Updated February 1, 2026 10:11AM
I’ll let you in on a little secret: Wellness does not have to be complicated. What the heck does wellness even mean? I define it as feeling good mentally, physically, and emotionally. Sometimes that might mean carving out a day (or maybe a week) to immerse yourself in nature—ski, snow shoe, trail run, hike, surf. Maybe it’s slowing down with a good book on the beach or indulging in a blissful hour bouncing between sauna, steam, and cold plunge. Maybe you’re feeling burnt out and need a serious reset with the help of some ancient healing traditions (acupuncture) and of-the-moment biohacks (infrared therapy). Perhaps you just need a getaway where you leave behind your stresses and dance under the stars with friends until late into the night. Whatever ails you, these destinations have a fix, plus offer loads of outdoor adventures that guarantee an awesome getaway.
Kauai, Hawaii
The islands of Hawaii are my go-to escapes for a mind-body reset. As soon as I step off the plane, the plumeria-scented air and salt breeze instantly relax me. The islands run at a slower pace that I quickly fall in tune with. And mango, papaya, avocado, poke, and açaí bowls become the staples of my diet.
Kauai’s trapped-in-time vibes make it a favorite wellness getaway. You can stitch together a DIY retreat that might involve hiking the three mile out-and-back trail to Waipo’o Falls in Waimea Canyon (aka the Grand Canyon of the Pacific), a surf lesson (90 minutes for $100) or expedition (price upon request) with the experts at family-run Titus Kinimaka’s Hawaiian School of Surfing, and a kayaking tour of beautiful Hanalei River and Bay with Hanalei Kayak (three hours from $145).
Fuel your days with farm-fresh bowls and wraps from Nourish, a farmstand in Hanalei, or the grass-fed steak sammy served on a poi bun from Fresh Bite Farm to Beach food truck in Hanalei. Set on 43 oceanfront acres on the island’s west side, Waimea Plantation Cottages (from $309 a night) feels like a secluded tropical paradise, yet is an easy drive to attractions like Waimea Canyon and the Swinging Bridge at Hanapēpē. If you’re going to splurge, 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay (from $1,200 a night) on the north shore infuses wellness into every aspect of your stay, from the turmeric-ginger welcome shot you receive upon arrival to the dozens of complimentary fitness classes like mind and mobility or metabolic meltdown. The resort recently debuted its first four-night-minimum wellness retreats which can be tailored to your needs with everything from VO2 max analysis and IV therapies to hyperbaric oxygen therapy sessions.
Baja California Sur, Mexico
Agua Salada offers aneight-day freediving and ocean adventure retreat out of La Ventana, Baja California Sur. (Photo: Courtesy of Agua Salada)
Long gone are the wild Cabo Wabo days of the 1990s. Today, the Los Cabos area and neighboring East Cape have emerged a wellness mecca. You can find spas and retreats that fit every budget. At the high end, the long anticipated Amanvari opening this summer on the East Cape, and the new Sensei, Zadún Los Cabos, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve (from $1,200 a night), which offers curated one-on-one wellness itineraries that might include tracking data via a fitness tracker, intention setting, and workouts overseen by an exercise physiologist.
More budget-friendly options include the new Casa Kura Kura (special intro rates from $200 a night through March) and Amet Baja (from $400 a night). The latter is an intimate retreat nestled at the base of the Santiago oasis, surrounded by views of the lagoon and mountains of the East Cape. Offerings include yoga, a spa, and nutritious meals, like organic salads, ceviches, and Baja fish tacos. Casa Kura Kura is an off-grid eco-wellness center just 35 minutes from Los Cabos airport in Zacatitos that specializes in nervous system reboots, breathwork, and temazcal sauna sessions. Or treat yourself to a serious dose of blue therapy and book a multi-day surf safari with guide Matt Lindsay (price upon request) or an eight-day freediving and ocean adventure retreat out of La Ventana with Agua Salada (from $3,500, all-inclusive).
Bhutan
A traditional Bhutanese hot stone bath at Gangtey Lodge. (Photo: Courtesy of Gangtey Lodge)
There’s no better place to get lost on the trail than Bhutan with its ancient Himalayan traditions, slower pace, and stunning mountain scenery. Set high above a nature reserve in Phobjikha Valley, Gangtey Lodge remains one of my favorite hotels on the planet (from $600 a night), and it’s diving deeper into wellbeing in 2026. The lodge offers guests spiritual experiences with its partnership with the Gangtey Shedra (a Buddhist college) and the 17th century Gangtey Monastery. A meditation space is also being built in the nearby forest; and trust me, a soak in the hotel’s hot stone bath (an ancient Bhutanese practice) will erase any aches, pains, and worries ($200 for a three-hour soak).
About one hour east, deep within the highlands of the Khotokha Valley, the 20-room Farm Retreat will debut later this year ($800 per night, all-inclusive, two-night minimum). Inspired by the Tibetan Buddhist principles of si (inner peace) and Zhungtrel (balance), the retreat will feature a meditation shrine, a Himalayan healing crystal meditation room,a Himalayan salt room, a heated swimming pool, and a yoga pavilion. Guests are able to arrange consults with local amchi—traditional Bhutanese doctors—and resident practitioners will lead mindfulness and breathwork sessions. Operated by Dharma Adventures, the lodge will be the base for those who want to do the two-day, Three Valley Trek—a rare journey through remote landscapes seldom seen by visitors.
Estonia
An old wooden smoke sauna in Estonia. (Photo: Getty)
Sauna culture has gone mainstream. While the Nordic countries, particularly Finland, get all the credit with setting off the current obsession, the Baltic state of Estonia was actually the first country to have its distinctive smoke sauna, known as a suitsusaun, placed on Unesco’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2014 (its sauna culture didn’t make the list until 2020). The September opening of 11-room Eha, a wellness retreat on Hiiumaa Island, part of the West Estonian Archipelago Biosphere Reserve, is certain to put the tiny nation on the wellness map (three-night retreats from $2,430, all-inclusive). These retreats have been designed around the island’s five unique seasons (springrise being the fifth) and include mindful cold-water immersions in the Baltic, aquatic movement sessions, and, of course, sauna rituals.
Michelin Green Star chef, Peeter Pihel, helms the kitchen, crafting nutritious dishes from wild seaweed and fermented forest berries. Guests can join him on foraging expeditions and in nutrition workshops. Compare sauna cultures and combine it with a trip to Finland. Eha is a 20-minute flight from Estonia’s capital, Tallinn, which you can reach via a 30-minute flight from Helsinki.
The Turquoise Coast, Türkiye
Last September, I spent a week soaking in some Vitamin D along the sparkling Turkish Riviera. If you’re like me and believe wellness and hedonism don’t have to be mutually exclusive, this is your spot. In an era where loneliness is a global health concern, building social time into your lifestyle is imperative. The newest resorts in and around Bodrum (aka the “St. Tropez of Türkiye”) are fostering social health by blurring the lines between health retreat and nightclub. Tucked amidst nearly 50 acres of protected forest, fronting the unspoiled shores of Günlüklü Bay, Ahãma Living (from $670 a night) has both a longevity center for biohacks and a sound temple that hosts ancient rituals like gong baths, conducted by visiting healers. At night, guests can dance barefoot in the sand to DJs, bands, and sunsets. Perched on Bodrum’s famed peninsula, the sprawling 282-room Maxx Royal Bodrum Resort ($1,317 per night) has its own lovely beach with a fleet of paddleboards, late-night kids club and a 62,000-square-foot wellness center with its own longevity center, a 20-treatment room spa with a hammam, and one of the most impressive hotel gyms I’ve ever seen complete with an Olympic-size indoor pool, spin studio, reformer Pilates room, and silks classes. If you can afford spendy all-villa Scorpios Bodrum (from $2,200 per night), just across the water, a complimentary golf cart transfer can whisk you over in minutes to enjoy their acclaimed resident and guest DJ performances that start just before sunset. The area has become a darling of the yoga crowd. For a unique experience, book a seven-night yoga, hiking, and sailing retreat along the coast with Yoga Malta (from $2,290, all-inclusive).
Lake Louise/Banff, Canada
You won’t find a more compelling combination of big nature and bathhouse culture than in Banff. The town was blessed with record early-season snow this winter, and the SkiBig 3 mountains (Lake Louise, Sunshine Village, and Mt. Norquay) are calling. If downhill skiing isn’t your thing, there are plenty of other ways to nature bathe in winter, from Nordic skiing at the world-class Canmore Nordic Centre to hiking past the frozen falls of Johnston Canyon or join local outfitter Bikescape on a fat tire e-bike tour co-led by Indigenous guide Buffalo Stone Woman ($130 for a two- to three-hour tour). Come summer, there are hiking and mountain biking opportunities for all fitness levels.
After adventuring, it’s time for recovery. With its lakefront setting in Banff National Park, Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise (from $364) looks straight out of a fairytale. The hotel recently opened a game-changing thermal experience, Basin Glacial Waters, which is currently only available to guests ($200 for a three-hour pass). Upon arrival, you’re prescribed one of five self-guided trails that might include steps like a Kneipp walk intended to stimulate lower leg circulation and a 15-minute session in the Himalayan salt room. The 185-degree Fahrenheit Aufguss sauna is the stage for the Basin’s signature experience, a ritual of steam and sweat orchestrated by an Aufgussmeister, or trained sauna master. You’ll also find Aufguss rituals at the new Everwild Nordic Spa (day pass $134) in Canmore. Less luxe than Basin, it has similar facilities, like a Himalayan salt room, cold plunge, and various heated whirlpools. And one of my favorite new boutique stays in downtown Banff is the family-owned Kenrick (from $195 a night), which has a guests-only heated saltwater pool, sauna, steam, and cold plunge area that stays open until midnight.
Taos, New Mexico
Set at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, Taos is a hub of mysticism, high desert healing, and New Age and Indigenous spiritual traditions. For centuries, Northern Pueblo tribal communities made pilgrimages to the area’s restorative thermal waters.
Ojo Caliente (from $269 per night), located halfway between Abiquiu and Taos, was considered the country’s first health spa when it opened in 1868. Today, the resort includes a farm-to-table restaurant, cozy suites with kiva fireplaces, and a spa. But the sulfur-free, therapeutic hot springs are the big draw and can be accessed by purchasing a $175 day pass for two. Nearby, the Abiquiu Lake Vista Trail system offers dreamy views of the 5,200-acre reservoir and Cerro Pedernal mesa. In the town of Taos, you can shop for all types of tonics and elixirs at Mythos Libations, an herbal apothecary, and dine on nourishing bone broths and superfood juices at Manzanita Market. The eco-conscious Living Spa at hotel El Monte Sagrado (from $227 per night) offers Ayurveda consultations, tarot readings, and tantric meditation, as well as pampering facials and massages. Year-old Hotel Willa (from $225 a night) takes a DIY approach with its thermal circuit and also feeds guests’ creative sides with art programming and an on-site gallery. If you’re looking for community, head to the Taos Mountain Wellness Festival for three days of crystal sound healing, yoga, reiki, and more (August 15-17).
Appenzell, Switzerland
(Photo: Getty)
Tucked within the dramatic Alpstein limestone range in northeast Switzerland, just an hour’s drive east of Zurich, Appenzell can feel trapped in time. This sleepy region is a stronghold for long-standing Swiss traditions (think yodeling, woodcarving, and cattle processions), but it also recently welcomed one of the world’s only carbon-neutral hotels and a cutting-edge spa. The brainchild of native son and tech mogul Jan Schoch, the 30-room Huus Quell (from $550 a night) aims to be a beacon for longevity seekers with its signature L3 Long–Lasting Lifestyle Circle designed to promote cellular regeneration. The five-step circuit includes a one-of-a-kind infrared cabin infused with ionized oxygen and vibration technology, cryotherapy, a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, a compression-based, detoxifying FLOW treatment, and precision diagnostics. The 24,000-square-foot spa is also kitted out with more low-touch therapies like a sauna, steam room, and rooftop pool with stimulating body jets. The Swiss air is undeniably rejuvenating, and there’s extensive hiking throughout the region. The hotel can arrange an herbalist-led guided hike through fragrant meadows and rolling hills. For more of a challenge, experienced hikers can take the Wasserauen-Ebenalp cable car to the Ebenalp cliffs and tackle the 4.7-mile Schäfler Ridge Trail.
Encinitas, California
Coastal view from Encinitas. (Photo: Getty)
California has long been the epitome of health and wellness with its spiritual centers, sun-drenched coast, and farm-to-table lifestyle. Encinitas may not have the cache of destinations like Ojai and Big Sur, but it’s got just the right mix of surf culture, spirituality, and serious spa cred to make it on this list.
Five-suite Inn at Moonlight Beach (from $238 a night) has earned bragging rights as the world’s first well-certified hotel thanks to its strict eco standards it has purified filtered air, and circadian lighting that are believed to help boost health. Guests can add on “wellness extras” like a biodynamic garden workshop ($110) and receive a discount on the infrared saunas, cold plunges, red light therapy, and fitness classes at nearby Clubhouse Recovery Room.
Devote a day to therapies like acupuncture, reflexology, and somatic healing at Four Moons Spa and work up an appetite for a meal at one of Fox Point Farms’ hyperlocal eateries, such as Harvest Market or Haven Farm to Table. Yogis have their pick of great studios, such as Soul of Yoga and heated studio Yoga Tropics. Looking to start a meditation practice? The Self Realization Fellowship Temple hosts beginner’s guided meditation sessions every Wednesday. If a moving meditation is more your style, try riding waves at Moonlight Beach with Leucadia Surf School (two-hour group lessons from $120).
Jen Murphy is a regular Outside contributor and self-described wellness junky. She is the author of the Type 2 Traveler Substack and regularly writes about fitness and active travel for outlets including the New York Times, Conde Nast Traveler, and Town & Country.
