Best Spa
Refuge
27300 Rancho San Carlos Road, Carmel
(831) 620-7360, refuge.com
In the hustle and bustle of the show, it’s tough to imagine a soothing moment during circus hours. But there is one performance that creates a hypnotic, calming effect on the audience: the hand-balancing artist. The performer shifts their weight effortlessly from one hand to the other, balancing, moving deliberately slow and underscoring the art of stillness. That same art is at the heart of Refuge, a spa where you can dip from one pool to the next, each at a different temperature, moving in silence and meditation from the spa to the sauna. It’s your own moment of hypnotism.