The latest season of “The White Lotus” has once again put wellness travel in the spotlight — but not the good kind. I was grateful that instead of dealing with a pricey, drama-filled stay of Mike White’s creation, I recently got the opportunity for a more down-to-earth and grounded trip to Santa Fe.
I’d always romanticized Santa Fe in my mind; I’d only heard great things about its adobe architecture, sprawling vistas, and southwestern cuisine. I was also aware of its important history as a deeply sacred place to the Anasazi and Pueblo peoples, who lived there for centuries before the Spanish colonized the area in the 17th century. Drenched in high desert beauty, it still has a reputation as a place where seekers come to reconnect with themselves. Actually being there, you can feel it in the air: It’s otherworldly, stuck in another time — and forces you to slow down accordingly.
As someone who’s always down for a wellness getaway, I wanted to plan a trip that capitalized on the place’s distinct cultural and spiritual elements — from its hot springs to its beloved yoga classes to its nourishing eats. All told, this particular experience reminded me that there’s no need to shell out thousands to create a wellness trip that leaves you rejuvenated. Surrounded by the mountains and that sense of transformative promise in the air, I felt recharged in just a couple of days.
If you want to craft your own wellness retreat, Santa Fe is the perfect place. Keep reading to find out how to DIY one on the cheap.
Stay in a Relaxing Spot
Don’t get me wrong — I can appreciate a nice wellness-focused hotel as much as the next person. But for this trip to Santa Fe, my partner and I were hosted by Airbnb and got to really meld into the culture of the place. When I really want to be in control of the vibe of a trip, I prefer to stay at Airbnbs. I generally find them to be more affordable than hotels, and I appreciate the freedom of being able to spread out comfortably, cook what you want, and live more like locals do.
We stayed at Casa Contenta, which is a Santa Fe “guest favorite” — a designation that I swear by when I’m booking through the site. And this three-bedroom, adobe-style house didn’t disappoint. It was extremely well-equipped with beautiful touches throughout, and the hosts were readily available to answer questions. This one had a hot tub as well, which sealed the deal in terms of making us feel like we had a little wellness sanctuary all to ourselves.
A few weekends before, I’d stayed in an Airbnb with a couple of friends in Palm Springs, and the guest favorite there boasted similar vibes. We were able to languish, cook delicious meals together, and do yoga on the patio. In my book, choosing a place that fits your own wellness retreat vibe is the essential first step.
Soak in Healing Waters
Many folks flock to New Mexico for its natural beauty, which includes its hot springs. With only a couple days in Santa Fe, we opted to go to one of the nearest spas with soaking pools: Ojo Santa Fe. We spent an afternoon reaping the benefits of thermal water contrast therapy (it was snowing, so we walked around barefoot and then immersed ourselves in the hot pools), and we especially loved the buoyant saltwater tub. The grounds were beautifully tranquil too, situated in the La Cienega Valley.
On our drive there, our Uber driver mentioned the resort’s sister location, Ojo Caliente — a farther drive from Santa Fe, but apparently very worth it. I’ve also heard great things about the Japanese-influenced Ten Thousand Waves soaking pools and would definitely love to check them out when I return.
The surplus of spas and pools really does make Santa Fe a great wellness destination; there are a bevy of options, so you don’t need to worry too much about dropping in for a weekend and finding your favorite treatment. Many offer a unique selection of therapies as well, from Reiki to sage ceremonies.
Go on a Hike
Speaking of natural beauty: a hike is a must in your Santa Fe wellness itinerary. I live in San Francisco — known for its excellent outdoors offerings — and even I was impressed by Santa Fe’s proximity to hiking trails.
One crisp morning, we (slowly) jogged from our Airbnb to nearby Picacho Peak Trail, one of the most popular routes in the mountains serving as a backdrop to downtown Santa Fe. Even on a chilly morning after a flurry of snow the day before, folks were out and about, hiking along the high desert terrain. It’s a beautiful way to get a new vantage point in the area. Bonus points if you try a walking meditation.
Eat Well
When I think of wellness retreats, uber-healthy but lackluster meals come to mind. That was one of the biggest delights of Santa Fe: The food is incredible. And if you seek out locally sourced eats, you’ll feel like you’re nourishing your body while actually enjoying every meal.
Santa Fe’s small main square has more than a dozen really solid options, but we especially loved Cafe Pasqual’s for brunch. And our dinner at Zacatlán was a standout of the entire trip: The ceviche was extremely fresh, and I had a perfectly cooked stuffed chile pepper (which you’ll see on pretty much every menu in the area).
I’m also all about balance. It’s vacation, after all, and I don’t want to feel guilty about indulging, even if the point of the trip is to reset. Santa Fe is known for its margaritas, so we couldn’t pass up particularly delicious spicy ones at Coyote Cafe.
Take a Yoga Class
For this DIY trip, we treated the whole of Santa Fe like a wellness retreat, but there were so many options to fill out our weekend that we didn’t get to all of the city’s offerings.
One morning, for example, we aimed to get up early for a yoga class. I’d heard great things about Body of Santa Fe; it was even recommended by our Airbnb hosts. The spa and wellness center offers classes like Embody Flow, which offers “creative and fluid sequencing intended for students to experience their bodies in new and more subtle ways.”
But, alas, it was daylight savings, so we lost an hour of sleep after watching the stars from the hot tub the night before. Sometimes, wellness is all about allowing yourself to rest. And even without a great yoga class, I left feeling more grounded, rejuvenated, and, well, well thanks to this trip to Santa Fe. That’s exactly how you should feel at the end of a real wellness vacation — not its sinister luxury counterpart everyone’s obsessed with right now.
Lena Felton (she/her) is a senior content director at PS, where she oversees feature stories, special projects, and identity content. Previously, she was an editor at The Washington Post, where she led a team covering issues of gender and identity. She has been working in journalism since 2017, during which time her focus has been feature writing and editing and elevating historically underrepresented voices. Lena has worked for The Atlantic, InStyle, So It Goes, and more.
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