Splashing around under the warm sunshine may feel like a wellness treatment in and of itself, but travelers and locals alike would be remiss to not indulge in one of San Diego’s spectacular spas. You’ll find that the city places major emphasis on earthy, holistic wellness – think cupping, Ayurveda, and wooden tubs – though there are many traditional offerings as well. After much consideration of all San Diego’s spas have to offer, we’re highlighting the city’s best. From massages in cabanas to coconut milk soaks, keep reading for the indulgent treatments you should cross off your bucket list.
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1 The Spa at Paradise Point
The Spa: The Spa at Paradise Point℠
The Location: San Diego, California
Why It’s a Must-Visit: For a peaceful reprieve away from it all, there’s really no better option than to mosey onto a private island. Paradise Point Resort & Spa offers exactly that via its 44-acre secluded haven, which is located in Mission Bay just off the coast of downtown San Diego. The spa itself is tucked into the island’s tropical foliage to offer guests an intimate, relaxing, and scenic getaway.
The spa menu offers are just as noteworthy as its locale. If you need to relax, try an authentic Balinese massage, which combines Swedish, Lomi Lomi, acupressure, and Ayurvedic techniques. Should you be after a complexion treatment, consider the acerola cherry-powered Volcanic Vitamin C Facialsm to brighten your skin tone. For a unique, full-body experience, book the Heavenly Milk Soaksm and find your bliss in a wooden soaking tub filled with coconut milk and sea salt-infused warm water.
2 Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa
The Spa: Rancho Valencia Resort® & Spa
The Location: Rancho Santa Fe, California
Why It’s a Must-Visit: You’ll feel like you stepped into another world at Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa. This enchanting destination is nestled among robust gardens and olive groves in historic Rancho Santa Fe. The luxury, five-star resort – which has earned a prestigious AAA Five Diamond Award® for five years in a row – boasts open-air cabana treatment rooms, an adults-only spa pool, a 1,000-square foot Serenity Yoga Pavilionsm and an assortment of both botanical and modern-day treatments.
We recommend the White Diamond Facialsm, a 90-minute treatment that utilizes real diamonds to improve skin texture, tone, and clarity; as well as the Signature Facialsm, a tailored-treatment that incorporates wild honey, goji berries, and peptide serums to pamper your skin. For a truly unique experience, consider booking the Sacred Nature Massagesm: it’s a full-body 60-minute treatment amid the property’s lush gardens.
3 Firefly Wellness Day Spa
The Spa: Firefly Wellness Day Spa℠
The Location: San Diego, California
Why It’s a Must-Visit: For those seeking more of an urban reprieve versus outdoorsy escape, you’ll find a gem in Firefly Wellness Day Spa located in the Mission Hills neighborhood of San Diego. It’s a boutique spa with a tight-knit team, including four massage therapists, three facialists, a yoga instructor, and Ayurveda guide. In addition to completely bespoke massages and facials (there’s no detailed list of services; just customizable treatments), the menu also offers waxing, meditation classes, yoga, and even spa parties.
4 Four Moons Spa
The Spa: Four Moons Spa℠
The Location: Encinitas, California
Why It’s a Must-Visit: Four Moons has appeared on pretty much every outlet’s “must visit” list, and we’d be remiss to not include it in this San Diego roundup. The spa-meets-holistic wellness retreat offers traditional services alongside offbeat healing experiences, a thoughtfully curated apothecary, and a comprehensive assortment of classes and workshops. It’s all situated in Encinitas, just north of San Diego proper.
The traditional offerings include therapeutic massages such as reflexology and stone, and organic- and gluten-free facials including their Rose Gem Quartz Essence Facialsm and customizable Four Moons Facialsm. Distinctive services run the gamut and include everything from empathic healing and meditation to somatic sexology (a unique form of body coaching) and astrology readings.
5 Saffron & Sage
The Spa: Saffron & Sage®
The Location: San Diego, California
Why It’s a Must-Visit: Think of Saffron & Sage as more holistic health club versus a traditional spa. It’s a membership-based “urban wellness sanctuary” that specifically caters to those in the wellness community. With your membership, you gain access to the facility’s many treatments and fitness classes – plus the added perk of mingling with others in the health space. The goal is to improve your education surrounding wellness, while also indulging in treatments yourself. Highlighted services include energy therapy, sound therapy, fire cupping, acupuncture, botanical medicine, and a range of yoga classes. Membership packages start at $125 per month.
6 Shelter Island SpaTerre at Kona Kai
The Spa: Shelter Island SpaTerre at Kona Kai℠
The Location: San Diego, California
Why It’s a Must-Visit: The spa menu at Kona Kai Resort & Spa’s℠ SpaTerre boasts a global melting pot of experiences and rituals from countries such as Indonesia, Thailand, and Fiji. Here, it’s all about unique, one-of-a-kind indulgences you’re not likely to find elsewhere in the city – or even in the states.
For example, the Javanese Royal Treatmentsm is inspired by indulgent treatments offered at Java palaces, and includes a Balinese massage, botanical exfoliation, yogurt splash and shower, and a tropical fragrance-infused soaking tub. You could also try Sandor Poultice Therapysm, which takes place atop the spa’s famous, one-of-a-kind Crystal Quartz Tablesm. It utilizes warm sand poultices and massage techniques meant to stimulate blood circulation and eliminate built-up waste in your system. If you really want to go big, note that the spa also just debuted its luxurious open-air cabana massage treatments, which take place along their private resort beach.
