“For centuries, people have traveled for wellness and rejuvenation.”

Wellness travel is booming, but the idea is age-old. For centuries, people have traveled for wellness and rejuvenation, whether to spa towns to “take the waters” or to the sea and the mountains for fresh air. Today’s best wellness resorts carry that tradition forward in different ways. Some, like Naturhotel Forsthofgut, stick to the Austrian alpine model of outdoor adventure. Others, like Lefay Resorts & Residences, go personal and high-tech, with customized meal plans, spa treatments, and modern diagnostic tools.

Set in beautiful landscapes and offering every kind of regimen, these are the standouts in a crowded field.

Naturhotel Forsthofgut

Seasonal alpine wellness centered on movement and nature

Family-run and located in Austria’s Leogang mountains, Naturhotel focuses on outdoor activity as the core feature of its well-being program. Guests alternate between hiking, cycling, skiing, and swimming in natural pools, then come back to sauna rituals and dinners of regionally driven food. The experience feels informal but deliberate, with wellness stemming from time in the fresh air of the mountains.

Palmaïa, The House of AïA

Ritual-led wellness on Mexico’s Caribbean coast

Set on a stretch of white-sand beach near Playa del Carmen, Palmaïa emphasizes emotional and spiritual well-being through guided rituals, spa therapies, and plant-based cuisine. Guests can participate in meditation, breathwork, sound healing, and movement sessions. The isolated jungle-and-sea setting creates a relaxed energy, free from distractions. Just be sure to keep your phone in a drawer.

Sterrekopje Healing Farm

Regenerative, land-based healing

Located outside Cape Town in South Africa’s Franschhoek Valley, Sterrekopje operates as a working biodynamic farm and retreat. Guests are meant to use their time for quiet reflection, whether spent in the gardens or treatment rooms, while participating in shared meals come evening. Therapies include somatic work, body treatments, and guided rest, with the pace and design encouraging deep physical and mental recovery tied to re-engaging with the outdoors.

Kamalaya Koh Samui

Spiritual and integrative wellness in a tropical setting

Set on a forested hillside overlooking the Gulf of Thailand, Kamalaya blends Eastern spiritual traditions with Western medical practices. Guests follow multi-day or multi-week programs built around goals like stress relief and emotional balance. Treatments pull from Ayurveda, traditional Chinese medicine, and naturopathy, alongside mindfulness work. Open-air pavilions, cave temples, and ocean-facing pools create a calm, contemplative environment.

Lefay Resorts & Residences

Medical-grade wellness framed by mountain and lake landscapes

Lefay Resorts‘ flagship properties in Lake Garda and the Dolomites pair evidence-based wellness programs with dramatic alpine and lakeside scenery. Guests work with a medical team on preventative health assessments, movement therapy, and nutrition plans. Floor-to-ceiling windows open the treatment rooms and pools onto the surrounding water and peaks. Smart design extends to energy, with the resorts running on solar and biomass.