These Arizona Resorts Are Harnessing The Power Of Nature To Make The State A Top Wellness Destination

With over 100 square miles of land devoted to state parks, 300 days of annual sunshine and a colorful bounty of fresh produce grown year-round, it’s no wonder Arizona has been ranked a close second to California as the best state for wellness. What sets Arizona’s wellness scene apart is the deep connection to nature, a practice that began some 12,000 years ago when Indigenous people first occupied the land. Recognizing the healing power of the elements, three wellness properties in particular—Civana Wellness Resort and Spa, Castle Hot Springs and the Arizona Biltmore, a Waldorf Astoria Resort—are drawing inspiration from mother nature to offer innovative programs and treatments that help travelers reconnect to the earth and themselves.

“Wellness isn’t a trend anymore, it’s something we recognize we all have to do for ourselves,” says Ed, a driver at Civana Wellness Resort and Spa. When I ask him what brings many of his passengers to the 20-acre resort located just outside the aptly named town of Carefree, he says, “People come here after losing a spouse or going through a divorce, they have real problems they’re using Civana to treat.”

Rather than take a one-size-fits-all approach, Civana invites guests to tailor their programming to exactly what they need. Everything falls under one of their four pillars of movement, spa, nourishment and discovery, but within that philosophy, guests can partake in as little or as much as they want. With over 70 fitness, personal growth and spiritual classes—ranging from Feng Shui to barre to outdoor spin—there is something for everyone, as well as opportunities to try a new modality. The resort’s location in the Sonoran Desert also make it ideally situated for hiking. Expert guides offer a wealth of knowledge on the local flora and fauna, shifting the intention of the hikes (of which there are many, at all different difficulty levels) from being active to connecting to nature.

That connection to nature is also the ethos behind the spa, where the focus is on healing through water. The main draw here is their hydrotherapy thermal circuit which includes hot and cold plunge pools, a cool waterfall shower and KLAFS sanarium (the only one in the country) to increase circulation and relaxation. Natural elements are also integrated in spa treatments with the use of hot stones, local herbs and gemstones. For those seeking healing, massage add-ons like the tuning fork and sound bowls use vibrational energy to help the body recalibrate. Civana is unique for its recognition of the therapeutic benefits of sound, with sound sessions—like ‘Sound Healing for Joy’ and ‘Slow Yoga With a Gong Bath’—offered almost every night.

Engaging the senses is also encouraged at Terras restaurant, where colorful plates are equally as stimulating for the eyes as the mouth. Keeping in theme with the minimalist aesthetic of the rooms, the spacious restaurant is notably quiet and calm, with a rare cellphone in sight. Instead, the focus is on the food, which ranges from sustainable proteins like Faroe Island seared salmon to vegan takes on local dishes like zucchini enchiladas. You don’t have to be vegan to appreciate that the vegetables are the star of every dish here.

Those interested in the wellness-through-food approach will want to drive an hour and a half north to Castle Hot Springs where over 3-acres of farming soil provide fertile ground for over 150 different crops. Daily farm tours led by the resort’s passionate farmers give guests the opportunity to learn about and sample the wide range of plants that are utilized throughout the property—from the calendula in their spa treatments to the catnip steeped in their sleepy wellness tea to the juicy tomatoes in their salads.

Learning about their eco-friendly farming practices and the challenge of growing in the unpredictable desert climate deepens appreciation for the five-course set menu dinner that follows the farm tour. For many of the chefs and cooks in the kitchen, it’s the first time they’ve been able to design the daily menu around the produce in their own backyard, and their excitement shows, with artfully presented plates like carrot ginger soup painted with lime crème fraiche and popcorn tempura cauliflower with pickled dill mustard seed and hot sauce made from chiltepin.

While the staff at Castle Hot Springs do not explicitly encourage guests to eat mindfully, with culinary creations that demand your attention, it’s hard not to slow down and do so. This gentle mindfulness encouragement is a theme throughout the property, with signs like “Silence is Golden” and “RUsureUwant2?” as the WiFi password. Whimsical little journals with mindfulness prompts are left on pillows at turndown service too. For those wanting a more structured digital detox, the resort now offers Sleep Retreats. Led by Dr. Rebecca Robbins, the 3-night retreats help guests learn more about their own sleep patterns and change their habits through sleep meditations, discussions and grounding activities like yoga and hikes.

Even for those who don’t come for a sleep retreat, it’s hard not to sleep well due to the resort’s main amenity—the hot springs. Three steaming pools ranging from 86F to 106F are rich in lithium, magnesium and bicarbonates—three minerals known to boost mood, ease muscles and promote relaxation. The water is so healing, Castle Hot Springs has been the natural spa of choice for centuries—from the Native Americans who were believed to use them as far back as 700 AD to American presidents like Theodore Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy.

The healing power of water is taken to the next level in the new Watsu pool, where massage therapists help guests move through a rhythmic dance in the water to release tension and improve mobility. For those seeking a more gentle water treatment, aquatic energy balancing works with the chakras and meridians to clear energy blockages while guests float in the water. Back on land, spa experiences are still immersed in nature, with treatment rooms set in tents by a flowing creek. Locally harvested ingredients like prickly pear, aloe and calendula are incorporated into skin nourishing body wrap treatments.

The body especially appreciates the rejuvenating hot springs and spa treatments after a long hike. This is also what makes Castle Hot Springs a unique wellness destination—over 10 trailheads are within walking distance of the property. Adrenaline-junkies will want to take advantage of the resort’s aerial walkway—a narrow 150 ft. suspension bridge—and the Via Ferrata course—a system of ladders, rungs and steel cables affixed to a mountain, of which there are only a few in the country. There are countless other opportunities to get outside too with e-biking tours, horseback riding, archery and axe-throwing.

For those looking for a quicker wellness retreat in the city, the Arizona Biltmore, A Waldorf Astoria Resort promotes connecting to nature at their Tierra Luna Spa and Sol Garden. Named after the moon above and the earth below, everything here is inspired by the ancient Native American practice of connecting to the earth. Body treatments highlight native ingredients, such as sage and desert salt used in the exfoliating body scrub and Indigenous mud in the ‘Alchemy Mud and Crystal Wrap’ which also incorporates insights from an astrologer.

It’s this spiritual element of many of the treatments that makes Tierra Luna Spa particularly unique. Rooms are named after each of the astrological signs and treatments like the ‘Chakra and Sound Massage’ work with the body’s vibrational energies by using seven different massage oils corresponding with each of the seven chakras. Throughout the massage, the therapist explains the purpose of each chakra and the botanicals in the corresponding oil, and applies a tuning fork to pressure points to release stagnant energy.

Cleansing the body of impurities is also the intention behind the spa’s halotherapy treatment where tiny particles of salt fill a room made of giant Himalayan salt blocks. Steps from the salt room, guests are invited to lounge in the Sol garden on meditation cushions or complete a hot-cold hydrotherapy circuit alternating between the cold plunge pool and hot tub. The healing power of water is also utilized in the ‘Desert Oasis Massage’ in which guests experience weightlessness on a bed of heated water pillows.

Even if you skip the spa, there are many opportunities to get in the water with a total seven pools (including one with a heart-racing triple water slide) spread throughout the property and pool-based fitness classes like ‘Aqua Bootcamp’. Back on land, daily wellness classes range from Pilates to yoga to full moon rituals, while the 3,000-square-foot fitness center offers a wide selection of cardio and weight equipment.

Another natural element—fire—is the focus at the resort’s signature restaurant, Renata’s Hearth. Translating to “born again,” Renata’s takes inspiration from across the Latin American continent, working with smoke and heat to create soul-nourishing dishes. While vegetables are the star at Civana and Castle Hot Springs, here it’s all about the proteins, with tender seafood like scallops and branzino, and hearty meats like wagyu brisket and cochinita pibil served family style with tortillas and salsas. Equally as smoky are the mezcal cocktails, which combine agave with ingredients from the earth like activated charcoal, black lava and passion fruit shrub. While the Arizona Biltmore is located in the city, it’s hard not to leave feeling reconnected with the elements given the resort’s focus on fire, water and the earth.

As resorts continue to innovate to offer guests the latest in wellness, these Arizona properties prove the secret is in looking backwards rather than forwards—to the ancient practice of connecting with the Earth. Whether you’re seeking healing, rejuvenation or simply to slow down—the nature-centered programming at these resorts replenishes the body, mind and soul.