Revive in Santa Fe or Sedona for your next wellness retreat

Sedona, in Arizona, often sits at the top of rankings for the best places for a wellness experience in the USA and rightfully so. Between its glorious red rocks, stunning hiking trails, endless stream of psychics and aura readings, and easy access to the magic that is Grand Canyon National Park, it’s hard to deny Sedona's attractions. So I’m going to tell you: your instinct is correct. You belong in Sedona.

But to you, fellow lovers of all things woo-woo, wellness and life-changingly beautiful panoramic views, another destination should be right next to Sedona in your hearts and minds: Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Six hours and a few national forests apart, Santa Fe is the benevolent, rooted sibling to Sedona’s mystical, otherworldly vibe. If Sedona is tarot cards and massages, Santa Fe is Indigenous art and yoga classes. Both cities are incredible, and both ought to be pushed to the top of your bucket list.

Here’s how to see Sedona and Santa Fe for yourself and what to do when you get there. 

Sedona’s best experiences 

Do all things woo-woo 

As a bit of a woo-woo girl, I immediately bought into Sedona – it’s more fun that way. My rec is to embrace the energy vortexes and healing, whether you are convinced or not. I got an aura reading at the Center for the New Age and have zero regrets about that or the CBD healing massage at Velvet Spa.

Shop Uptown

Build on the woo-woo at chic Uptown Sedona's stream of gift shops and funky stops, like the Psychic Center of Sedona, Sedona Crystal Vortex and Peace Place Gifts. If words like "metaphysical" and "singing bowls" mean anything to you, you’ll want to spend some time here. 

Find art and culture 

Swing by the Tlaquepaque Arts and Shopping Village for a taste of the cultural scene at the Art Gallery Carré d'Artistes, Rowe Gallery and ALT Books and Records. 

Get outdoors

A visit to Sedona isn’t a visit to Sedona without some form of hike, big or small. I went with the tinier version (sue me; it was August!) and strolled the 2-mile Adobe Jack Trail, which has relatively low elevation and works even for nonhikers like myself who are seeking a moment with nature more than an intense climb. 

Where to stay in Sedona

Sedona is fairly small, so stay right in the middle of town for easy access to its best areas. 

I stayed outside of Uptown at Ambiente, which immediately flew to the top of my Best Hotels Ever list. At this luxury spot, you get your very own atrium, including a rooftop where you can stretch out and bask in the sunshine. The food was to die for (I’ve never eaten so many flowers), the mocktails were delicious, and the pool was well worth a lazy afternoon, but the atrium is what hooked me.

The majority of the room is surrounded by glass (tinted for privacy), so the red rocks are the first thing you see when you open your eyes and the last thing you see before you fall asleep. If you’re lucky enough to land a rainy afternoon, there’s something extra special about curling up in a fluffy hotel bed and listening to the sound of rain on the glass, the red rocks peeking out through the gray. 

Santa Fe’s best experiences 

Go museum hopping

You simply cannot miss Santa Fe’s museums. They’re a major part of what makes the city feel so alive. The roots of Santa Fe are incredibly present, its past beautifully woven into the present, and institutions like the New Mexico Museum of Art and the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum make that possible.

Visit big-hearted markets

Remember what I said about Santa Fe feeling rooted? That comes through in the city’s markets, too, from the Santa Fe Indian Market, the world's largest and most prestigious Native arts event since the 1920s, to the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market, which sells local produce and gifts worth the space in your suitcase. 

Eat, eat, eat

Santa Fe wouldn’t be Santa Fe without chiles. I was told (many, many times) that this is a city where your chile pepper selection – red, green or Christmas (aka both red and green) – defines you. Breakfast should most certainly be at The Pantry, a busy diner-style Santa Fe staple; try the huevos Consuelo. Make lunch reservations at Escondido for the best chiles en nogada in town. Or go the extra mile and plan your visit around September’s annual Wine and Chile Fiesta, where you can snack on dishes like chile hot fudge, chile butter and vegan black bean dip while you listen to live music and meet strangers. 

Get funky at Meow Wolf

If you’ve never heard of Meow Wolf, just know that when I got into my rideshare, the driver said, “Oh, Meow Wolf? That place is terrifying.” The thing is, it is terrifying, but in the most fun way possible. Think of it as a mysterious neon art installation where you might find yourself crawling through a washing machine and solving a riddle, or squinting at, well, everything, wondering, Is that what I think it is? It’s a painting, but you’re in it. It’s a game, but you’re playing…or maybe being played. Enjoy yourself.

Where to stay in Santa Fe

Over double the size of Sedona, Santa Fe is a destination where the location of your hotel really matters. Personally, this is when I like to lean on one of my tried-and-true travel tricks: staying in two hotels on either side of town. If this is doable for you, I recommend El Rey Court, which is closer to the center of the city, and The Inn of Five Graces, which is just a stroll from the iconic plaza. 

El Rey Court, a roadside motel built in the 1930s, now updated, is great for a girls' trip or low-key stay. I fell in love with its food truck’s vegetarian quesadillas and breakfast burritos with red and green chile (there’s that chile again), and it has lots of on-site entertainment, like live music. On the other end of the spectrum, The Inn of Five Graces is a luxury hotel made of traditional adobe. This is the sort of hotel I’d book for an anniversary, babymoon or honeymoon.

Bonus: Add on a visit to the Grand Canyon from Sedona

When in Sedona, it would simply be silly not to road-trip to the Grand Canyon. You can do this a couple of ways: renting a car at the airport or joining an excursion. Craving simplicity, I went with the latter, booking a tour through Viator (about 400 US dollars for two people) that included stops at Grand Canyon National Park, Hopi House, Kolb Studio, Mather Point and Grand Canyon Desert View Watchtower. It was so lovely to sit back in an air-conditioned van and ask the guide a zillion questions, and the incredible views flashing by made the drive a piece of cake. Whether you choose a group tour or not, you really, really cannot miss the Grand Canyon if you’re within 3 hours of it. Trust me. 

Rachel Lewis visited Santa Fe at the invitation of Tourism Santa Fe and was hosted by Ambiente Sedona. Lonely Planet does not accept freebies for positive coverage.