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Close your eyes and picture this: Your PTO was finally approved. Your taxing travel day—complete with cramped airplane seat and chatty seatmate in 11D—is behind you. You even made it to the hotel in time to take advantage of the afternoon yoga class within sight of the ocean. As you unfurl your mat, the sticky salt air fills your lungs.
As you stretch your jet-lagged joints, desk hips, and stress-storing shoulders, the rhythmic sound of the waves sets the pace for your breath and quiets your overworked mind. Although vacation brain fog has already started to set in, it quickly registers that this isn’t your typical class—and the difference has everything to do with the fact that you’re practicing outdoor yoga.
In recent years, more and more resorts have been skipping the standard gym and sterile studio scenarios and taking their yoga programming outside. The vibe shift among students is immediate and undeniable, says Ashley Kohler, yoga teacher and director of wellness for Destination Kohler.
She sees proof of its benefits in students after the outdoor yoga class held on Yoga on the Lake’s rustic platform situated among the Wisconsin woods. Students exhibit more enthusiasm as well as blissed-out facial expressions following outdoor classes, according to Kohler. “The sounds, sights, and smells of nature contribute to a more holistic meditative sensory experience, enhance the feeling of peace, and deepen the yoga experience,” she says.
Why Outdoor Yoga Enhances Your Experience
Scholars dating back to the era of Hippocrates suggest that “green exercise,” which is exercise that takes place outdoors, is highly beneficial to physical, mental, and emotional health. More recently, scientific studies indicate that spending time outdoors boosts your mood in multiple ways, including reducing anxiety, encouraging the release of endorphins (the body’s pain reliever), exposing you to beneficial microorganisms, and regulating your body’s clock thanks to the release of sleep-promoting melatonin from taking in natural light.
Getting your alfresco asana on also increases oxygen levels in the brain, which in turn raises levels of serotonin, the neurotransmitter found in most antidepressants that mediates satisfaction, happiness, and optimism. Research also suggests working out in proximity to blue spaces, such as aquatic and marine environments, brings positive effects to your well-being. And sun-on-skin time triggers the synthesis of vitamin D, low levels of which are associated with depression, osteoporosis, even, in extreme cases, death.
18 of the Best Outdoor Yoga Destinations in the World
Following are some of the most beautiful, tranquil, and awe-inspiring outdoor yoga venues around the world, whether you’re feeling like ashtanga among the Aspens or seaside Savasana.
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Our Habitas AlUla
AIUIa, Saudi Arabia
Catch the early morning light show as you practice outdoor yoga at sunrise while surrounded by towering ocher sandstone walls in the ancient Ashar Valley. The open roof and wide doorways of the agora make it an equally memorable place to meditate when the stars come out to play. Choose from vinyasa yoga, power yoga, or meditation and sound bath sessions. You can extend the serene vibe of Savasana by picking up locally made herbal tea and essential oils at Thuraya Spa’s Alchemy Bar. Staying in one of the wellness villas ensures you extra amenities, including an in-room yoga mat and massage, as well as close proximity to the agora so you can snag your fave place in class.
Our Habitas AlUla
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Hotel San Cristóbal
Todos Santos, Mexico
Don’t let the dusty, bumpy, winding road to this Baja California boutique deter you. What awaits is serenity-instilling yoga classes held in the breezy mirador (Spanish for “lookout”), a second-story pergola-topped terrace that peers out at the gleaming Pacific and the craggy promontory Punta Lobos. Beware: the breathtaking sights may distract you a little from standing poses and the resort’s signature—and groovy—retro tile makes forward folds a trippy experience as well. Intensify your post-class bliss by hiking through the ruins of a former abalone cannery and past the hills to glimpse ea sea lion colony or soothe your soul with a Saturday afternoon sound bath.
Hotel San Cristóbal
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Carmel Valley Ranch
Carmel, California
The hilltop yoga class set in the central coast’s Santa Lucia Wilderness starts with a steep trek past manicured lawns and wild fields and takes you across a bridge, through the farm (where you can take a quick break to pet the cow, horses, and goats), and upward to a peak where a rustic wood platform awaits. At first glance, the setup is deceptively simple. But as you settle in, you’re sure to spot the enormous oak trees (one of which is fitted with a swing), shifting clouds, and the valley unfolding below. Your stay comes with access to tons of complimentary outdoor yoga classes and experiences, including power flow yoga, stretch and foam rolling, aquatic resistance, and barre classes.
Carmel Valley Ranch
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Finca Victoria
Vieques, Puerto Rico
It’s easy to fall in jungle love with yoga at this Ayurvedic retreat plopped atop a lush hill in Puerto Rico. Morning classes take place in a modular maloka with retractable windows walls, which means you never lose sight of the plant-filled panorama. Here the wind brings in Mother Nature’s perfume and lets out the calming sounds of singing bowls (and the occasional rain storm sweeps in an island baptism of sorts that washes away stress). Smaller groups can make use of the uncovered connected deck, where fire ceremonies take place. You’ll also find restoration lying in a hammock at the pool or indulging in a medicinal coconut-milk bath.
Fianca Victoria
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Joali Being
Bodufushi, Maldives
Let’s be brutally honest: It’s complete torture to get to The Maldives from the US. We’re talking two to four flights, a boat ride, plus a cruel time difference. But it’s unequivocally one of the most beautiful places on the planet. To make the journey worthwhile, settle your soul with outdoor yoga in an overwater, open-air ocean sala so gorgeous that it rivals the local scenery. The experience benefits from a soundtrack of crashing waves and an overhead show of constantly changing light and clouds. Multiple movement and meditation classes take place each day, including antigravity yoga. When you’re not holding poses, you’re invited to experience the sound therapy hall, sensory deprivation room, hydrotherapy circuit, and herbology center.
Joali Being
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Rancho de los Caballeros
Wickenburg, Arizona
At this historic high Sonoran desert guest ranch, the warm-up for your yoga class is a 45-minute horseback ride into the desert. Here you’ll unmount to mats already set up for you amid the survivalist flora and experience a 60-minute flow focused on energizing your body and mind. Prefer to skip the steeds? You can make cactus arms in front of saguaros and Joshua trees on the lawn at the ranch during morning and evening restorative sessions. Further clear your mind with a ramble through the stone labyrinth and then tend to any aches with a sit in the infrared sauna or a soak in an outdoor clawfoot tub.
Rancho de los Cabelleros
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ORIGINS Lodge
Pueblo Nuevo, Bijagua, Costa Rica
Simply follow the fern- and flower-lined path to the giant bamboo shala, which is slowly being reclaimed by climbing vines, for your yoga class. The natural light that filters through the white canvas dome at its peak elevate your mindfulness and the open sides ensure you take in the infinite green of the high valley jungle as birds serenade you and the breeze on your face calms you. Cacao ceremonies featuring Kirtan musicians and chanting are also held in the shala. The eco-lodge is situated on 111 acres of rainforest where you can supplement classes with breathwork classes, waterfall hikes, hot tub soaks, as well as superfoods from the on-site organic farm.
ORIGINS Lodge
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Thatch Caye, A Muy’Ono Resort
Dangriga, Belize
Situated on an 11-acre, plastic-free, private playground of an island along the world’s second longest barrier reef, this outdoor yoga studio is aptly named Serenity Point. It’s hard not to settle into your exhalation, sink deeper into poses, and count your blessings when you’re practicing underneath a thatched roof and over water so clear you can watch fish swim by as you transition between poses. The palapa sits at the terminus of a long boardwalk at the end of the palm-dotted island with an easy access point for you to slip into the crystalline Caribbean to help you cool off post flow.
Thatch Caye, A Muy’Ono Resort
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Moksha Yoga Amazonica
Moyobamba, Peru
The large, circular stone floor settled among cedar bungalows, blue lagoons, and patches of terrestrial orchids creates a practice space themed to the elements. The shala, or yoga space, is also bookended by a water feature and a statement sunburst sculpture. Practice active yang in the wee hours of morning while shrouded in an ethereal mist (and occasional cameos by monkeys and hummingbirds) and then wrap up your day with yin yoga as the light fades. The South American eco-hotel in a cloud forest is becoming a base camp for yoga retreats geared toward serious yoga students, aspiring teachers, and longtime teachers looking for a little training tune-up.
Moksha Yoga Amazonica
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Montage Healdsburg
Healdsburg, California
Connect with the same terroir that dictates the bold favor of this Sonoma resort’s house Cabernet Sauvignon with an hour-long class between rows of the on-property vineyards. Practices are led each day by the resort’s resident yoga instructor. Round out your stay with unique add-ons, such as foraging, e-biking, or bee-lining with a pro apiarist.
Montage Healdsburg
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Susona Bodrum
Bodrum, Turkey
You might come closer to attaining samadhi, that elusive state of enlightenment, while gazing at the undulating landscape and practicing yoga alongside the Aegean Sea. Or perhaps you’d prefer to meditate as you entrain your inner rhythm to the trance-inducing beats of music somewhere in the distance. You may even try to catch a glimpse of the mythological mermaid for which the LXR Hotel & Resort is named. If you’d rather be surrounded by green than blue, private sessions can be arranged in your suite’s garden. Help your muscles recover by spending some quality time in the sauna and steam room, or the authentic hammam (Turkish bath) complete with marble interiors and exotic oils.
Susona Bodrum
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Brush Creek Ranch
Saratoga, Wyoming
During class on a cliff-hugging platform situated one thousand feet above sea level and surrounded by boulders, you could conceivably watch an eagle soar past while practicing Eagle Pose (Garudasana). The overlook is conducive to that meta moment as well as less elusive but still majestic views of the Sierra Madre Mountains, the North Platte Valley, and acres of national forest. There’s also a yoga class that begins with a hike to Magee Homestead and ends with yoga in a yurt where goats occasionally invite themselves to join in the fun. When the mercury plummets, throw on the puffer and snowshoes and traipse to the garden for snowga.
Brush Creek Ranch
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The Loren at Pink Beach
Bermuda
Slow flow and vinyasa yoga lessons are convened on a stone promenade that’s backed by emerald landscaping, fronted by a pastel pink shade of sand opening to a cerulean expanse, and open to the sky. Yoga classes at this tucked-away refuge are usually led in the round to further the rooted-in-community concept of Salt Yoga Bermuda, although you can also book a one-on-one on the beach. Prenatal practices are offered and would make the perfect babymoon.
The Loren at Pink Beach
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Live Aqua Urban Resort
San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
Mother Nature and some extremely talented architects worked in tandem to create the garden sanctuary on the outskirts of the charming colonial town that attracts artists and expats. The living tapestry is a jumble of eye-pleasing colors, materials, tilework, and elevations sequestered at the back of the modern hotel. A gurgling fountain adds an extra layer of calm to the array of outdoor yoga classes, including hatha, vinyasa, and ashtanga. Chase class with a stint in the resort’s take on a temazcal, modeled after a traditional Mayan sweat lodge.
Live Aqua Urban Resort
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Juniper Preserve
Bend, Oregon
Long before this high-desert hideaway became a gathering place for golfers with its 72-par course, a lava flow meandered underground, leaving an elongated cave in its wake. Someone had the smart sense to activate the unique rocky-walled, sandy-bottomed geographical feature as a destination for yoga classes and sound baths. (And the acoustics are as killer as you’d expect!) If you consider caverns a little claustrophobic, classes are also held on Juniper’s Spirit Island, a manicured lawn in the middle of a large pond with clear sightlines to Mt. Bachelor and Three Sisters Wilderness.
Juniper Preserve
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Spice Island Beach Resort
St. George’s, Grenada
Salute the Sun from a beachside yoga pavilion as you stare at the ombre waters of the Caribbean, cottony clouds, and sculpture-like trees with wildly contorted branches. Group yoga classes meet three times a week near the sands of the Grand Anse Beach with instructors trained in hatha, vinyasa, and yin. Couples can book private sessions to build intimacy while individuals can dabble in the emerging field of yoga therapy, which integrates yoga, somatics, Ayurveda, and functional movement. Also, the Restoration Hardware catalog-esque resort’s spa incorporates the same spices that gave the island its nickname for some sense-of-place pampering.
Spice Island Beach Resort
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The Louise
Marananga, South Australia
Pour, pose, repeat. That’s what you can do when you venture down under to the Barossa Valley, home to the Earth’s oldest continuously producing Shiraz, Mataro, and Semillon vineyards and check in to The Louise. The 15-suite high-end hideaway that’s an hour from Adelaide partnered with Barossa Wellness to offer yoga and meditation classes on the lawn, where guests get a bird’s eye view of hundreds of acres of farms, orchards, and grape blocks around the Luxury Lodges Of Australia property. The time of year dictates what you’ll witness as you practice—bud breaks and pastel fruit blossoms in spring, golden grasses in summer, harvest in fall. No matter the season, your bespoke session is customized to your skill level. Pair the workout with a bush walk, a float in the outdoor pool, or a rejuvenating stint in a hot and cold sauna.
The Louise
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Vail Mountain Resort
Vail, Colorado
Sure, the Centennial State’s largest ski resort is most known for luring boarders and skiers with its 5,317 acres of powder and back bowls every winter. But that’s not to say you can’t experience a Rocky Mountain high come summer when the snow melt gives way to peaks and wildflowers. Saturday yoga classes are held on the apres-ski patio next to the 10th restaurant or the wooden deck outside of the Mid-Vail food hall. Walk steps from your room at The Lodge at Vail (or a wee bit farther from Gravity Haus), hop on the gondola headed up into thin air, and unroll a mat at the top as you take in the Gore Range scenery. Classes are held June through August. Further challenge yourself by hiking up to or down from the beginner-friendly session.
Vail Mountain Resort
This article has been updated. Originally published March 18, 2024.
