Refuge Day Spa
27300 Carmel Rancho Blvd., Carmel (831) 620-7360, refuge.com
Is there anything better than a place where talking is discouraged, cell phones are banished and all there is to do is contemplate life while sitting in warm pools, taking the occasional cold plunge, hitting the hot pool or sauna and then lying in the sun on lounge chairs, surrounded by beautiful rolling hills with birdsong as the background music? No, there isn’t. Refuge’s mission is relaxation, and they accomplish it with a beautiful meld of scenery, policy and facility. You can cycle through the water therapy portion – the cold plunge, warm pools and sauna – and book a massage there as well. It’s the ultimate place for some me time. As they say at Refuge, “In a world where technology has allowed stress to become a constant companion, we hope to offer a moment’s rest.”