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7 Sustainable Wellness Vacations That Immerse You In Nature

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By Kind Traveler  •  Posted on Apr 14, 2025

Research shows that nature alleviates physical signs of stress, and it’s an integral part of well-being. In today’s fast-paced world, wellness vacations in nature are a popular way to escape the daily grind, providing space to step back, rebalance, and re-energize. 

True wellness and environmental stewardship go hand in hand. They both embody the philosophy of renewal and harmony, so choosing wellness vacations with a lighter footprint is vital. These experiences restore your body and soul and foster a deeper connection with the natural world. 

These sustainable wellness hotels and retreats positively impact you and the planet as they donate to charitable causes through the Kind Traveler’s Every Stay Gives Back community impact program. So, whether browsing for yourself or a loved one, give the gift of healing and mindful living this holiday season with a stay at one of these wellness-focused hotels. When you book a stay with Kind Traveler's Every Stay Gives Back collection --- every stay gives back, no matter where or how you book. Simply by choosing to stay with participating lodging partners, your stay helps you leave the destination you are visiting better than before you arrived. 

 

1. Twelve Senses Retreat (Encinitas, California)

At Twelve Senses Retreat in Encinitas, connection with Mother Earth is at the forefront of your stay. The bed & breakfast is an intimate retreat with just four rooms, offering a peaceful space for quiet self-reflection. 

Each room is inspired by the four natural elements, earth, air, fire, and water, to connect you with nature even indoors. You’re encouraged to choose the room that reflects your energy the most. They’re luxurious with freestanding bathtubs, space for movement, and a private patio or balcony. 

From cuisine to experiences, Twelve Senses is deeply rooted in holistic wellness. Each morning, healthy breakfasts made with organic seasonal ingredients are served, and guests can expect to eat all the colors of the rainbow. 

The retreat offers a complete wellness menu, with treatments and massages available from the comfort of your room. Restore balance with a deep-tissue massage or soothe your senses with a sound bath. Private yoga classes and guided meditations are also available, all guided by local certified practitioners. 

Every Stay Gives Back: Two dollars from the cost of each night’s stay is donated to Changing Tides Foundation, a women-led organization that empowers communities to protect the planet. 

 

2. Boon Hotel & Spa (Sonoma County, California)

Boon Hotel & Spa is an adults-only boutique hotel with just 14 rooms surrounded by redwoods in the Russian River Valley. The modern retreat focuses on affordable luxury to give you a soothing space to unwind, whether you are spending lazy afternoons at the spa, in the hot tub, or beside the seasonal solar-heated saline pool.  

Each room has been designed to help you find your zen. Enjoy a deep sleep in fair-trade organic cotton bedsheets and cozy up in organic cotton bathrobes in front of the seasonal vintage fireplace. In the summer, you can go glamping in the garden. 

Other pampering perks include Malin+Goetz bath products, clawfoot tubs, and private outdoor decks. Some rooms are dog-friendly in memory of the original ‘Boon,’ the owner’s much-loved dog. At the spa, you’ll find Swedish massages and thermal therapies with the option to add CBD balms to soothe any tender aches and pains.

Every Stay Gives Back: A dollar per night is donated to Farm to Pantry. The charity aims to prevent food waste by supplying vulnerable communities with fresh, nutritious produce in the local Sonoma County area. 

 

 

3. Vintners Resort (Sonoma County, California)

Vintners Resort is set within a 92-acre working vineyard. Ideal for romantic getaways, it invites you to connect with the land. From your spacious room or suite, you can look out onto rolling vineyards and lush trees and lounge in the sunshine on patios or balconies. 

A stroll through the vineyard will take you to John Ash & Co, one of Sonoma’s first farm-to-table restaurants, serving a menu of fresh, seasonal ingredients from over 30 local producers. An extensive regional wine list is, of course, a standard. 

As for what to do, you'll be able to get a close-up of the estate on the one-mile loop around vineyards and orchards, take a tour of the garden, or book a spa treatment. Vi La Vita Spa inspires you to ‘live life to the fullest’ with treatments using organic skin care products and an indoor caldarium with a warm plunge bath. 

In the summer months, a seasonal outdoor pool with sun loungers is available, while on cooler days, you can spend time beside the fire in the relaxation lounge.

Every Stay Gives Back: Vintners Resort donates a dollar a night to Farm to Pantry to nourish the local community while preventing food waste. 

 

 

4. Headlands Coastal Lodge & Spa (Pacific City, Oregon) 

Soak up the restorative power of the Pacific Ocean at Headlands Coastal Lodge & Spa. The Oregon Coast hotel has 33 guestrooms and 18 cottages, all fronted with golden sand and ocean views. 

You can sip your morning coffee on your private patio and look out to the dramatic Haystacks Rock or local fishers sailing off to retrieve their catch of the day. The days here can be spent exploring the coastline on bikes or taking to the waves on surfboards in your room. 

Tidepools Spa is a wellness center offering community and private yoga sessions with a certified coach and spa treatments incorporating natural herbal remedies. After your treatment, you can enjoy some quiet moments of self-reflection in the hot tub overlooking the ocean, followed by a refreshment beside the outdoor fire pit.  

Locale and providence are a core part of the dining options at Headlands Coastal Lodge & Spa. Its Meridian restaurant features the catch of the day and ingredients from local producers. Private in-room dining is also available or you can forage coastal fare on culinary adventures. 

Every Stay Gives Back: One dollar per night is donated to the Wildlife Center of the North Coast, a wildlife hospital specializing in seabird rehabilitation.

 

5. Dunton Hot Springs (Dunton, Colorado)

Few getaways bring luxury to rustic settings quite like Dunton Hot Springs. The Relais & Chateaux resort in the Colorado Rockies is set within a ghost town from the 1800s. Once built to house miners, the town’s 13 restored wooden cabins are scattered across a secluded alpine valley. 

The cabins are steps away from the naturally heated hot springs, which are rich in calcium bicarbonate and magnesium. Four pools are outside: one in a restored 19th-century bathhouse and the other available for private use in Well House. 

Dunton Hot Springs gives you the chance to disconnect and immerse yourself in nature (although WI-FI is available in all cabins). The sound of a nearby waterfall echoes around the old ghost town and you’re invited to make the most of the outdoors in the San Juan Mountains no matter the season. 

After a day of hiking, a hot stone massage at the spa feels all the sweeter. Yoga and meditation classes are also available. When hunger sets in, make your way to the saloon, where local and seasonal ingredients are served at a long antique table. 

Every Stay Gives Back: One dollar a night funds the Bridge Shelter, a transitional housing project that helps people recover after homelessness. 

 

 

6. Matachica Resort (Ambergris Caye, Belize)

For tropical sunshine, Matachica Resort is an adults-only resort in Belize on the palm-fringed Caribbean coast. Located on the island of Ambergris Caye, the resort comprises 32 private casitas and villas that feature rustic–chic furnishings and colorful murals by Montreal-based illustrator Cécile Gariépy. 

Spend your days lounging in your private hammock, relaxing poolside, or snorkeling in the world’s second-largest barrier reef. Complimentary bicycles are available to borrow should you wish to explore the island. 

As for wellness, the Jade Spa offers an authentic Belizean experience with skin care products made from local natural ingredients, like a Mayan coffee scrub and chocolate wrap or papaya and banana facials. 

The open-air Mambo Restaurant serves award-winning cuisine, celebrating international techniques using local ingredients rather than imports. 

Every Stay Gives Back: Three dollars a night supports the Holy Cross Education Foundation. The charity provides high-quality primary school education for local kids from disadvantaged backgrounds.

 

7. Cala Luna (Tamarindo, Costa Rica)

Cala Luna is a boutique hotel amid the Costa Rican jungle, steps from the sandy shores of Playa Tamarindo. The family-owned hotel’s philosophy is rooted in mindful luxury. Beach villas and rooms are located at the end of gravel paths that wind through a lush, tropical jungle, where curious neighbors like monkeys dart through the trees. 

The decor in each room is simple yet refined, with muted natural tones and soft indirect lighting so as not to disturb the turtles on the beach during nesting season. Solar panels adorn the roofs, and all bath products are biodegradable. 

The spa harnesses the energy of the jungle with its menu of holistic treatments inspired by traditional Chinese medicine. All therapists have been trained by the resort’s Master Holistic Practitioner, Marianela Ortiz, who has over 40 years of experience in holistic wellness. Yoga classes are also available in the open-air wellness studio. 

As for food and drink, the partially open-air restaurant features organic herbs and vegetables sourced from the resort’s garden and produce from local Guanacaste farms. Processed foods are left off the table and out of the glass with a wine list that favors organic and bio-dynamic selections. 

As for wellness, the Jade Spa offers an authentic Belizean experience with skin care products made from local natural ingredients, like a Mayan coffee scrub and chocolate wrap or papaya and banana facials. 

You’ll be well-fed on award-winning cuisine at the open-air Mambo Restaurant, which celebrates international techniques using local ingredients rather than imports. 

Every Stay Gives Back: Alongside Cala Luna’s sustainability commitments, the resort partners with Kind Traveler’s Every Stay Gives Back program to donate one dollar a night to the Clean Wave, a charity with a mission to clean all 600 beaches in Costa Rica.

 

 

From jungles to alpine valleys, these wellness hotels and retreats invite you to restore your connection to nature and the Earth. Their wellness programs are designed to re-energize and rebalance while giving back to people and the planet.

Explore Kind Traveler's Every Stay Gives Back collection here.

Author Bio: Francesca Brooking is a freelance travel writer and content creator who loves sharing stories of community-driven change. She writes about topics including wildlife conservation, nature tourism, and sustainable city guides. She also runs a blog focused on making sustainable outdoor travel accessible and affordable.

 

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