How to Detox (Without Skimping on the Fun) on Vacation
Plenty of us are still feeling the effects of 2015 and the festive holiday season, so if healthy living is on your brain, you’re in good company. Even better news: your wellness resolutions don’t need to be threatened when you travel or go on vacation. Hotels are increasingly pumping up their fitness offerings; pay-per-class studios are at peak popularity; and trends toward healthy eating and juicing are fairly universal by now.
So you can plan and prepare before your next trip, we’ve scoured 14 popular destinations to uncover the best ways to detox in each—all insider tips straight from a local. Whether it’s undertaking a new fitness experience, ensuring you can eat the way you need to while you’re away, or locating the spa or treatment that will leave you most zen, you’re in luck.
Some of our discoveries might surprise you: Miami, a notorious party town, also excels in hotel-based spa and detox programs and even offers the chance to work out with a celebrity trainer. In New York, you can spin to the latest Broadway tunes; Denver has a brand-new, 1,200 square foot aerial yoga studio; in San Francisco, it’s common to use the city’s own landscape as your personal outdoor gym. No matter the location or time of year, it seems, these destinations give you no excuses for getting off track.
For those of you hitting the road soon, we’ve also included current programs and packages on offer, but this list is meant to be saved: you can refer to it again. You’ve got twelve months to reach your goals, after all—now you’ve got the tools to spend them wisely. —Corina Quinn
Chicago, Illinois
Chicago's weather doesn't do its residents any favors when it comes to health and wellness resolutions, but several companies are making it easier. Owen + Alchemy, in Logan Square, offers several feel-good cleanses sourcing local and organic products; Snap Kitchen does juices and prepared foods for all kinds of dietary restrictions (their 21-Day Commit Program is great motivation fodder). If you need to zone out, nothing beats the luxurious Chuan Spa at The Langham. We’re starting with the ginger-based treatments for their anti-inflammatory benefits. —Megy Karydes
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Washington, DC
Our nation’s capital offers plenty of ways to recover from your 2015 hangover, whether you’re in need of a new start for your mind, body, or spirit. From the plethora of classes (and locations) of the beloved SoulCycle to the city’s many races, there’s plenty of ways to burn calories while enjoying the city. On the menu front, Goûter is offering a series of different cleanses, while juice purveyor Jrink has three- and five-day reboot packages; the city also is awash in CSAs and quality farmers markets. With other opportunities for fitness (from yoga workshops to Biker Barre classes) and wellness at spots like the Pekoe Center and Freed Bodyworks, as well as ways to give all year, a healthier, happier you is ahead. —Amy McKeever
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Miami, Florida
Miami is a famous party town, but this sunny Florida location has plenty of ways you can hit the reset button. At the Standard Spa, Miami Beach, guests can opt for the Triple Detox package or sign up for the “New Year, New You Detox” wellness program. Barry’s Bootcamp is offering the chance to link up with celebrity trainer Derek DeGrazio to set the year’s fitness goals, while area hot spots like Sweet Liberty and NaiYa Ra are mixing in anti-oxidants into their menus. And the Everglades, a perennial favorite, remain nature’s best outdoor exercise facility around. —Tom Austin
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New York City
Good news for all: New York is just as good at healthy living as it is at decadent dinners and hip cocktail dens. For nourishing eats, head to Gingersnap Organic. With vegan, gluten-free, and raw fare, you can enjoy lunch or dinner, or sign up for a cleanse. Sakara Life and Juice Generation are on call for delivered meals or antioxidant-rich beverages. If it’s movement you’re after, Pure Yoga offers 350 classes a week; Soul Cycle has a class set to the soundtrack of Hamilton; and the climbing gym Brooklyn Boulders will make you feel far from the city. To relax, Mandarin Oriental Spa, Yelo Spa, and the Copperhood Retreat (in the Catskills) all are offering special treatments and packages right now. —Molly McArdle
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Paris, France
Whether you're easily lulled by a creamy Camembert cheese, a flaky, buttery croissant, or a dark chocolate cherry ganache, temptation is everywhere in Paris—but so is the opportunity to be healthy. You can walk everywhere in this picture-perfect town, or pop in for classes at studios like Omm and Paris Yoga Shala. Eateries like Bob’s Juice Bar, Detox Delight, Nubio, and Juice It offer healthy takeaway, while Bojus and Yumi deliver. While you’re in town, sign up for special programs or treatments at Les Thermalies, O’Kari Hammam and Spa, or explore a retreat with Just a Better Me and She is Morning. —Sara Lieberman
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Melbourne, Australia
Summer is still in full swing in the Southern Hemisphere, so well-being is front-of-mind at this time of year in Melbourne. If the last few weeks of partying have you feeling sluggish, try one of the six cleanses on offer from Greene Street Juice Co., or get the body moving at Humming Puppy studio in Prahran. Classes are conducted in a room that combines two noise frequencies and actually hums—considered integral to achieving peak performance. If you want to go a little deeper, Aqua Health offers intensive detoxes with nutrition advice and colonics, or you can tune out with a true pampering package at ISIKA Day Spa. —Carrie Hutchinson
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San Francisco, California
As much as the residents of San Francisco have earned a just reputation as people who like to frequent happy hours during the week and skip off to wine country on the weekends, they are also creatures of balance, repenting with hatha yoga, organic eating, and habitually testing out the latest wellness innovations. If you’re kicking off 2016 in the City by the Bay, drop by the local favorite Juice Shop, which has six locations, for a refreshing elixir before hitting a Basic Training class that uses the city’s own terrain as gym. You can mellow out in a sensory deprivation tank at Float Matrix, nosh on healthy fare at Gracias Madre or Little Gem, or—for full-body healing—indulge in a wellness getaway at Hotel Healdsburg. —Jenna Scatena
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London, U.K.
Lucky for travelers, London is well-prepped to serve your resolutions, with detox brunch menus, pay-as-you-train fitness classes, and sophisticated mocktails aplenty. First, replenish your energy levels at the women’s health club Grace Belgravia (we suggest the Grace Detoxifying Body Treatment) before lunching on the super-food detox menu at Gaucho. If you need a quick fitness fix, the city has plenty of places where you can pay per class, and the Skinny Rebel Workout at the Conrad London St. James claims to burn 1,000 calories per session. Several restaurants have embraced mocktails, Pont St. offers a detox brunch, and the W London and The Spa in Dolphin Square are offering special wellness programs and treatments at the moment. —Alice Tate
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Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Whether your idea of a solid healthy plan involves a juice cleanse, sweat-inducing moves, or prepping good and early for next year's Naked Philly Bike Ride, the city of Philadelphia has you covered when it comes to options. Open City Healing Arts offers herbal remedies, acupuncture, and Qi-Qong classes; the Lithe Method is a total-body fitness approach that makes use of cheerleading moves to get you up and jumping, and burning away last year's excess. There are no shortage of yoga studios or running clubs around, and the Shambhala Meditation Center will help you focus mentally. Need to fuel? HipCityVeg and Ryan Crown’s Juice Club have many delicious, good-for-you options. —Megan Ritchie Jooste
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Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Too much merrymaking? Fret not: Toronto's got what you need to detox after the holidays—and you'll have fun while doing it. For a culinary pick-me-up, Belmonte Raw has a special Detox juice available. Cruda Café will prepare fresh, raw, vegan dishes (we’re partial to the Glow salad) that will make it easier to skip the processed stuff. To sweat it out, head to the Hammam Spa for their signature Turkish Bath, or hit up the Pure + Simple boutique and spa, which only uses completely natural products in their treatments like the Lymphomaniac Facial, as well as organic Ayurvedic oils. At Body Blitz, you can soak in the warm Dead Sea salt pool, a hot Epsom salt pool, a cold plunge pool, and warm up in a eucalyptus steam room and an infrared sauna. —Mary Luz Mejia
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Portland, Oregon
In winter, the weather is cold and rainy in Portland, so it’s no surprise people find it hard to stay active. But check out these activities, and by February you’ll feel like December didn’t even happen. An array of treatments are on offer at Mudra Massage, but we recommend the Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy, and floating in the Oasis isolation tank—even better is the package that combines both. Root Whole Body offers memberships to its many services, including acupuncture, yoga, meditation, sauna, and more. With this city’s farm-to-table dining scene, it’s not hard to eat well, like with the vegetarian tasting menu at Aviary or the homemade kombucha at Canteen. Here, whole living is just outside your door. —Sarah Z. Wexler
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Denver, Colorado
Everyone knows residents of Denver are an active bunch and fitness goals don't stop just because there's snow on the ground. To bump your activity levels, head to Hot Mama’s Exercise for classes that combine dance, kickboxing, and barre for a seriously good sweat. Core Power’s new digs in the hip Industry building offer plenty of space for experienced or budding yogis, while Pura Vida features a 1,200-square-foot aerial yoga studio. On a budget? Locals like to run the steps at the famous Red Rocks Amphitheatre. If all the activity has you in need of some indulgence, Pura Vida’s Spa Vital is open to the public, but for a grand retreat, opt for the Four Seasons Hotel Spa Downtown. Lots of Denver restaurants are making healthy eating cool, like Prosperoats, Bubu, Root Down, and Pressed Juice Daily. —Megan Barber
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Amsterdam, Netherlands
It’s an easy place to overindulge, but the good news is that Amsterdam has plenty of options for getting healthy to help you recover. The Aveda Dayspa, a bit off the beaten track, offers age-old reinvigorating treatments like the Ayurvedic Detox. In the heart of the city, Koan Float’s special tanks let you float effortlessly in a sea salt bath. The Guerlain Spa at the Waldorf Astoria welcomes you with champagne and indulgent treatments like the deluxe Orchidée Impériale Prestige. Sauna Deco, on the stately Herengracht, holds two Finnish sauna cabins, a steam bath and infra-red sauna in a gorgeous Art Deco building. For a bigger commitment, Lighthouse Works offers weekend wellness programs a short drive outside the city. —Jane Szita
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Buenos Aires, Argentina
Porteños, as Buenos Aires residents are known, love exercise, and they especially love doing it outside. With 15 parks—including an 865-acre riverside ecological reserve and 57 plazas, many sporting free gym equipment—the Argentine capital offers up a wealth of fitness opportunities under clear blue skies. The Ecobici bike share program will help you move and get to the Parque Norte, where a $10 pass gets you access to three pools, soccer fields, tennis courts, and more. Sudeste Kayak will also get you in the water—the Espera and Angostura rivers and Esperita stream, to be exact. Martin Ebner of Ebylife will offer you personal training sessions, or you can get your toning via a myriad of tango lessons. Time to relax? The Faena and Four Seasons hotels offer top-class facilities, but Ahín Wellness and Spa at Palacio Duhau-Park Hyatt is the ultimate in zen. It’s easy to eat healthy in the capital of beef: several eateries offer addictive juices, and a handful of vegetarian restaurants will help you eat clean. —Sorrel Moseley-Williams
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