Esalen in Big Sur is Built Around a Set of Mineral Hot Springs

Rooms & Suites at Esalen Institute

• The Esalen Institute offers a variety of accommodations for guests attending workshops on holistic medicine, Eastern religion, yoga, or meditation.
• Accommodations include:
  • Standard and premium rooms
  • Point Houses
  • Hostel-style bunk beds
  • Shared sleeping bag spaces
• Details of accommodations:
  • Standard Rooms: Shared housing with rooms for 2–3 people, offering private or shared bathrooms.
  • Premium Rooms: Greater privacy with upgraded bathrooms, outdoor claw-foot tubs, underfloor heating, and optional ocean views and landline Internet.
  • Point Houses: Private suites on a cliff’s edge featuring:
    • Spacious living rooms with wood-burning stoves
    • Fully equipped kitchen and dining room
    • Master bedroom with en-suite bathroom
    • Private redwood deck with outdoor claw-foot tub
    • Telephone and Internet access
  • Hostel-Style Bunk Bed Rooms: Shared rooms for 4–6 people.
  • Shared Sleeping Bag Spaces: Guests bring their own sleeping gear for designated meeting rooms.
• The Lodge includes:
  • Fully equipped kitchen
  • Spacious dining room
  • Sunroom
  • Outdoor deck for relaxation and socializing
• Esalen Kitchen:
  • Run by an expert culinary team, catering for up to 350 people per day.
  • Uses fresh, locally sourced ingredients, including:
    • Produce from the Esalen garden (e.g., heirloom root crops, kale, lettuce, herbs).
    • Fresh fish from Monterey Bay.
    • Organic, cage-free eggs from Glaum Egg Ranch.
    • All-natural and organic meats and hormone-free dairy products.
  • Options include vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free, and wheat-free dishes.
• Meals:
  • Breakfast: Organic hot cereals, cage-free eggs, house-made granola and yogurt, fresh fruit, bread, preserves, and greens.
  • Lunch and Dinner: Homemade soups, an extensive salad bar, and creative entrees.
• Snacks and Beverages:
  • Available throughout the day.
  • Includes homemade bread, nut butter, preserves, fresh fruit, tea, and coffee.

Esalen Hot Springs

• Esalen Hot Springs:
  • Located on the cliff side and used for ritual healing for over 6,000 years.
  • Upper level features:
    • Outdoor massage deck with a “living” roof of native coastal grasses
    • Hot tub with handicap access lift
    • Wheelchair-accessible changing room, bathroom, and shower
  • Lower level features:
    • Two changing rooms with glass-encased showers overlooking the ocean
    • Indoor and outdoor tubs with varying heat levels
    • Private claw-foot tubs
    • Massage rooms on the upper level
  • Towels are provided for guests.
• Movement and Meditation Program:
  • Free weekly program offering diverse classes, including:
    • Contemporary, free-form, improvisational, and spiritual dancing
    • Tai Ji, Gestalt Movement, Qi Gong, and NIA
    • Yoga styles: Hatha, Restorative, Yin, Yoga Nidra, Vinyasa Flow
    • Meditation classes: Didgeridoo Meditation, Sensory Awareness Chakra Meditation
    • Singing classes
  • Other offerings:
    • 12 Step Tribe
    • Writing groups
    • Somatic Awareness
• Esalen Massage:
  • Known for long flowing strokes to release body stress
  • Provided by trained Esalen practitioners, accommodating specific requests
• Esalen Bookstore:
  • Located next to the lodge in the property center
  • Spans 600 square feet
  • Sells books, magazines, journals, prints, postcards, gifts, music, clothing, and ceramics
• Art Center (Art Barn):
  • Located on the cliffs next to Leonard Pavilion and the Farm
  • Residency for artists and base for creative workshops
  • Workshops include painting, drawing, textile arts, metalworking, stone carving, and wood turning
  • Open studio space with arts and crafts materials available
• Sustainability - The Living Machine:
  • Eco-program designed to integrate a functional ecosystem
  • Processes wastewater from lodging and laundry facilities
  • Uses processed water to recharge the local aquifer and irrigate the landscape
  • Conserves energy, protects natural water cycles, and enhances landscapes
  • Operates using a quarter of the energy of comparable systems
• Esalen Farm and Garden:
  • Has grown organic food for over 40 years
  • Practices traditional farming methods, including:
    • Organic
    • Bio-intensive
    • Biodynamic
    • Permacultural
  • Provides fresh produce for meals served at Esalen

Plan your vacation

• Location:
  • The Esalen Institute is situated along the stunning coastline of Big Sur, a 90-mile stretch of California’s central coast between Carmel and San Simeon.
  • Bordered by the majestic Santa Lucia Mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west.
• Big Sur Highlights:
  • Renowned for dramatic seaside cliffs, cascading waterfalls, crashing waves, misty beaches, and pristine state parks.
  • Pacific Coast Highway offers breathtaking ocean vistas, inspiring authors like Henry Miller and Jack Kerouac.
  • Fog-banked canyons, rolling meadows, and redwood-filled state parks provide opportunities for:
    • Hiking
    • Mountain biking
    • Rock climbing
    • Camping
  • The coastline offers:
    • World-class surfing
    • Whale watching
    • Wildlife and bird watching
    • Beachcombing
• Local Attractions:
  • A six-mile strip of the coast features:
    • Restaurants
    • Boutique stores
    • Art galleries
  • Notable landmarks and sites:
    • Point Sur Lighthouse: A National Historic Landmark located five miles north of Big Sur Village.
    • Bixby Bridge: Iconic bridge built in 1933.
    • McWay Falls: An 80-foot-high waterfall dropping directly into the ocean.
    • New Camaldoli Hermitage: A serene monastery.
• Outdoor Recreation:
  • Big Sur offers over 80 hiking trails of varying length and difficulty, ranging from beaches to redwood forests in the Santa Lucia Mountains.
  • Pristine and remote beaches include:
    • Pfeiffer Beach
    • Andrew Molera State Park
    • Sand Dollar Beach
  • Green beaches south of Big Sur Village contain semi-precious jade stones.
  • Point Lobos State Reserve: Offers excellent hiking, beautiful beaches, secluded coves, and rugged points.

Location: Esalen Institute, 55000 Highway 1, Big Sur, CA, 93920, Phone: 888-837-2536, Esalen Institute Map

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