Exercise? On vacation? It’s not really our thing either, but if January has you feeling the need to work off the holidays, there’s no better place to reboot your routine than at these five locales, where motivation comes in the form of cool exercise options like horseback riding, swimming with the world’s biggest fish and snowshoeing to mountain villages where hot toddies await. Add a little spa time, and it’s definitely worth the effort. Heck, you’ll hardly notice you just burned a few thousand calories.
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Montage Palmetto Bluff, Bluffton, South Carolina
Bluffton/Hilton Head, South Carolina
No matter the season, bikes are the preferred mode of transport in this part of the Lowcountry, whether you’re zooming along the beach, exploring the funky art enclave of Bluffton or pedaling past Daufuskie Island’s artist galleries, centuries-old clapboard churches or the school where author Pat Conroy (The Prince of Tides) taught early in his career. You can also hop a kayak and explore the saltwater marshes that weave through the region and are home to curious bottlenose dolphins.
Where to Stay: Set on the banks of the May River and surrounded by 20,000 acres of misty forest and swaying marsh, Montage Palmetto Bluff is filled with creative ways to get your glow on. Sporty types can hit the gym, equestrian center, golf course, tennis courts or running trails; history buffs will enjoy guided walks through the preserve—which was once home to five separate plantations—with the resort’s in-house archaeologist. There are also kayak tours, guided nature walks and fly-fishing instruction. All guests have complimentary use of the plunge pools, steam and sauna within the European-style spa. Treat yourself to a Carolina Kur treatment, which uses mud-based minerals to soothe and rejuvenate, or the Vitality of the Glaciers facial, which irons out wrinkles like magic.
Miami Beach boardwalk
Miami, Florida
Beyond the beach, Miami is filled with easy ways to stay active, from strolling along Miami Beach’s sun splashed boardwalk spanning 40 oceanfront blocks to powering over the Rickenbacker Causeway to Key Biscayne or taking a guided cycle tour through colorful Little Havana, leafy Coconut Grove or artsy Wynwood. And did we mention that the temperature stays in the mid-70s most of winter?
Where to Stay: You could spend a week at beachfront Carillon Miami Wellness Resort and never take the same exercise class twice, thanks to the whopping two-dozen workout options offered every day—think five types of yoga, rock climbing, guided runs and boxing. On top of that, the resort offers nutrition seminars, acupuncture, lifestyle coaching and a host of other programs designed to get your year off to a healthy, happy start. You won’t have to give up the fun part of vacation, either. Decadence abounds at the spa—try the Seaside Detox Ritual, which takes place in a star-lighted chamber and utilizes radiant heat and massage to purify and relax.
Remoras hitch a ride on giant whale shark in Los Cabos
Los Cabos, Mexico
The Sea of Cortez is one of the few places in the world where you can burn calories in the most epic way possible: Swimming in the same waters as whale sharks, which are as big as tractor trailers but, more importantly, are harmless thanks to extremely tiny teeth. Cabo is also emerging as a lively surf mecca, thanks to a variety of breaks and a spate of new surf schools. Rather torch calories with less drama? Hit the calm waters of Medano Beach on a kayak or stand-up paddleboard.
Where to Stay: Book one of the two-level fitness suites at Grand Velas Los Cabos to shape up in style: Each fitness loft is set with a plunge pool, recumbent exercise bike and equipment for daily personal training, which is included with your stay. The massive glass-walled fitness center is filled with state-of-the-art equipment and offers yoga, Pilates and meditation classes with a view of the ocean. Spa treatments make use of traditional Mexican healing plants like Blue Agave and sage; before your treatment, let the spa valet guide you through the seven-step hydrotherapy journey, which pairs herbal teas and elixirs with alternating hot and cold therapies that utilize eucalyptus steam, a multi-sensory pool and polar plunge.
Hiking on snowy mountain
St. Moritz, Switzerland
World-class slopes draw top skiers from around the world to this high-altitude hamlet each winter; meanwhile, non-skiers can burn off a winter’s worth of calories with fun activities like walking through mountain-rimmed valleys on snow-packed trails or snowshoeing and cross-country skiing through pine forests. You could also relive the fun of your childhood by tobogganing down steep mountainsides, or skating on the black ice of a frozen lake or through a gastro village on an ice trail.
Where to Stay: Formerly a girls’ boarding school, the Giardino Mountain boutique hotel offers big-resort fitness opportunities with yoga classes, a serene indoor pool, well-equipped fitness center, Kinesis Powerstation sessions, and personal training. Rejuvenate in the spa, where you can choose from more than a dozen innovative massages—try the oil scrub, which moisturizes while sloughing off dead skin—as well as Ayurvedic cures, lymphatic drainage and soothing baths.
Arenal Volcano in San Carlos, Costa Rica
Arenal, Costa Rica
Arenal, Costa Rica’s most famous volcano, looms over the country’s northern highlands, offering a dramatic backdrop to cool activities like horseback riding through the rainforest, zip lining over deep canyons and through the shady jungle, rappelling through waterfalls and rafting over roller-coaster-like rapids. There are plenty of soft adventures, too: Try kayaking across the waters of Lake Arenal, which sits at the base of the volcano or taking a “sky tour” of the rainforest on a series of elevated suspension bridges.
Where to stay: Set within Arenal National Park, the adults-only Nayara Springs resort makes exercise a luxury experience with private excursions to lush hiking trails filled with crayon-colored birds, eerie volcano craters and swimming holes fed by dramatic waterfalls, all followed by a gourmet picnic lunch. Or stay on campus and work out in the gym, explore the resort’s 15 acres of lush gardens or take a yoga class on the shady outdoor pavilion. Whatever you choose, finish with a dip in your private plunge pool, which is fed by the region’s mineral-rich hot springs and a massage with volcanic mud.
Katie McElveen
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Miami is always an inspiring place (for me) to feel like getting fit. I do not often follow through but at least I feel like I should.