World's best eco-spas

By Madhu Puri

updated 9:25 a.m. ET Sept. 24, 2008

After a euphoric two-hour massage, you sip a hibiscus tea, slip out of your plush white robe, and float out of the spa. Stepping outside, you inhale deeply. Immediately, your lungs fill with polluted air. A nearby jackhammer smashes your piece of mind. And a bike messenger nearly runs over your foot. So much for serenity now ... or ever.

To truly recover a sound mind and body, you need equally sound surroundings. So we dug up 10 remote spas that combine nature and nurture. Even better, their deep commitment to sound environmental practices ensures that the beautiful surroundings will stay that way for future generations of your children's stressed-out children. From the Atlas Mountains of Morocco to the seaside cliffs of California, a higher consciousness is available to even the most extravagant of spagoers. Now that's what we call a happy ending.

For a complete slideshow of the World’s Best Eco-Spas, click here.

1. Machu Picchu, Peru

The spa: UNU Spa at Inkaterra

Green peace: Few places on earth are as spiritually whole as Machu Picchu—or as physically fragile. The Inca Trail is overtrodden, the Andean rain forests are being depleted, and more than 200 indigenous species are endangered. The UNU Spa at Inkaterra, an 85-room hotel a single day's hike from the ruins, addresses these earthly problems as it tends to its visitors' souls. The 12 forested acres play host to more than 160 species of birds, one of the world's most extensive collections of orchids, and all botanicals used for UNU's spa treatments. The spa is 100 percent carbon-neutral, meaning that all CO2 emissions it produces are offset by a combination of renewable energy—in this case, hydroelectricity—and reforestation projects that protect 30,000 acres of rain forest. The spa treatments draw on Andean ingredients and ideas: Soothe your feet after a long hike with a treatment of natural mint and mountain lemon. Or mellow out in a candlelit Andean sauna, a eucalyptus hut in which stones from local rivers are heated to produce steam. Also on the menu is face massage using serpentine, an Andean gemstone believed to help one retrieve ancient wisdom. Sure, it's a heady doctrine, but chances are, after arriving at the cloud forest, meandering through the wild orchids, and pondering the mysteries of the ancient Incas, things will start to make sense.

Signature treatment: The two-hour Inka Purification uses the stimulating effects of the coca leaf (yes, that coca leaf) in the form of oils, masks, and creams to detoxify and improve blood circulation ($105).

Inkaterra Machu Picchu
Tel: 800 442 5042
Doubles from $274

2. Jackson Hole, Wyoming

The spa: Chill Spa at Hotel Terra

Green peace: Ski resorts like to play it green with their fresh pine smell and outdoorsy types wearing plaid. But the nasty truth is they've taken a serious toll on the environment: Think diesel-run lifts and mountainsides clear-cut for ski runs. The Teton Village's Hotel Terra is trying to change that way of thinking. Its modern glass and granite design complements the glory of the adjacent Teton Mountains so beautifully that you'd never guess most of those gleaming materials (including steel, concrete, and roof shingles) are actually recycled. From the lobby's low VOC (volatile organic compound) carpets all the way up to the rooftop spa, the eco is in the details. The robes are organic cotton, the hangers bamboo, and the handmade spa products are all organic. Behind the scenes, chemical-free cleaning supplies and biodegradable garbage bags keep up appearances, and a filtration system collects water runoff, purifies it, and slowly releases it back into nature. These efforts have made Hotel Terra one of the few hotels in the nation to secure the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED certification. So refill your reusable bottle at a water station, sit back in the spa's plein air saltwater hot tub, and take in the panoramic view of the majestic landscape that your stay is helping to protect.

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Signature treatment: The medicinal herb arnica, grown organically, infuses both the massage oil and scrub used as part of the Restore treatment, which focuses on invigorating fatigued muscles ($255–$310).

Hotel Terra
Tel: 800 631 6281
Doubles from $229

3. Rajasthan, India

The spa: Amanbagh

Green peace: Set in India's arid Aravalli Hills, Amanbagh's pink sandstone palace houses 40 sprawling suites with domed ceilings and private courtyards set amid aromatic eucalyptus trees. At first glance, the only thing green at this ultra-luxurious resort are the bathtubs, cut from a single slab of emerald Udaipur marble. But there's more eco-consciousness here than meets the eye. The $600-a-night villa you're staying in is swept with brooms made from local grass and fallen palms. Recycled tea, flour, and rice sacks act as trash receptacles, and food scraps are donated to local pig farmers. Five acres of pesticide-free grounds supply much of the food, including free range chickens. As for the spa, it's dedicated to ayurvedic and reiki treatments—which both focus on holistic healing and imbue indulgence with a sense of balance. Ayurvedic massages, for instance, release deep-seated toxins for elimination through the body's natural processes. The therapists themselves play a central role, living on the grounds that they carefully maintain, and growing vegetables and flowers in a garden irrigated with purified wastewater.

Signature treatment: From threading to henna body painting, Indian beauty regimens abound, but go for the Reiki ($76), to help you get in tune with all that "spiritual energy" you lost on the unending flight over.

Amanbagh
Tel: 800 477 9180
Suites from $600

4. Imlil, Morocco

The spa: Kasbah du Toubkal

Green peace: The Kasbah du Toubkal is run by Mike and Chris McHugo with the help of the local Berber community, an innately eco-friendly crew. The brothers converted the home of a feudal official into the lodge in 1995 to give travelers access to its awe-inspiring perch at the base of North Africa's tallest peak, Mount Toubkal. Upon arrival, you'll hike 15 minutes through apple, cherry, and walnut groves to your room, while your luggage is taken on a fuel-free mule ride. Exquisite local touches like rose water to cleanse your face and hands and addictive mint tea enhance the welcome. The authentic hammam here is as much a cultural experience as it is an indulgence, with a steam room and cold plunge pool perfect for relieving trek-sore muscles. At night, wood-burning fires and candles supply the glow, curbing light pollution and making it easier to see the stars. The hotel adds a five-percent per-guest surcharge to help fund a community hammam, irrigation systems, and a village telephone booth. The environmental community has taken notice, giving the hotel numerous awards, including one for responsible tourism from the Moroccan Ministry of Tourism.

Signature treatment: After a long trek through the steep slopes, nothing soothes your muscles better than a hammam steam amid the quiet of untouched nature.

Kasbah du Toubkal
Tel: 33 5 49 05 01 35
Doubles from $230

5. Big Sur, California

The spa: Post Ranch Inn

Green peace: The Post Ranch Inn sits on 100 acres along the storied Highway 1, but only ten percent of those acres have been developed. The rest of the land is used for preservation programs for indigenous species like the red-legged frog and California condor. The part of the land that is developed barely looks it. "Biostructure" architecture blends buildings into their environment, such as cliffside guesthouses with hill-shaped roofs covered in flowering sod (which helps reduce the loss of heat) and outdoor hot tubs carved right into granite boulders. Tree houses are built on stilts to protect the fragile roots of redwoods and oaks, and heating and cooling units switch off when doors are opened. The spa uses active organic ingredients in its oils, body butters, bath salts, and skincare products, some solar-infused with the fragrance of local flowers and all containing medicinal herbs, minerals, and natural fruit acids found on site. The hippy dippy spirit is alive and well with shamans on call for "illumination," "soul retrieval," and "divination." Or you can just chill in your rustic-luxe accommodations, which belie all preconceived notions of an "earth-friendly" compound. Being green is no sacrifice when you're getting an in-room massage beside your own private fireplace.

Signature treatment: Pollinating honey from Post Ranch flowers, a resident beekeeper and her 18 hives supply the main ingredient for the spa's soothing facials ($125).

Post Ranch Inn
Tel: 800 527 2200
Doubles from $550

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