4 Best Sights in Santa Fe, New Mexico

Spa at Four Seasons Resort Rancho Encantado

North Side Fodor's choice

Set on a hilltop with spectacular mountain views, this intimate oasis has 15 treatment rooms, some of the best-trained body workers and estheticians in the Southwest, and a full complement of salon services. You'll pay more at the Four Seasons Spa than at most other properties in town (it's $165 for a 50-minute massage), but there's a reason both hotel guests and locals rave about their experiences here. Specialties include regionally inspired treatments, like the Blue Corn and Honey Renewal body wrap. A few different private couples' retreat packages are offered, including the three-hour Mountain Spirit Initiation, which includes a sage smudge, clay body mask, foot and scalp massage, and a full-body hot-stone juniper-sage massage. Do stick around and enjoy time in the impressive fitness center or relaxing by the pool (closed winter). Many guests combine their spa day with lunch or dinner on the peaceful patio of the resort's outstanding restaurant, Terra. The resort's Adventure Center also offers all sorts of excursions designed to get your blood flowing, from mountain-biking to hiking at nearby waterfalls.

Spa Sage at La Posada de Santa Fe

East Side and Canyon Road Fodor's choice

The first-rate 4,500-square-foot spa at this historic Downtown resort emphasizes regional ingredients in its extensive offerings of treatments and services, including a signature Spirit of Santa Fe body rub that uses ground blue corn as a skin exfoliant, and a body wrap using chocolate and red chiles from nearby Chimayó. The 15-minute Shea Butter facial wrap is a great way to combat the effects on the skin of New Mexico's sunny, high-desert climate. Hair and nail services are also available, and there's an expansive fitness center (24-hour access for hotel guests) with Cybex equipment and personal-training as well as private yoga sessions offered. After working out, or being worked on, go for a swim in the heated outdoor pool, or just soak up the Sangre de Cristo views on the rooftop terrace. There's also a poolside patio grill serving light fare. Rates start at $185 for an 80-minute massage.

Ten Thousand Waves

East Side and Canyon Road Fodor's choice

This renowned Japanese-style spa with outstanding facilities and treatments is just 10 minutes north of Santa Fe toward the ski basin, nestled peacefully among the piñon trees on a sheltered hillside. Primarily a day spa—the private and communal hot tubs, especially nice in the evening under a starry sky, are a popular option—Ten Thousand Waves also has 14 sleek and inviting overnight casitas and a lovely izakaya-style restaurant, Izanami. The treatment rooms and spa facilities here are simple yet elegant, with a zenlike vibe—perfect for relaxing while undergoing a Yasuragi head and neck treatment, a salt-glow body exfoliation, or the Japanese organic facial, which includes a thorough neck and shoulder massage. If you've been skiing or hiking in the mountains up the road, stopping here on the way home is a great way to heal sore muscles. It's $119 for a 50-minute massage and $213–$473 for half-day packages. Nature walks are also offered.

Recommended Fodor's Video

Absolute Nirvana

East Side and Canyon Road

This intimate spa set amid gracious gardens beside the late-Victorian Madeleine Inn lives up to its name with its lush, peaceful Bali-inspired setting and sumptuous treatments, some of which—like the pumpkin-infused massage, exfoliation, and mask offered in the fall—change seasonally. Master-level massage therapists use all-organic, delectable food-grade ingredients. Among year-round treatments, the Indo-Asian hot-stone massage and Chocolate Decadence facial are highly popular. Most treatments finish with homemade snacks, and a variety of add-ons are available, including 30-minute foot massages and leisurely rose-petal baths in a massive stone tub. Cozy, low-keyed, and eco-friendly (it's certified by the nonprofit Green Spa Network), Absolute Nirvana has more limited facilities than some of Santa Fe's major resorts, but that's a big part of its charm—the price is right, too. It's $120 for a 60-minute massage and $355–$395 for a half-day spa package.