I took my first fitness-focused vacation almost 15 years ago. Having just picked up surfing a few months earlier, I felt a real urgency to learn the sport. So instead of spending time off on poolside daiquiris at some resort in the Bahamas (tempting), I booked a 12-day getaway at Witch’s Rock Surf Camp in Costa Rica and signed up for the full battery of lessons and tours. I left the United States soft, pale, and stressed, but over the course of that almost two-week stay, I underwent a radical change. I ate healthy foods, barely drank, went to bed early, and didn’t miss one swell at first light. I practiced. I found discipline. I developed new skills. I transformed.

I returned from the vacation as one wants to return: fit, relaxed, and somehow more whole. I was a better surfer, sure, but more importantly a better husband, a better dad, a better version of myself. In the years since, all of my travel, whether it’s a family vacation, a solo getaway, or a work trip, has been organized around access to wellness, mindfulness, and fitness opportunities.

The list below represents some version of such a dream vacation. Hotels, retreats, and experiences that inspire by bringing you closer to nature, teaching you a new skill, or simply delivering the delicious dopamine buzz that only an epic workout and red hot sauna can supply. Most of these are not vacations to bring the kids on because it is impractical. Don’t let this stop you. These vacations are here for your health, your growth, your adventure. (When you get back, the family will most definitely benefit from your self-care.) So allow this to be a springboard for a fitness-focused adventure of your own.

For A Lifestyle Reset: Mountain Trek Resort

Mountain Trek Resort in British Columbia stands out among other resorts for its rigor. Mountain Trek touts its exclusive weeklong and two-weeklong wellness retreats as “the most transformative health experience in the world.” Really, it’s a health rehab center designed to change body composition, decrease stress, and improve sleep and mental health by boosting your metabolism, balancing critical hormones like cortisol, reducing inflammation, and modulating your endocrine and nervous systems. The day’s activities begin with a yoga class. After breakfast, there’s a three- to four-hour Nordic hike. A post-ramble hot tub sesh is followed by an hourlong “Lifestyle Talk” on topics like fitness,…