Dream Vacations: 'Me Time' at a Luxury Wellness Retreat

Over the years, I’ve written about the heavyweights in wellness travel. That includes the likes of Canyon Ranch Lenox, Cal-a-Vie, and Amangiri, where a retreat can run as high as $3,500 per night in peak season. But if I could choose among all the flashy longevity programs and over-the-top retreat offerings, I’d hightail it to the magical oasis of Castle Hot Springs in the Sonoran Desert.

Set in a narrow basin of the Bradshaw Mountains, Castle Hot Springs is defined by the natural mineral water. These springs have been known for generations for their health properties, and they became the foundation of Arizona’s first wellness resort when the property opened in 1896. The site later hosted families of the Gilded Age and, briefly, a young John F. Kennedy during his recovery from wartime injuries. After decades of closure, the resort was restored and reopened in 2019 as an adults-only retreat with thirty standalone cabins on more than 1,000 acres. It has a guest cap of about 60, meaning the staff-to-guest ratio is high.

For arrival, I’ll skip the seven-mile bumpy dirt track drive and opt for a helicopter pick up from Scottsdale, for the view and to appreciate the scale of the landscape. The flight soars over Lake Pleasant and the Bradshaw Mountains before dropping into the hidden valley marked by ribbons of green, fed by the springs. Landing beside the palm grove in paradise will set the tone for this trip, where the outside world feels non-existent.

Everything at Castle Hot Springs revolves around the water. Three terraced pools sit in the canyon above the property, each fed directly by the thermal source that reaches roughly 106 degrees Fahrenheit at the top basin. As the water moves downhill, it slowly cools. The middle pool averages in the mid-90s F, while the lowest is closer to the mid-80s F and deep enough for a swim. Lithium, magnesium, and bicarbonates occur naturally here — the same minerals that drew visitors more than a century ago.

During this retreat, I envision wading in a billowing kaftan from the pools to the nearby treatment areas, then back to my luxuriously private Spring Bungalow, where I’ll have a private outdoor tub filled directly from the thermal source. As this will likely be a five-figure trip, and because there are no constraints, I’d also book every premium activity and spa treatment on offer: guided UTV safaris into the canyons, horseback rides through the hills, private astronomy nights, daily massages, farm walks, sound bath meditations, and yoga nidra sessions.

My Dream Hot Springs Itinerary

• Day 1: Arrive Scottsdale, heli transfer to Castle Hot Springs
• Day 2: Morning yoga and guided walk, afternoon CBS massage and south bath
• Day 3: Via ferrata or UTV safari, free afternoon and multi-course tasting dinner
• Day 4: Helicopter vineyard tasting, afternoon yoga and chef’s table dinner
• Day 5: Morning Watsu session, breath work, and meditation. Spa treatments in afternoon.
• Day 6: Morning soaks and spa, unscheduled afternoon, followed by a soak under the stars
• Day 7: Schedule a “Sonoran Desert Transformation service” join a farm-to-bar mixology class, final farm-to-table dinner
• Day 8: Depart for home