Best San Diego Wellness Retreat Experiences for Couples

San Diego is known for many things. But what most of us never considered when planning a Southern California getaway to this surf-side paradise is that it is a positive sanctuary for self-care.

So if you’re looking to plan your own San Diego wellness retreat, here are the tools to plan your completely customized experience. You don’t have to book into a fancy resort and follow their prescribed plan. (But you can!) However, you can also find your own self-care journey through a multitude of San Diego experiences that are both great for self-love and romance. And it doesn’t have to cost a fortune!

Wellness experiences from the affordable to the ultimate luxury

This article is full of ideas for free experiences and affordable options to start you on your wellness journey. Can you also splurge on a San Diego couples retreat? Of course! We’ve got great tips for that kind of experience as well.

So grab your lover, pack a suitcase and head to San Diego, California. There may be no better spot in the U.S. outside of Sedona, to unplug and recharge and reconnect with your lover and yourself than in this gem of a beach town.

Best places to explore the San Diego coastline

No trip to San Diego County is complete without some time in the sand. Unwinding by the beach can be as simple and inexpensive as taking a stroll down one of San Diego’s finest beaches.

San Diego offers 70 miles of coastline. There’s truly a beach for every style:

• For easy strolling, Pacific Beach is a popular choice.
• Or if your beach time includes watching the surfers, you might find your happy place at La Jolla Shores or Tourmaline Surfing Park.
• Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve is a must for anyone looking to commune with nature. The park offers hiking trails for every level of experience.

For more information, check out this guide to the San Diego coastline.

Visit the Japanese Friendship Garden of San Diego

If you like your mindful time to include meditation, the Japanese Friendship Gardens may offer the tranquil atmosphere your getaway needs.

Currently, the gardens offer weekly meditation sessions. There are also various levels of yoga and tai chi classes available on a weekly basis. Check the Japanese Friendship Garden’s website for their schedule of events, which includes a wide variety of cultural and wellness activities.

RELATED: How to Plan a Bee-Friendly Garden

Healthy San Diego eating

The healthy San Diego activities extend beyond nourishing your mind with meditation and soul with sea views. In true Southern California fashion, San Diego offers options for healthy eating to nourish your body.

Trilogy Sanctuary San Diego

At Trilogy Sanctuary, you can enjoy plant-based cuisine to eat every dietary need. The café, a rooftop sanctuary in La Jolla, is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. Here’s the café menu.

Trilogy is also a wellness studio offering indoor yoga classes as well as outdoor aerial yoga. New yoga students can take advantage of a current deal at over 50% off the regular class price. Visit the Trilogy Sanctuary website for more information.

A South American restaurant in San Diego

And if environmental eating is important to you, then you might want to check out Pachamama.

This unique San Diego cafe features South American cuisine made strictly from 100% organic, environmentally sustainable ingredients. The restaurant is open from brunch through dinner daily.

A great San Diego wellness center

In case you think you’ll need to check into a pricy spa to experience indulgent wellness treatments, you need to discover Saffron and Sage Retreat.

A holistic health club located right in the heart of Little Italy, this wellness sanctuary offers the latest in health and wellness. Although the club is member-based, services can be booked a la cart. This means you can get indulgent spa treatments without a resort price tag.

These include fire cupping and facial cupping, movement therapy, reiki, sound therapy, massage therapy and more. There are also classes ranging from yoga and breathwork to healing meditation. Full details, including pricing can be found on the Saffron and Sage website. (Be sure to click the Specials tab to discover how you can save on your experience.)

And if you don’t mind mixing your cleansed mind and spirit with a little of San Diego’s finest wine, be sure to check out our tips on how to enjoy Oceanside’s Wine Country.

Best San Diego wellness retreat hotels

One of the best things about San Diego is that you can book yourself any kind of accommodation you can imagine from a luxurious overnight in your dream house to a quiet time at a romantic inn or even camping if your idea of a wellness vacation includes going off the grid.

RELATED: Catalina Island Camping for Romance

For those who can afford to drop some big bucks to cocoon themselves in natural splendor, check out the exclusive Lodge at Torrey Pines. (This is also our pick for a romantic San Diego hotel!)

Or if you’re hoping your stay will include a traditional spa experience, consider booking a wellness package at La Costa. The resort also offers a wide variety of fitness classes that can be booked a la carte. Or allow the resort to plan a fitness program for you. (This can even include private yoga for two, should you and your partner so desire.)

If you want to immerse yourself in the ultimate California spa retreat, you should consider The Golden Door in Escondido. This upscale hideaway is set on 600 acres, every one of which is dedicated to wellbeing.

Bear in mind at this exclusive wellness getaway, all rooms are single occupancy. But just because couples sleep in separate quarters doesn’t mean couples don’t come here to reconnect. Alone time can be powerful for healing relationships as well as inner turmoil. Days are filled with massages and other fitness and wellness activities included in the price of a stay. You just need to be prepared for the $10,000 per week price tag.

But don’t worry. Even if you’re looking for a more budget-friendly couples’ escape,  San Diego is full of fabulous options. The San Diego Tourism Authority offers accommodation recommendations on their website.

Accommodations are broken down by category. So whether you’re looking to camp, find a B&B, hotel or something completely non-traditional to complete your wellness journey, they have suggestions at https://www.sandiego.org/.

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Amy Reiley

Eat Something Sexy's Creator & Editor-in-Chief Amy Reiley is the award-winning author of five aphrodisiac cookbooks. She has her Master of Arts in Gastronomy, awarded by Le Cordon Bleu and The University of Adelaide.

Amy is considered a leading authority on aphrodisiacs. Her work in aphrodisiacs is quoted in publications including National Geographic, The New York Times, Epicurious, Wine Enthusiast, Health and Playboy magazines. She speaks internationally on aphrodisiac foods and has brought her knowledge of aphrodisiac history and science to national television shows including The Today Show and CBS Early Show. She is a frequent guest on relationship and lifestyle radio and podcast shows and has been interviewed by BBC and NPR radio, Cosmopolitan radio and popular podcasts including My Dad Wrote a Porno.

Amy is also a freelance food, wine and health researcher and writer as well as a wine competition judge. Her work has appeared in publications ranging from Variety to The Daily Meal. She is an MSN content provider. And she is also a former wine editor for Gayot.com and wine & spirits editor of Las Vegas magazine.

Fun fact: Amy was the creator of the first ever comprehensive food and wine apps, Amy Reiley's Pocket Gourmet and Amy Reiley's Pocket Vineyard for Palm.

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