By Caren Osten Gerszberg
In the past, people focused primarily on maximizing lifespan, but recently, this objective has evolved: How can you live a long life in optimal health? “The emphasis now is on health span rather than life span,” stated Dr. Frank Lipman, a co-author of the 2020 publication “The New Rules of Aging Well.” “We often discuss prolonging life, but what’s the value if an individual is in pain, disabled, and unable to relish their existence?”
Research indicates that adjustments in areas like exercise, nutrition, and sleep can significantly impact whether we age gracefully or otherwise. As a result, numerous retreats present various programs, some more costly than others, designed for individuals seeking to avert illness and lengthen their health spans.
Several of these locations initiate the experience with advanced medical evaluations, including genetic and cancer screenings, alongside cardiac and cognitive assessments. Many offer “biohacking” therapies such as infrared saunas, cryotherapy rooms, intravenous treatments, and blood analysis, while others prioritize more integrative approaches to nurture both body and mind.
Here are six all-inclusive wellness spas and retreats worldwide offering programs and treatments aimed at longevity.
Tecate, Mexico
Rancho La Puerta
Guests at Rancho La Puerta may find inspiration in its 102-year-old co-founder, Deborah Szekely, who frequently speaks every Wednesday evening. Set on a vast 4,000-acre organic farm and wilderness preserve in Tecate, Mexico, the retreat opens its doors to new visitors every Saturday. While guests are encouraged to stay for a week, shorter visits can also be arranged.
Daily activities at Rancho La Puerta feature a comprehensive schedule including yoga, circuit training, hiking, and sound healing practices that utilize instruments like musical bowls, drums, and gongs to induce “deep relaxation.” Expert-led workshops are offered, including “Your DNA Is Not Your Destiny” by Dr. Lee Rice, a family and sports medicine physician, scheduled for the week of Dec. 7. In his talks, Rice delves into the emergent field of epigenetics — illustrating how our health decisions impact proteins that can modify gene expression — and assists guests in formulating wellness strategies.
A week-long stay commences at $5,400.
Savery, Wyoming
The Three Forks Ranch
Through its collaboration with the Mayo Clinic, the Three Forks Ranch, located on 280,000 acres roughly 40 miles north of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, provides an extensive range of medical evaluations either independently or as components of longevity retreats. Guided by neurologist Dr. Mike Harper, the ranch’s medical director and a practitioner at the Mayo Clinic, guests can receive electrocardiograms supported by AI for more comprehensive insights and GRAIL Galleri multi-cancer blood tests, among other analyses. Guests have the option to present their results to their own healthcare provider or consult a doctor at a Mayo Clinic facility.
Four-night packages with longevity medical assessments start at $17,000 for an individual and $26,780 for two guests.
Ibiza, Spain
Six Senses Ibiza
The five-day “Transform Your Life” longevity retreat scheduled for May 4-8, 2025, at Six Senses Ibiza includes interactive sessions with Dr. Ingrid Yang, a physician and author specializing in holistic, lifestyle, and integrative medicine, which combines traditional medical practices with modalities like yoga and acupuncture. In her “learning labs,” Yang elaborates on her five pillars of longevity: nutrition, movement, sleep, connection, and stress management, while guiding guests through breath work, yoga, meditation, and cold plunge experiences.
“Throughout our time together, I introduce healthy habits for them to experiment with, which inspires individuals to consider adjustments in their everyday routines,” Yang remarked.
The comprehensive retreat features a cryotherapy session, IV therapies, one photomodulation session (infrared therapy) for pain and inflammation relief, and access to the RoseBar Longevity Clinic, offering various diagnostic services.
Retreats lasting four nights and five days commence at 2,895 euros, approximately $3,200.
Santa Fe, New Mexico, and El Pescadero, Mexico
Modern Elder Academy
Chip Conley, the founder of the Modern Elder Academy, also authored “Learning to Love Midlife: 12 Reasons Why Life Gets Better With Age,” which aligns well with the academy’s philosophy on longevity.
“Engaging socially and fostering purpose in later years contributes to a longer life,” Conley asserted. “No biohacking technique has been shown to impact longevity as significantly as altering your mindset from negativity to positivity — it can add 7.5 years to your life.”
During a MEA retreat, either in Santa Fe, New Mexico, or on the Baja Peninsula of Mexico, participants experience five days and nights filled with expert-led workshops, meditation, movement exercises, and opportunities to build connections.
Shared accommodations begin at $4,500, while private rooms are priced at $6,000. Some workshops offer financial assistance.
Uttarakhand, India
Ananda in the Himalayas
The Ayurvedic Rejuvenation & Immunity Booster program at Ananda in the Himalayas, located in northern India, is rooted in Ayurveda — an ancient Indian approach designed to help individuals achieve long, healthy, and balanced lives. Over the course of seven, 14, or 21 days, participants regularly consult with Ayurvedic professionals to develop a tailored health regimen focused on enhancing longevity through immunity-boosting treatments, nutrition, and yoga. The program’s first phase concentrates on detoxification, stress reduction, and revitalization. The second phase addresses specific health concerns with therapeutic approaches. Lastly, the immunity-boosting phase emphasizes diet and lifestyle optimization.
Consultations with a physiotherapist and personalized sessions for yoga, breath work, and meditation are part of the experience.
Single-occupancy lodgings start at $1,090 per night.
Tucson, Arizona
Canyon Ranch
The newly launched Longevity8 program at Canyon Ranch, set to commence on Nov. 10, will provide participants with more than 15 medical assessments, evaluating over 200 biomarkers, alongside 18 private coaching sessions. The “8” signifies the retreat’s eight foundational principles of longevity: integrative medicine, flexibility and fitness, nutrition, sleep, spiritual wellness, mental and emotional resilience, outdoor activities, and strength and endurance.
Four-night stays are priced beginning at $20,000 per individual, or $36,000 for couples. The second session begins on Dec. 8, with an additional ten sessions slated for 2025.
