Best New Mexico Spa

Determining the best New Mexico spa is a bit of subjective task. In this article, we are going to pick a spa that nobody else does and one that will be our little secret.

What is the best New Mexico spa? Everything you read will focus on the bigger resorts around places like Taos and Santa Fe. Let me be honest. These are all very good. You won’t go wrong spending time at them. That being said, I personally tend to pick up on a bit of a forced vibe in these locations. With that in mind, let’s skip the old standbys and focus on a secret spa that will blow your mind.


The secret choice is the Ten Thousand Waves Spa. It is located in Santa Fe, New Mexico. This is a case of hiding in the open. The spa has a classic Japanese theme. The experience is amazing. You walk off the street in a classic city of the Southwest and step immediately into Japan. The beautiful wood structures. The paper walls. The Zen Gardens. The outdoor tubs. It is simply amazing and one of my favorite spas in the world.

The Ten Thousand Waves experience is focused on the traditional purpose of the classic Japanese spa – to have a good time and recover from the strains and stresses of the real world. The Japanese use spas as sanctuaries and this spa tries to replicate that. It has done so successfully since 1981.

The spa experience itself is also unique. Ten Thousand Waves has communal or private baths where you can sit in hot water and relax. You can then go for a classic Japanese massage or move on to a custom spa service. They include treatments such as an Indo Asian hot oil treatment as well as an 80 minute nose to toes treatment incorporating foot scrubs, massage, full body exfoliation, lomi lomi massage and so on. There are also wrap, salt glow and other treatments available. The nose to toes is a real winner!



There is a downside to Ten Thousand Waves Spa. It is designed primarily to be a day spa. There are overnight accommodations, but they can be hard to get. You need to make reservations well ahead. Alternatively, you can stay at another location in Santa Fe.

Ten Thousand Waves is a classic spa. It focuses on simplicity, but does it better than just about anywhere we’ve ever been. A real treat and something completely different than what you will usually get in New Mexico.

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