The best wellness facilities stand apart from the spa crowds thanks to amenities that mix modern and ancient rituals for an experience that can’t be matched. Read on for some of the most sybaritic ways to put yourself first at the best wellness resorts in the world, where luxurious healing is in each property’s DNA.
Six Senses Douro Valley
Enroll in a range of multi-night retreats designed to draw like-minded travelers for wellness journeys at one of Europe’s most storied luxury hotels—or simply pop in for a night or two of utter relaxation at Six Senses Douro Valley, about 1.5 hours east of Porto in the heart of northern Portugal.
Tech-driven wellness programs set you off on the right foot here, allowing you to fully unplug while charting your movements, inner health, and sleep patterns to assess the best nutritional advice and treatments for your particular needs. This holistic approach to wellness is reflected in every inch of the spa as well as in the greater setting at this spectacular property fronting the Douro River. You’ll find an herbal sauna, cryotherapy and an indoor pool with floor-to-ceiling garden views, as well as underwater sound therapy and color therapy among the many lavish amenities.
Enchantment Resort, Sedona, Arizona
Sedona is known for its striking natural beauty and the swirling centers of energy called vortexes said to emanate from the red rock landscapes. Whether or not you buy into all the woo, it’s hard to deny the healing power of prioritizing a wellness-oriented stay at one of Sedona’s finest addresses, Enchantment Resort, where Mii amo spa consistently ranks among the very best in all of the U.S.
In addition to enjoying spa amenities that include a steam room, sauna and whirlpool that can be enjoyed before or after your treatment (the Ancestral Stone Massage, with hot and cold elements, is exquisite), guests set their intentions for the day at the resort’s Crystal Grotto, where meditation and a guided ritual are followed by a Native American smudging ceremony and the tonal beauty of Tibetan singing bowls. It’s all designed to immerse you in a sense of deep calm and contentment meant to linger even after you’re gone.
Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru
Escaping the real world to the 44 lush and hammock-strung acres spanning this pristine property on the shores of Baa Atoll could be considered self-care enough. But when you weave wellness into a stay at the inimitable Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru, you’re sure to return home relaxed and restored.
The resort’s holistic AyurMa wellness haven has an award-winning team of Ayurvedic doctors and naturopaths in-house and recently launched PraMā, an evidence-based health screening program. Your own path along it might include biomarker diagnostics, iris diagnostics, and metabolic evaluations designed to optimize your health goals. Ayurvedic herbs and daily gratitude sessions figure into rituals designed around four pillars here: planetary well-being, Ayurveda, yoga therapy and wellness.
Acqualina Resort & Residences on the Beach, Sunny Isles Beach, Florida
You needn’t travel far for one of the most rewarding healing retreats there is. Cross the state to Sunny Isles Beach to spend some time focusing on yourself at Acqualina Resort & Residences on the Beach, where the 22,000-square-foot, two-story Acqualina Spa has co-ed relaxation lounges with Himalayan salt walls, a dry Finnish sauna with experience showers, a crystal steam room and treatments that range from collagen-shaping facials to sound healing massages.
At the outdoor oceanfront relaxation area, a Roman waterfall and heated jetted pool invite year-round basking. The resort’s AcquaFit program can set you off on longer wellness journey, too, focusing on the trifecta of physical, mental and emotional health.
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