Sycamore Mineral Hot Springs, Avila Beach

One of my favorite places to get-a-way is Sycamore Mineral Hot Springs. I used to live near Avila Beach, CA. where it is located and as a local went to enjoy the outdoor mineral hot springs. Most of the tubs are on a hill giving you a chance to be out in the woods in a private area where you truly feel you are alone in nature experiencing your own mineral hot bath.
Since I no longer live in the area, when I go and visit I tend to spend more time there than just relaxing in a tub.  Twice now I have experienced their day long get-a-way package and totally loved it.  Each time my day began with a yoga session in the Healing Arts Center dome.  Each time the yoga was fairly relaxed and the teacher was very attentive to making sure the participants were not going farther than was best for them.  In general it was a great way to loosen up and prepare me for the next step in my day long journey, a wonderful hour long soak in a tub.

After my muscles were even more loosened up and relaxed from the soak, my next step on the journey was a leisurely massage.  The massage was wonderful, though I confess as someone who has had frequent massages from numerous people, the price of the massage was steep for what I got.  Fortunately, that price was lowered because it was part of a day long spa package deal.  Had it not been, I am not sure I would have spent the money on this part of the journey at Sycamore Mineral Hot Springs, in part because having once lived in the area I know excellent places to get massages just around the corner.  Still, as part of the spa package it was nice to have a beautiful relaxing place to sit outside and wait for my massage outside (see picture below).  And, it was fun to have a locker, robe and sandels provided as I got ready for my massage.  There were also showers and hair dryers to enjoy when done.  So, if you throw in the extra pampering, the money for the massage was more worth it.

The next step on my day spa journey was enjoying a wonderful lunch.  I could have also chosen to have this earlier and experience it as a breakfast instead.  But, I wanted to be fully relaxed first.  I remember the restaurant from many years ago and I found that one more intimate and cozy.  The new restaurant is fairly close to the door, has an open bar as part of it, is more open and is called The Lounge, which describes the new atmosphere well.  But, the food was wonderful!  The omelet was unlike any omelet I have ever tried before.  It reminded me of the movie the Hundred Foot Journey where the owner of a French restaurant tests the merits of her chefs by how well they make an omelet.  Now I don’t know about you, but all my omelets have pretty much been the same.  So, I had no clue what that movie was talking about until I got the omelet at Sycamore Mineral Hot Springs.  What can I say?  It was mouth-watering!

One final note.  On one trip I was allowed to rent a bike and take it from Sycamore Mineral Hot Springs down to Avila Beach and back.  To rent a bike you have to stay at the resort, but on this day I got lucky and got it as a compensation for having the yoga class delayed. The exercise and trip through woods and some romantic looking homes down to the ocean was a bit rigorous to go the whole way, but worth it if you want the exercise.  You could also walk it, which I did one time without the bike, though I didn’t go as far.  For some it might seem odd to be so relaxed and then head off for exercise.  In the future, I would probably do the exercise in the morning and then do all the relaxing.  Regardless, if you are there consider going on the trail.  It is exquisite!

Ultimately, my goal is to make sure that at the end of your retreat you feel more whole, complete, loved, healed and of course peaceful!  Whether it is a typical one or two day retreat we create for you, or something much longer, I welcome you to work with me to discover a bit more of the PEACEFUL SELF you are!

UPDATE TO BLOG: April 2016. Once again I took the time to go back to Sycamore Mineral Hot Springs.  This time I took advantage of a Groupon that allowed me to stay there for half price. Normally, a cabin that would cost $430 a night only cost me $215. Appropriately, when I arrived the cabin I was booked into was named PEACEFUL. What a nice law of attraction “coincidence.” This is the first time I have ever stayed at Sycamore Mineral Hot Springs and not just visited there. What I can say is, it was blissful. The bed was super comfortable. The two shower heads delightful. The fireplace and overall ambiance so peaceful. Best of all was the private mineral hot spring tub on the deck. I almost couldn’t get my husband out of it. Overall, it was delightful to stay there. Only one drawback, it was not as quiet as I had hoped it would be. The road leading past Sycamore Mineral Hot Springs was a bit noisy. Still, the rest was paradise and I was so busy enjoying my time at the pool, taking walks, in the hot tub, and enjoying the cabin it didn’t bother me too much.

WANT TO TALK TO ME FOR FREE ABOUT GOING ON A RETREAT? CONTACT ME BELOW.

Peace- Love – Light,

Dr. Lisa Love