Malibu Mountain Wellness Retreat: Hiking, Fitness & Plant-Based Reset

A typical day here starts around 5:30 or 6am with a wake-up knock and a cup of herbal tea, then a van ride to a trailhead for a two- to three-hour guided hike. The hikes aren't strolls — you'll cover six to ten miles on fire roads and single-track through the Santa Monica Mountains, with elevation gain and a pace that assumes you can walk uphill for a while. Back at the estate, breakfast is a small plant-based plate — think chia pudding, fresh fruit, a piece of gluten-free toast. Portions are controlled and the food is genuinely good, just not abundant.

After breakfast there's a fitness class, usually strength circuits, core work, or a stretch session on the lawn, then lunch, then an afternoon block with yoga and sometimes a second hike or a low-impact class like water aerobics in the pool. Massage is scheduled daily, usually late afternoon, and it's a proper sports or deep-tissue hour, not a fluffy spa rub. Dinner is early, around 6 or 6:30pm, and by 8:30 most people are asleep. There's no TV in the rooms, no bar, and no late-night scene.

What separates this from a standard fitness retreat is the hiking volume and the food discipline. You're logging serious mileage on real trails, not walking on a treadmill, and the kitchen doesn't offer a cheat option. That combination is why people lose weight here and why the programme has a following. It's also why the daily massage matters — your legs will need it.

The instructors are all long-tenured staff who've worked at this property for years, and the hiking guides know the trail network intimately, including which routes to use when it's hot or when a trail is washed out. The estate in Malibu is a private compound in the hills — gated, quiet, surrounded by oak and sycamore — and it's about 20 minutes from the beach but feels much further away. Rooms are simple and comfortable: no minibar, no room service, no distractions. Hudson Valley is the sister property and runs the same programme on the East Coast if California is too far.

What's included

- Accommodation on the estate (Malibu or Hudson Valley) - All plant-forward meals and snacks, alcohol- and caffeine-free - Daily guided hikes (2–3 hours, 6–10 miles) - Daily fitness classes (strength, core, mobility) - Daily yoga sessions - Daily one-hour massage - Transfers to and from the local airport - Access to pool and fitness facilities on the property

What's not included

- Flights to California or New York - Travel insurance - Personal expenses (souvenirs, extra treatments) - Alcoholic drinks and caffeine (not served on programme) - Additional spa services beyond the daily massage