7 Ways to Pick the Best Place for Your Wellness Vacation

Do you ever come home from vacation needing another vacation to destress from your trip? We’ve all been there — travel snafus (especially this past summer!), overplanned schedules, failure to disconnect from work, disappointing lodging.

That’s why, like many travelers, you might be considering a wellness-focused getaway — someplace where you can truly prioritize your physical, emotional and mental well-being. But how can you ensure success in planning — and truly enjoying — your wellness escape?

For starters, you need to pick the right place. Then you need some solid strategies to keep worries and hassles at bay. Read on for suggestions on both.

Wellness-Focused Destinations

Whether you want to stay stateside or travel abroad, let these idyllic destinations, at a range of prices, inspire your top picks for wellness travel.

Ocean Club Resorts (Turks and Caicos)

Get mesmerized by the word’s bluest water in this bucket-list island destination. Tucked along the stunning Grace Bay Beach, this two-property resort offers tennis courts, pampering treatments via Spa Tropique, locally sourced cuisine and complimentary bicycles. But the real wellness star? Access to loads of water sports: kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding (both onsite and complimentary), as well as snorkeling, scuba diving and parasailing via local vendors.

Coolfont Resort (Berkeley Springs, West Virginia)

Drawn to cooler destinations during the winter? Head to this iconic West Virginia resort, with a mix of indoor and outdoor experiences to fuel your well-being. While you can enjoy swimming laps in the indoor, heated saltwater pool or relaxing in the sauna, step outside for a “nature reset.” Nestled at the base of Cacapon Mountain, Coolfont offers a tranquil, woodsy setting, as it’s surrounded by hiking trails and a picturesque 12-acre lake — perfect for morning walks, bird-watching and mindful meditation. Cozy up in a room at their lodge or stay in one of the private A-frame chalet cabins dotting the property.

Buenaventura Golf & Beach Resort (Panama)

Tucked into the Riviera Pacifica region, this tranquil, 400-acre resort packs in wellness amenities, including seven swimming pools, bike trails, a golf course, horse stables, tennis courts and a fitness center. Indulge your spiritual side at an intimate house of worship or feed your soul through resort-promoted community volunteer projects. Unwind with ancestral treatments at Corotu Spa, such as the gemmotheraphy treatment using iron-rich volcanic beach sand and thermal mud from the thermal wells of the Valley of Antón.