A Snob’s Guide to Seriously Sport Spas

Golden Door

California

The Golden Door’s vibe is rural Japan and its profits go to charity.

This 600-acre SoCal sibling of Rancho la Puerta was created in 1958 to cater to (and cosset) the Hollywood crowd. The staff-to-guest ratio is five to one, the feel is Japanese countryside (Zen gardens, koi ponds, ryokan-inspired rooms), and nearly 200 fitness activities are offered weekly. But this isn’t merely self-care: 100 percent ofGolden Door’s profits go to charities. (The the family of Carlyle Group’s Bill Conway now owns the property.)

Schloss Elmau

Germany

The adults-only spa at Schloss Elmau. There are five others.

Since opening in 1916, this luxe compound in the Bavarian Alps has been attracting modern day Renaissance men and women with programming rooted in both sports and culture. By day, push your physical limits (hike, wild-swim, do some nordic skiing or rock climbing). In the evenings, nourish the mind with concerts and literary talks . Renowned talents lead retreats at Schloss Elmau, and the annual yoga summit showcases the best instructors from around the globe. There’s plenty of R&R, too: Six spas administer a global menu of therapies, including detoxifying steam sessions in a Turkish bath built from 200-million-year-old Bavarian Jurassic stone.

Euphoria Retreat

Greece

The Euphoria Retreat offers a Peloponnesian setting and serious spa-ing.

This six-year-old, 45-room haven in the pine- and lemon-scented southern Peloponnese is the brainchild of Marina Efraimoglou, who, after being diagnosed with cancer, studied with a Taoist master, hunkered down at Golden Door spa (see above), and enrolled at the Academy of Ancient Greek and Traditional Chinese Medicine in Athens. Euphoria marries eastern and western therapies with science-based treatments. Push your limits (one fitness program is inspired by Spartan warrior training), knowing every imaginable recuperation method—from a hammam to a sensory deprivation pool—awaits in the four-story spa complex.

BodyHoliday

St. Lucia

Beach time is your reward at BodyHoliday, and lounging acceptable.

Think of it as a softer, kinder weight-loss-and-fitness camp. Those in top form are challenged by beach workouts led by former Olympians (or you can summit three of the island’s highest peaks in a day). But classes and activities atBodyHoliday are complemented by sommelier-led wine tastings. ”Itineraries” are packed with scuba, sailing, spin, and TRX workouts, but you’re welcome to sit under an umbrella with a rum punch.

Blackberry Mountain

Tennessee

The Blackberry Mountain complex.

This 5,200-acre playground in the Great Smoky Mountains champions adventure over abstinence (and you’re practically encouraged at Blackberry Mountain to work up an appetite): Guided hikes on the property’s 36-mile trail network double as nature tutorials and mountain-bike rides on the eight miles of singletrack pass open-air art installations. The movement studio has barre and TRX classes, a recovery lab offers inflammation-reducing red light therapy, and the spa menu includes a mean herbal poultice massage. Yes, the signature Southern-style culinary indulgences of Mountain’s sister property, Blackberry Farm, have been tempered slightly, but every meal still offers plenty of motivation to hit the trails again.

This story appears in the Summer 2024 issue of Town & Country. SUBSCRIBE NOW

Jen Murphy is a journalist who specializes in fitness, wellness, and active travel. She covers fitness for the New York Times and is the author of the Yoga (Man)ual.