practice believed by the Maya to ensure luck and prevent termites. The spectacular villas feature palapa roofs and outdoor showers surrounded by lush greenery. After dark, you'll notice that there are no lights on the property, just torches to guide you along the sandy paths from the dining room to your bed, draped with filmy mosquito-netting. Even the food is authentic: The chef serves an amazing mole sauce, and his stuffed jalapeños are divine. Simmered for hours in the oven, then filled with goat cheese, they'll forever change your mind about the Americanized fried version.

The spa is equally impressive. On-staff is Luis Nah, a 56-year-old chilam. Nah's healing roots can be traced back 17 generations to a chilam who served the king just before the Maya civilization disappeared. Today, he "reads" guests' auras, claiming to feel their energy through intuition. This ability is considered a gift by the Maya, and one you must be born with. Nah also prescribes herbal remedies using plants he's collected himself. He gathers roots only during the heat of the day and flowers at dawn, when the chilam believe the nutrients are at their peak.

The spa's newest pampering pleasure is the "Mayan Bath," a modernized version of the Maya cleansing ritual performed before important ceremonies and celebrations. It starts with a 20-minute herb-scented steam bath. Then a therapist cleans you with a damp cloth, moving it across your body inch by inch, in tiny circular motions. Next, you're bathed with warm almond soap and a mixture of fresh herbs, including basil, rosemary, thyme and eucalyptus. Finally, a Maya "Tea," which is a special skin-softening blend of leaves, rose petals and milk extract, is applied to the body, and cactus oil is rubbed into the hair for sheen. Mayan "tea" ceremonies were traditionally used to beautify Maya brides for their wedding day, but they work just as well as a special honeymoon indulgence.

Want to try a tandem treatment? Book the hour-long "Mayan Beads Massage," which is performed right in your villa. Astrology has long been important to the Maya, and with this romantic side-by-side couple's massage you're given a Mayan gemstone and a personal horoscope to take home (ikaldelmar.com).

Warm Comfort Farm

While Ikal del Mar might be called "new-authentic," parts of the 18-room Hacienda Xcanatun are truly ancient. Located near the Pacific coast just outside of the town of Mérida, the former sisal farm buildings date back to the 18th century, and their original stones are believed to have been taken from nearby pyramids. When Jorge Ruz and his wife, Christina Baker (an American who's lived most of her life in Mexico), bought the dilapidated hacienda in 1994, they enlisted master Maya craftsmen, who spent the next five years transforming the property into a luxury hideaway. Locals were hired as "guides" to lead guests on private tours of the area and to go, such as swimming in remote cenote.

Like those at Ikal del Mar, Hacienda Xcanatun's spa treatments also feature indigenous herbs, as well as flowers and honey. Carolina Martinez, the resident Maya expert, hand-mixes all of the oils and creams using recipes handed down to her by her late grandfather, a respected chilam. Her specialty: She combines spiritual and aura cleansings with massage.

Martinez's most romantic offering is the 90-minute "Private Mayan Interlude" for two. After donning an embroidered white huipil dress, which symbolizes purity, Martinez lights candles and incense to set the mood. Then, she rubs local honey over your bodies to moisturize the skin. Next, she covers both of you in fresh flowers (frangipani in spring and summer, roses in fall and winter) before beginning the hour-long couple's massage. After singing a beautiful chant, said to promote well-being, longevity and happiness, she serves cups of xtabentun, a local liqueur made with honey and herbs traditionally offered to the Maya gods. Finally, you're led to a candlelit hand-carved stone bathtub big enough for two, filled with steaming water and flowers. Surely, you'll feel like gods yourselves (Tablaje Rustico Catastral 13667, Xcanatun; xcanatun.com).