Recharge and Unwind at These Top-Notch Wellness Destinations in San Diego
Self-care has never been more in vogue, but if skipping town for a weekend wellness reboot isn’t an option, then sign up for a San Diego spa day experience instead! Ranging from wanderlust-worthy destination hotels to charming neighborhood gems, these holistic sanctuaries and authentic Korean bathhouses offer a stellar range of services. You’ll find everything at these wellness and beauty spots—from full-body scrubs, botanical facials and IV therapies to moon-phase rituals. Want a calm mind with silky smooth skin to match? Discover your definition of self-care at these San Diego spas.
The Catamaran Spa
The ocean is the focal point at The Catamaran Spa, from its waterfront location on Mission Bay to the marine-based products infusing salt and a sea breeze into its services. San Diego’s only beachfront spa just received a summer refresh, peppering its menu with new skincare therapies, massages, exfoliating treatments and wraps inspired by South Pacific and East Asian traditions. The Gua Sha CBD Facial blends the best of historical and modern techniques. Celebrating the time-honored treatment of gua sha, this facial is complemented by anti-inflammatory CBD and prickly pear facial oil.
Sometimes life calls for a reset from the inside out. Infused with a warm herbal poultice and a magnesium salt scrub, the Ocean Detox Wrap combats muscle tension and soreness. However, if exfoliation and hydration is your goal, the Tropical Rainforest Scrub is a must-try. This treatment highlights Kauai’s native maile vine, whose soothing aroma mingles with exotic oils and hydrating body butter in this nourishing scrub.
Local Insight: Ready to join the club? Catamaran Spa Members+ receive unlimited access to the spa facilities, fitness center and wellness classes. Other benefits include comped valet, access to the resort pool and a discount at all of the hotel’s dining outlets.
Location: Pacific Beach
Cal-a-Vie Health Spa
Inspired by European spa philosophies while celebrating San Diego’s serene landscapes, Cal-a-Vie Health Spa has more than proven that “c’est la vie” isn’t confined to French culture. Situated among lavender fields and grape vines, this globally top-ranked wellness resort offers various spa packages, allowing guests to curate a stay tailored to their unique preferences. Restorative services like candlelit yoga and soothing treatments offer a holistic mental refresh from the hustle and bustle of daily life. Alternatively, nature walks, pickleball and specialized workouts cater to those who just can’t sit still, infusing mindful movement into any wellness routine.
Location: Vista
The Spa at Rancho Bernardo Inn
Surrounded by Spanish Colonial facades, trickling fountains and notes of jasmine wafting through the air, The Spa at Rancho Bernardo Inn caters to all five senses. This intimate San Diego spa garden contains a thoughtfully curated labyrinth, with open-air walkways linking an exclusive heated saline pool to stylish outdoor casitas that double as treatment rooms. A one-stop-shop for all things relaxation and wellness, the services here range from holistic massages and collagen facials to fusion hydrations and signature nail treatments. Lounging poolside under the shade of a cabana or inside the sauna is the only way you should spend your post-treatment phase.
Location: Rancho Bernardo
Sunny’s Spa & Beauty Lounge at The Seabird Ocean Resort & Spa
Tucked on the grounds of The Seabird Ocean Resort & Spa in Oceanside, Sunny’s Spa & Beauty Lounge is an oceanfront retreat for all things wellness. Holistic “soul care” is on the menu here, where you can immerse yourself in rejuvenating treatments and rituals with sweeping ocean views at every turn. The well-being services at Sunny’s Spa & Beauty Lounge are designed for solos and duos (think couples, mothers and daughters and friends), and include everything from body wraps to anti-aging facials and deep tissue massages. Bodywork offerings cater to the relief of a variety of everyday stresses—from prenatal to sports recovery. Sunny’s Spa & Beauty Lounge takes the concept of mind, body and spirit to heart, as seen in their approach to soul-centered services, such as craniosacral therapy, lymphatic flow treatments, reflexology and more.
Spa guests can further their self-care rituals at the beauty lounge, where experienced stylists offer hair services, such as cuts and colors and nail techs offer natural, nontoxic manis and pedis. When you sign up for their newly launched Oceanside Resorts Membership, you’ll have access to the spa’s countless amenities and relaxation spaces, as well as select services and discounts at The Seabird Ocean Resort & Spa and Mission Pacific Beach Resort.
Location: Oceanside
Miraval Life in Balance Spa Aviara
The Miraval brand has become synonymous with elevating the well-being of its clients, no matter its location around the world. From the Sonoran Desert to the Red Sea and beyond, Miraval Resorts all share the same ethos: “a life in balance through mindfulness.” The newly opened Miraval Life in Balance Spa at Park Hyatt Aviara reflects the coastal California lifestyle and integrates the region’s cultural heritage into its services. Whether it’s an Ocean Song Ritual, a Warrior Recovery Massage or a Bungee Fitness workout, Miraval Spa has inspired itineraries and experiences for everyone. They also offer Day Packages for those not staying at the resort.
Location: Carlsbad
The Spa at Rancho Valencia
If you don’t have time to dip down to a Mexican resort, we recommend a visit to Forbes five-star-rated The Spa at Rancho Valencia for a local immersion. Nestled within 45 acres of lush gardens and olive groves, this hacienda-inspired spa features 10 treatment rooms, an expansive yoga pavilion and a posh gym—not to mention a comprehensive wellness menu. Whether you’re here for a staycation or simply a day at the ranch, the body treatments and touch therapies on offer promise to rejuvenate you before the city beckons your return.
Location: Rancho Santa Fe
Spa Pendry
The Pendry San Diego is a boutique hotel that skimps on nothing—from luxurious accommodations and endless dining options to full-service wellness offerings. Spa Pendry features skilled therapists who are ready to pamper you with facial, body and massage therapies, as well as nail and waxing services. For those seeking a fully immersive therapy, you can add a Mind-Sync Wellness Lounger session to your spa treatment or day pass. This service invites you to recline in zero-gravity positioning while surrounding you with a full-spectrum sound wave auditory experience.
Location: Downtown San Diego
Ocean Pearl Spa at The Westin Carlsbad Resort & Spa and Sheraton Carlsbad Resort & Spa
“If guests only have time for one treatment, I tell them it has got to be the Lalicious,” says Spa Director Kerri Calver of the luxurious exfoliation and massage combo at Ocean Pearl Spa. “It takes care of your skin and makes it glow. I can’t say enough good things about it.” Calver, who got famous faces red-carpet ready before joining The Westin Carlsbad and Sheraton Carlsbad Resort & Spa, redesigned the menu to “give the San Diego crowd a taste of LA style.” She also champions local skincare brands, like COOLA and CA Botana, that use marine botanicals; she even helped inspire treatments like the COOLA Sunrise. Calver recommends coming early to enjoy the eucalyptus steam room and vitamin C shower before a session and staying afterward to unwind further with some tea, fruit-infused spa water and snacks in the relaxation room or outside on the saltwater pool deck.
Location: Carlsbad
Four Moons Spa
Recharge your body and soul at this gorgeous day spa-meets-cosmic collective in Leucadia, where spa treatments, including facials and massages, can be mixed and matched with intuitive services by healers, mystics and yogis. Schedule a self-guided scrub in the gorgeous marble hammam room, then follow it up with a half hour in the infrared sauna or a nutritional IV with an on-site expert. To clear blocked energies, book a spirit reading with one of their two intuitive tarot card readers!
Local Insight: Keep an eye on the events calendar for monthly and quick-to-sell out multisensory sound bath experiences with acupuncturist Alexa Woods.
Location: Leucadia
Saffron & Sage
More of a spiritual awakening center than a conventional spa, this peaceful Mission Hills studio is the perfect place to begin a mind-body wellness journey. With a focus on preventive and integrative healthcare, Saffron & Sage offers a variety of resources for holistic healing and natural living alongside a multidisciplinary team of practitioners, including reiki masters, acupuncturists, massage therapists and naturopaths. Group sessions cover meditation, breathwork and moon circles, while individual treatments range from cupping to life coaching. There are three levels of yearly memberships, and each comes with perks like complimentary consultations and members-only events. If you’re looking to just try it out, however, all services can be booked by non-members too.
Local Insight: Facials at Saffron & Sage use the brand’s holistic skincare line, which is plant-based, vegan and cruelty-free.
Location: Mission Hills
Yu Spa
Whether you come for a dry and steam sauna session, wet room massage or blissful 90-minute body scrub, it’s worth setting aside a morning or afternoon to explore everything this authentic Korean spa has to offer. Maybe try a yoni steam (yes, that V treatment Gwyneth Paltrow put on our wellness radars back in 2015) or hop between the Himalayan salt and red clay saunas and ice room. There are separate men’s and women’s treatment areas, but the relaxation lounge is co-ed. Always shower before hitting the wet rooms, and be prepared to go completely naked in bathing areas.
Location: Kearny Mesa
Girl on the Go
Girl on the Go offers gua sha, herbal poultice, connective tissue massages and LED light therapy that leaves skin glowing and looking lifted alongside its lineup of more than 10 traditional skincare facials. Luxurious body treatments are featured as well. The 90-minute Body Detox not only targets stretch marks but increases lymph metabolism. Or you can choose to reach deeper levels of total relaxation with the 2.5-hour Pure Bliss facial and body treatment combo. This includes dry brushing and a jasmine and hyaluronic body cream massage before being wrapped in a warm blanket with a scalp and foot massage finale.
Location: Golden Hill
Thérapie Day Spa
Kelly Robinson’s charming day spas in La Mesa and Ocean Beach hit all the high notes when it comes to relaxation. Enjoy CBD or Warm Stone massages or body scrubs and wraps in the shower room. We recommend the Reset Thérapie Package, which will have your skin and body glowing in no time. Facials are also a specialty, which feature products by Epicuren Discovery and Image Skin Care. The Calm Thérapie Facial is great for soothing acne-prone skin, while the Glow Signature Facial will boost radiance levels. The menu also showcases services for teens, couples and expectant mothers.
Locations: La Mesa and Ocean Beach
Keri Bridgwater is a freelance writer covering travel and lifestyle. Her work has been featured in Fodor’s Travel, Marie Claire, Matador Network and InsideHook, among other outlets and publications.
