Escaping from the everyday and transporting yourself into a space of serenity is easy on Vancouver Island. If you’re in need of a place to rest, unwind, and disconnect from it all, look no further than here. Wellness spas, retreats, and treatments on Vancouver Island are plentiful, whether you can only escape for a short while, or are looking for a full wellness experience in a remote destination. When you think of your dream wellness ritual, where do you see yourself? Are you having a massage to the literal sounds of nature, not just a sound machine? A facial made of natural ingredients, found on the coastal shores of the place you are visiting? Whatever wellness experience suits your fancy, Vancouver Island is the answer.
The backdrop of the natural beauty of Vancouver Island makes it the perfect destination for rest and relaxation. Here are a few ideas to get you started on your search for wellness on Vancouver Island, whether you only have a few hours or a weekend to spare.
Outdoor Wellness on Vancouver Island
Tuffcity Saunas at Pacific Sands Resort, Tofino
Tofino’s version of a “West Coast Nordic Spa”, experience a sauna by the sea with a cold plunge unlike any other- a jump into the Pacific Ocean. This wood-fired sauna experience has three locations in Tofino, but our favourite has to be outside Pacific Sands where the views of Cox Bay can’t be beat. Find more information at Tuff City Saunas.
Sauna at Salty Pear, Salt Spring Island
Located on a large acreage on Salt Spring Island, Salty Pear’s sauna is a little slice of hidden heaven. It’s a rugged experience that’s perfectly “island” – you bring your own drinking water, towels, lighter and paper to build your fire- and voila. You’re not only having a sauna, but you’re a part of the adventure.
Stillwater Nature Spa in Tofino
Westcoast wellness doesn’t get any better than Stillwater Nature Spa. Experience a spa treatment in their signature canvas tent, surrounded by the natural beauty of the wild Pacific coast. An outdoor spa experience truly unlike any other we’ve seen offered on Vancouver Island. Treatments include holistic massages, custom spa treatments, forest bathing, and custom rituals tailored to your specific needs.
The Lost Faucet Sauna House, Courtenay
Located in the Comox Valley, the Lost Faucet is a sauna and spa that offers self-administered foot soaks, body scrubs, loofas, facials, and hot and cold therapy. A choice-driven experience for the independent wellness seeker, one of our favourite treatments that they offer includes The Banya Experience, a Finnish and Eastern European experience involving bunches of oak or birch bunches in your sauna ritual.
Natural Spas on Vancouver Island
Ritual Nordic Spa, Victoria
The first Nordic spa on Vancouver Island which opened earlier this year, Ritual Nordic Spa is centred around the Finnish tradition of sauna, moving through areas of hot, cold, and rest to maximize relaxation. Start with a sauna, have a cold plunge, go for a steam, then end your experience with a relaxation recovery session in their salt lounge.
Grotto Spa at Tigh-na-Mara, Parksville
This wouldn’t be a wellness article without mentioning the famed Grotto Spa at Tigh-na-Mara Resort. The Grotto Mineral pool is available to all guests who book a package at the spa, including a two-story waterfall with a cool-splash cascade.
Solace Organic Spa, Salt Spring Island
A hydrotherapy circuit in the forest, each booking at this ritualistic spa is private so you get to experience wellness in complete serenity. Start with a heat-up in the forest hot tub and infrared sauna, followed by a dip in the cedar cold plunge, and a rest and relaxation session in the forest spa lounge.
Pacific Mist Hydropath, Kingfisher Spa, Comox Valley
A truly unique experience, the Pacific Mist Spa & Hydropath combines the Island’s natural coastal backdrop with the benefits of hydrotherapy. As you follow the hydropath, you’ll follow a recreated shoreline path featuring sandstone sculpted caves and pools, and end your experience with a short rest in the lounge taking in the idyllic views of the Pacific Ocean and the nearby Gulf Islands.
Wellness Getaways on Vancouver Island
Nimmo Bay, Great Bear Rainforest, North Vancouver Island
Located in the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest, Nimmo Bay’s philosophy is centred around living, resting, and spending time amongst nature. With full wellness packages featuring outdoor tubs, massages in the rainforest, and saunas in the middle of the ocean, soothing your soul has never been more relaxing than here.
Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge, Clayoquot Sound
Set along the backdrop of Clayoquot Sound surrounded by old-growth forest, the Healing Grounds Spa features cedar hot tubs, a sauna, outdoor lounges, and waterfront massage tents with a backdrop of their pristine natural landscape. A healing experience unlike any other.
Serenity by the Sea, Galiano Island
A healing and wellness retreat centre, Serenity by the Sea offers a serene environment to restore and unwind- in addition to specific packages to reduce stress and heal mental trauma and blocks. Some of their unique spa experiences include Shamic Hawaiian Healing, Lomi Lomi, and Deep Tissue Massage.
Sonora Resort, Discover Islands
Wilderness luxury and wilderness relaxation combine in this alluring resort. Accessible by boat from Campbell River, Sonora Resort’s Island Currents Spa treatments feature a breathtaking view of the surrounding Discover Islands, a view that few have been lucky to experience firsthand. In addition, the resort offers a Water Journey which includes outdoor hot and cold mineral pools to encourage purification of the body while surrounded by the beauty of the natural world around you.
