Guilt-Free Vacays: 10 Healthy Hot Spots to Try

By Karen Asp

You go somewhere luxe, indulge away and come back thinner. Our experts canvassed the country to find ten standout trips that make it easy to eat healthy and get toned without trying.

Our healthy-travel judges then ranked these top U.S. destinations based on how nutritious and tasty the food is, how active you'll want to be while you're there (in other words, how creative and fun the exercise options are), how much private coaching is at your fingertips and whether
you'll pick up healthy habits to bring home. Jet off to one of these places this summer and your
souvenir just might be a smaller dress size.

Meet our judges

• Samantha Brown is the host of Travel Channel shows including Great Weekends and Passport

to Europe.

• Melisse Gelula is the co-founder of WellandGoodNYC.com; she is also the former editor-in-

chief of spafinderlifestyle.com.

• Jim Kaese is a hotel gym expert and Editor-in-Chief for AthleticMindedTraveler.com.

No. 1 Miraval Resort & Spa
Tucson, Arizona
How to travel: alone, with your partner, with girlfriends

The peaceful desert setting at Miraval will inspire your sweat sessions; all meals are under 450

calories.

An exhilarating zip-line trip through the desert. A flavorful, grass-fed beef tenderloin under 350

calories. The premier integrative-wellness program founded by mind-body guru Andrew Weil.

These are just a few of the reasons why Miraval snagged the top spot. "You leave there feeling

lighter in spirit and slimmer in your waistline," says Melisse Gelula, one of our panelists and

co-founder of Well & Good NYC, a healthy-lifestyle Web site. Food-wise, dishes are portion-

controlled, locally sourced and delicious.

As for fitness, your options are challenging and inventive, ranging from Qigong to walking a

tightrope. "You're pushing yourself physically in entirely new ways," Gelula notes. But the

real magic of Miraval is that it makes healthy eating and being active so effortless -- you'll be

genuinely surprised when your pants are looser upon checkout.

Cost: Rates start at $525 per night and are all-inclusive (800-232-3969; miravalresorts.com)

No. 2 SwellWomen Surf & Yoga Retreat
Maui, Hawaii
How to travel: alone, with girlfriends

No worries if you've never been hangin' ten before! SwellWomen welcomes beginners and

your body will still benefit big-time. "Even when you don't get up on that board, it's an amazing workout," assures panelist Samantha Brown, a host on the Travel Channel.

On a typical day during this women-only, week long retreat, you'll fuel up with a fresh, portion-

controlled breakfast prepared by Swell's private chef. Then you'll set out for two hours of fat-

burning surfing lessons, followed by a zen outdoor yoga class. After a nutritious lunch, bliss

out with a massage or lounge by the pool. Later, enjoy the chef's specialty dessert-Pineapple

Coconut Haupia, guilt-free. Your parting gift: new-found confidence in your surfing skills and

your sculpted bod.

Cost: $3,595 all-inclusive rate for one week with single occupancy; $2,995 for double occupancy (800-399-6284; swellwomen.com)

No. 3 Red Mountain Resort
St. George, Utah
How to travel: alone, with girlfriends, with your partner

It's hard not to get your heart rate up at this resort located in Utah's red rock country: You're

surrounded by thousands of acres of cliffs and canyons that beckon you to go hiking, biking, rock climbing, and horseback riding. "What stood out most to me was their mountain-biking program," says Jim Kaese, panelist and co-founder of Athletic-Minded Traveler LLC. "Rentals and guides are provided for an array of rides."

The meals here are filling, but diet-friendly. "You work up an appetite and then return to have

really healthy food choices laid out for you," Gelula says. We love that there's plenty of good

low-cal grub, like chilled watermelon-cilantro soup, southwest chicken skewers and frozen

mango passion mousse -- altogether, less than 500 calories!

Cost: A la carte rates start at $189 per night; package rates start at $250 per night, all-inclusive (877-246-4453; redmountainresort.com)

No. 4 Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain
Paradise Valley, Arizona
How to travel: alone, with girlfriends, with your partner

The dazzling backdrop alone is worth the trip here -- Sanctuary is set at the base of majestic

Camelback Mountain, in a serene desert landscape. But it's the resort's attentive and skilled

staff that landed Sanctuary at the number-four spot.

"The yoga and Pilates teachers will really push you physically, and the classes are small, so you get a lot of attention," Gelula says of the complimentary studio classes. "The trainers will take you on hikes and bikes that will kick your butt, too," she adds. The executive chef here is Iron Chef America winner Beau MacMillan, who uses what's fresh and local to cook up nutritious dishes like edamame-and-truffle dumplings. "Beau really knows how to get creative with healthy food," Gelula says.

Cost: Rates start at $235 per night (800-245-2051; sanctuaryaz.com)

No. 5 The Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows
Big Island, Hawaii
How to travel: with girlfriends, with your partner, with the family

Kick up your flippers and check out the tropical fish in the reef that's on the Mauna Lani

property.

Triathletes flock to Mauna Lani to train for a half-Ironman that takes place on the hotel's

paradise-like premises, but there's no need to be a professional athlete to enjoy staying

here. Located on three miles of secluded shoreline, the resort lets you play hard outdoors at

everything: kayaking, tennis, golf, even coconut husking. Trust us, you'll work up a sweat!

The lap pool is what really wowed Kaese: "It has an amazing competition-quality, three-lane lap

pool with floating lane lines," he says. Mauna Lani takes a true farm-to-table approach to food,

sourcing the vast majority of ingredients locally. "They go way beyond your typical resort fare

and provide a real connection between you, the location, and the food," Brown adds.

Cost: Rates start at $395 per night (808-885-6622; maunalani.com)

No. 6 Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa & Casino
Incline Village, Nevada
How to travel: with girlfriends, with your partner, with the family

Ready to relax? Chill out at one of the Hyatt's lakeside fire pits.

Just walking around at an elevation of 7,000 feet will get your heart pumping. This Hyatt is

nestled in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, right on the shores of Lake Tahoe (with its own private

beach), so there are countless ways to get moving outside. "You can go on walks and runs

around the forested area and take thrilling mountain bike rides up and down the nearby Flume

Trail," Kaese says. "And the winter skiing is superb in the surrounding mountain peaks."

The resort's Lone Eagle Grille also got high marks from our judges for consistently serving

healthy, organic, seasonal meals that taste great. (The chef is a big fan of fresh seafood.)

Cost: Rates start at $178 per night (775-832-1234; laketahoe.hyatt.com)

No. 7 Canyon Ranch Hotel & Spa in Miami Beach
Miami beach, Florida
How to travel: alone, with girlfriends, with your partner

The Canyon Ranch menu is broken down by carbs, calories, protein, fat and fiber content.

At Canyon Ranch Miami, it's all about the staff, which includes a team of integrative physicians

and wellness pros who will help you learn the skills needed to get into peak shape. "You take

classes here knowing there is a guiding, intelligent expert at the helm of it," Gelula says. With

more than 40 on-the-house exercise offerings (including Zumba and kinesis) and low-cal yet

mouthwatering food, you can't help but shrink while you're their guest.

Make no mistake: This is a great escape, a posh boutique hotel set on a pristine beach. Plus,

you're in Miami, which can be inspiring, physique-wise. "There's a less-is-more approach when it comes to clothing," Brown notes, "and that's always a great motivation!"

Cost: Rates start at $525 (800-742-9000; canyonranch.com)

No. 8 Montage Laguna Beach
Laguna Beach, California
How to travel: alone, with your partner

Montage is located on 30 beachfront acres and all rooms overlook the water.

It's all about location at this luxe resort, which is set high on a coastal bluff overlooking white,

sandy beaches and the Pacific Ocean. Among the many ways you can burn calories by the shore: a beach boot camp, sunset yoga sessions and a fantastic running path along the ocean. "You will be inspired to become a runner because of this path!" Gelula says. You can also hightail it into town where "the galleries and shops will keep you walking for miles," Kaese adds.

The chefs at Montage consistently whip up meals made with sustainably raised seafood and

farmers market produce, and they offer a special spa menu that focuses on low-cal foods and

specialty grains.

Cost: Rates start at $595 per night (866-271-6953; montagelagunabeach.com)

No. 9 La Posada Resort & Spa

Santa Fe, New Mexico

How to travel: with girlfriends, with your partner

"The whole city of Santa Fe is behind organic, wholesome and healthy living," Brown

says. "And La Posada is at the heart of it all," surrounded by mountains and two blocks from

Santa Fe's historic, buzzing city plaza, which will lure you to walk, walk, walk to explore it. Make sure not to miss the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum.

During the summer, you can go hiking, rafting, biking, fishing and more -- all in the area. In

the winter, skiing and snowshoeing are just steps away. La Posada's "Appetite for Life" menu

offerings, all of which are sustainable and heart-healthy, earned points from our judges too.

Organic, inventive dishes like the piñon-nut-crusted mahi mahi will please your palate and keep

you trim.

Cost: Rates start at $225 per night (866-331-7625; laposada.rockresorts.com)

No. 10 Fairmont Battery Wharf
Boston, Massachusetts
How to travel: with girlfriends, with your partner, with the family

This boutique hotel, right on Boston Harbor, boasts stunning coastal views, but the real draw

weight-loss-wise is the city itself: Boston is a walking and biking mecca. The Fairmont is close to some of the city's historic landmarks, such as the Freedom Trail and Faneuil Hall Marketplace and you can borrow a complimentary BMW bike to cruise around on.

The hotel steps up its healthy game inside, too. Choose from the Lifestyle Cuisine Plus menus,

which cater to different dietary preferences, including macrobiotic and gluten-free. The Fairmont also recently opened an Exhale spa, which offers challenging core-fusion classes. "These are metabolism-revving classes," Gelula says. "It's a very efficient workout!"

Cost: Rates start at $279 per night (800-257-7544; fairmont.com/batterywharf)

Runners-up you'll love
The Ranch at Live Oak, Malibu, California
At this relatively new boot-camp spa, guests log 10 hours of exercise a day through hiking, strength training and yoga, as well as eating a 1,500-calorie vegetarian diet. (888-777-2177; theranchmalibu.com)

Crystal Mountain Resort & Spa, Thompsonville, Michigan
This picturesque resort boasts a green spa with a huge fitness center, and free classes like water aerobics and Nordic walking. Order off the special Peak Performance menu for leaner, lighter fare. (800-968-7686; crystalmountain.com)

Westin St. Francis, San Francisco, California

Give those famous hills a run for their money by following the Westin's comprehensive maps

around the city. When hunger strikes, choose power eats off the hotel's SuperFoodsRx menu.

(800-937-8461; westinstfrancis.com)

More from Health.com:

3 Ways to Make Any Vacation Slimmer

How to Make a Hotel Room Healthier

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