Vacations That Keep You Moving: 5 Resorts For Active Travelers
Ardent sporting enthusiasts demand vacations that match their passions. Skiers, golfers, hikers, scuba divers and other athletic travelers won't settle for a day by the pool whiling the hours away sipping mai tais. Their vacations mean action. So below are five resorts that offer activities for the active traveler.
The Fairmont Banff Springs Resort, situated a mile high on the majestic Canadian Rockies in Alberta, offers golfers a captivating and challenging 27-hole course. Designed in 1928, The Fairmont was the first course in the world to cost over $1 million to build.
The 125-year-old destination resort caters to its many golfing guests by offering numerous amenities and programs focused at their needs. The Heritage Golf Experience allows guests to golf with Hickory Clubs while joined by a Forecaddie to guide them around the original design and learn about the history of the course. Those looking for a value appreciate the Golf for Free Package which includes accommodations and one round of golf per room/per day, range balls and cart rental for $499 CAD a night. For anyone wanting to test their golfing mettle, Devils Cauldron Par 3 was recently named one of the world's top 18 holes by Golf Magazine.
The Fairmont Banff Springs provides all the amenities of a world-class resort, with 768 superbly appointed guest accommodations and attentive, personalized service. From cozy rooms tucked away in quiet corners of the castle to spacious suites with sweeping Alberta mountain views, the resort is sure to please the discerning traveler. Additionally, the weary golfer can rest assured they will be rejuvenated for their next game with golf-focused spa treatments at Willow Stream Spa. Innovative treatments include a 90-minute facial for the Great Outdoors, a Stream Golf Facial, a Golf Performance Treatment Massage or an Up-to-Par Body Experience.
Teton Mountain Lodge & Spa and Jackson Hole Mountain Resort are the ideal destination resorts for ski bunnies everywhere. The Wyoming properties offer mountain elegance and style while still remaining true to their mountain sport heritage. Throughout January 2014, the two resorts will pair up to host Elevate Women's Ski Camp.
This all-women, week-long ski camp invites guests to improve their level of skiing at the world-renowned Jackson Hole Mountain Resort while relaxing and dining in luxury at the AAA Four-Diamond Teton Mountain Lodge & Spa. Fit for all skill levels, the camp includes four days of world-class instruction, dinners, après ski meals and Pilates classes to stretch and strengthen worn ski legs. Every group will also have the opportunity to be videoed on a variety of terrain to serve as a great post-instructional tool, experience different terrain, learn new techniques and learn from world-class women instructors.
Located slopeside to the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and at the gateway to Grand Teton National Park, the Hotel Terra Jackson Hole is a AAA Four-Diamond luxury hotel that includes a rooftop Chill Spa and Villaggio Osteria restaurant, renowned for its rustic Italian dining and expertly overseen by Executive Chef Paul O'Connor. The hotel provides 4,200 square feet of meeting space, an infinity pool and fitness facility. Continually developing its eco-friendly efforts to preserve and protect the environment while still offering an indulgent hotel experience for guests, Hotel Terra truly succeeds in offering a relaxing eco-friendly vacation experience.
Rancho La Puerta in Baja California — one of the first true fitness resorts and spas in North America — is an award-winning retreat for anyone that wants to unplug and refocus on themselves and their well-being through exercise, meditation, healthy eating, spa treatments and more. Each day, the all-inclusive property offers more than 50 fitness classes that range from yoga and pilates, strength training, cardio and dance classes, tennis, water aerobics, stretch, guided hikes and plenty more. There are even specialized weeks dedicated solely to a certain style of workout for which an expert in the field, or a well known trainer, will teach at the resort as a guest instructor.
The ranch welcomes guests to its 3,000 private acres of gardens, mountains and meadows with an approach to wellness that presents a true mind, body and spirit balance. Facilities, programs, and amenities include cottage-style casitas, fitness classes, spa, dining, outdoor recreation and more; available for exclusive use by guests during three-, four-, or seven-day stays. All-inclusive rates cover accommodations, activities, gourmet vegetarian meals (seafood options included) and special presentations. Spa treatments, personal training sessions and cooking classes at the hotel's La Cocina Que Canta cooking school are available à la carte throughout the course of a stay.