Est. 2001 — Amansala, Tulum

Our
Story

A business. A family. A wellness empire in paradise — built from a dream, a beach, and four cabanas.

Set at Amansala — Sanskrit for peaceful waters — Bikini Bootcamp has been connecting like-minded travellers through mindfulness and movement since 2001. Let our team take you away from the routine and stresses of everyday life, and we promise to send you back feeling better than when you arrived, with a glow lasting long after your sun tan has faded.

Where It Began

A new life on the white sandy beaches of Tulum

Devastated by 9/11, founder Melissa Perlman poured her energy into volunteering. Eventually, burned out from the New York City lifestyle, she wanted to leave the city and start something fresh.

Like many people after that day, Melissa asked herself: "If I could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?" She immediately knew the answer — the white sandy beaches of Tulum, just a few hours' flight from the hectic New York life she had been living.

She envisioned creating a place where people could come to reconnect to themselves and nature through a combination of fitness, time in nature, pampering, healthy food, and being around like-minded people. That place is Amansala.

Melissa building the first cabana at Amansala

Est. 2001

Growth & Family

From 4 cabanas to nearly 100 — and still going

Amansala started with just 4 cabanas and has now grown into nearly 100. Thousands of people have found their home away from home here, and the resort continues to evolve. Melissa has stayed very active in the business, and it shows.

It shows in the staff — many of whom have been there for over a decade, some since the very early days. It shows in the classes, which are based on her original Bikini Bootcamp recipe. It shows in the clientele: some have been coming back for 20 years.

It shows in all the details that make this your ultimate wellness vacation.

The Mission

More than just a focus on the physical body

Our guests primarily come to lose weight and improve their health and fitness — but find they gain so much more. At Bikini Bootcamp, guests learn to manage their health and well-being in a way that lasts.

This retreat will allow you to hit the pause button, give back to yourself, and reflect on life. Six days on the beach that will change the way you feel for months to come.

She created a business. She created a family. She created a wellness empire in paradise.

By the Numbers

25+ years of transformations

25+

Years in Tulum

One of the most enduring wellness retreats in the world, rooted in the same values since day one.

4→100

Cabanas

Started with 4 beachfront cabanas in 2001. Now a full resort with nearly 100 rooms and growing.

1000s

Lives Changed

Thousands of women have come through Amansala and left transformed — body, mind, and spirit.

OurStory