Have you ever gingerly ended a great day of skiing with the thought, “Ohhh…I wish I had paid a little more attention to pre-season conditioning….OWWWW…”? Working out muscles that you forgot about over the summer can surprise you with a deliciously exhausted but sometimes achy body when you come off the slopes.
Well, we’ve got you covered (or technically “submerged”) here in New Mexico, a state surprisingly filled with hot springs and spas to sooth and re-energize your sporty self.
SANTA FE
You actually have to drive right past 10,000 Waves on your way to Ski Santa Fe, which means it’ll be there on the way down. Offering a “Japanese-adobe aesthetic”, 10,000 Waves is only ten minutes from Santa Fe but modeled after the great hot spring onsen in Japan. In addition to self-contained hot tub and sauna suites with private changing rooms and showers, they offer massages, skin care, and multiple spa treatments. And since you’ll be too relaxed to go anywhere afterward, you may as well stay for dinner and book a room. Reservations are limited, and Covid has restricted walk-in communal bathing, so consult the website early on in your planning.
Ojo Santa Fe Resort is another jewel in the NM hot springs crown. Surrounded by 77 acres of lush New Mexican high desert, you can bathe in the luxury of hydrotherapy in spring-fed thermal pools, dine on farm-fresh cuisine at their Blue Heron Restaurant, and lose yourself in a wide selection of spa treatments. Overnight guests get access to perks like morning yoga and freedom to roam the land.
TAOS
Ojo’s sister spa, Ojo Caliente, is about an hour from Taos Ski Valley, 30 minutes from Pajarito, and 90 minutes from Sipapu. With natural pools built into the landscape, Ojo Caliente’s healing waters are legendary for inspiring the country’s very first health spa back in 1868. Sulfur-free pools, rich in four elements—iron, arsenic, soda and lithia—offer deep and soothing mental and physical health benefits. You will also find dining, lodging and spa amenities here. You might want to wait until after you’ve finished the skiing part of your trip, or you may be too relaxed to get back on the hill.
RUIDOSO
Riverbend Hot Springs is not exactly IN Ruidoso—in fact, it’s a well-kept secret about 2.5 hours away, but well worth the diversion. Add a little “fire” to your snowy Ski Apache vacation and detour to the one and only open-air hot springs on the banks of the Rio Grande, long considered sacred by the Apache and Mimbres tribes. Crystal clear mineral waters pumped from deep under the surface of the earth will heal, rejuvenate and recharge your body, mind and soul. Open every day of the year, you can rent a room or RV site, rent a private pool, or breeze through with a one-hour pass.
ALBUQUERQUE
And for something completely different, try the True REST Float Spa, a zero-gravity flotation experience in a special solution of water salinated by 1,000 pounds of Epsom salts. You literally crawl into a private isolation pod, pull the top down and float effortlessly in a completely silent, dark environment for an hour while the water does its thing to relax, heal and provide a profound form of complete rest. Lactic acid is drained from the muscles, reducing soreness and recovery time, and Sulfate naturally detoxes the body. What a dreamy way to end one great day of skiing and get ready for the next.
For more year-round hot springs experiences in New Mexico, check out this list.
