Photograph by Ryan Heffernan
Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs Resort & Spa, founded in 1868, is probably the oldest mineral hot springs resort in the country, but you’d never know it. Tucked into the picturesque northern New Mexico desert, less than an hour from Santa Fe, Ojo is beautifully restored and provides everything you need—desert hikes, sulfur-free healing waters that flow from an underground volcanic aquifer, a therapeutic Spa—for an amazingly restorative experience.
Considered a sacred spot by the Native American people in the area, Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs Resort & Spa features 11 geothermal mineral pools, including the renowned Mud Pool (recently enlarged) and a new Lithia Pool. Plus you can rent a private outdoor pool, with a kiva fireplace, and bathe under the stars. The Spa offers a range of Native American-inspired treatments that incorporates wild-crafted, local and organic botanicals.
This 1100-acre resort, with breathtaking desert mesas and river valleys, is joined to thousands of acres of National Forest land, where you can hike, bike, breathe the juniper-tinged desert air, or simply feel like you are on top of the world.
Visit the website for Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs Resort & Spa ojospa.com
—Rona Berg