Unplug. Explore. Just Add Water.

There’s something ancient and sacred about sinking into warm, mineral-rich water while steam curls into the air around you. It’s a feeling that goes beyond comfort — it feels like something inside you is being reset.

That’s why I started traveling for healing waters.

Hot springs, bathhouses, and thermal spas have become my personal sanctuaries. Whenever life feels heavy, my nervous system is fried, or I just need to reconnect with myself, I go where the water rises naturally from the earth.

These places are more than luxurious getaways. They’re nature’s medicine — quiet, powerful, and deeply restorative.

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My First Hot Spring Moment

The first time I truly felt the healing power of water was in a natural hot spring outside of Arenal, Costa Rica. I was surrounded by lush jungle, birds calling in the distance, and the sound of flowing water echoing like a lullaby. The air smelled like earth and rain, and the water was so perfectly warm it felt like my body remembered it somehow.

I wasn’t thinking about work or stress or deadlines — I was just there, breathing, floating, and melting into something ancient.

That’s when I knew this would be part of my travel life from now on.

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Why Thermal Water Heals

What makes these waters so powerful?

Geothermal springs are naturally heated by the Earth’s core and infused with minerals like calcium, magnesium, sulfur, and silica. These minerals don’t just feel good — they’ve been used for centuries in traditional healing. They can improve circulation, ease muscle pain, support joint health, and calm the skin. Some cultures even consider them sacred.

But even beyond the science, there’s something emotional and spiritual about soaking in hot water that comes from deep within the earth. It feels grounding. It feels safe.

It feels like being held.

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Some of My Favorite Healing Water Experiences

Here are a few places that left a lasting impression on me:

• Tabacón Hot Springs, Costa Rica – Nestled in volcanic jungle, these springs cascade through stone pools in a completely natural setting. I stayed until after dark, floating under the stars.
• Ojo Caliente, New Mexico – One of the oldest health resorts in the U.S., with multiple pools each rich in different minerals. The silence here felt like therapy.
• Therme Vals, Switzerland – A modern architectural masterpiece built around natural hot springs. Minimalist, quiet, deeply meditative.
• Japanese Onsens – These traditional bathhouses, especially in places like Hakone or Beppu, taught me that bathing can be a spiritual ritual. No phones. No talking. Just steam, stone, and stillness.

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How I Plan Healing Water Trips

When I plan a wellness trip now, I start by searching for natural hot springs or traditional bath cultures. I look for places that value quiet, nature, and ritual. I usually bring a journal, a book I may or may not read, and a willingness to slow all the way down.

I give myself permission to just soak.

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Final Thoughts

In a world full of fast everything, healing waters remind us to be slow, soft, and present. Whether I’m in a five-star spa or a remote spring in the woods, these waters bring me back to myself — more than any therapy session or meditation app ever has.

So if your body aches, if your soul feels dry, or if you simply need a break from the noise…

Find the water.
Let it hold you.
Let it heal you.

It always starts the same way.

I arrive at the beach, lake, or river after a long day of travel — the noise of airports, deadlines, and obligations still buzzing in my head. But the moment I hear water — the crash of waves, the ripple of a stream, even the still silence of a lake — something inside me shifts. My shoulders drop. My thoughts slow. My breath deepens. I feel more me.

I used to think this was just vacation-mode kicking in. But the truth is deeper than that — literally. Science now tells us what many of us have always intuitively felt: being near water actually changes your brain.

And once I started understanding why, I began to travel differently — more intentionally, more slowly, and more in tune with what I really needed.

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The “Blue Mind” Effect

There’s a growing body of research around a term coined by marine biologist Dr. Wallace J. Nichols called “Blue Mind.” It describes the meditative, almost healing state our brains enter when we’re near, in, on, or under water.

Think about it: your brain is constantly filtering distractions, notifications, to-do lists. But water — with its gentle, rhythmic movement and soothing sounds — offers a soft fascination. It engages our attention just enough to calm the overactive parts of the brain without demanding too much from us. This gives our mind space to rest, recover, and even process emotions more deeply.

When we’re near water, our brain releases feel-good chemicals like dopamine and oxytocin. Cortisol (the stress hormone) goes down. Our heart rate slows. Our senses recalibrate. We actually become more creative, more focused, and even more compassionate.

Water does what meditation does — but without needing to sit cross-legged or close your eyes. Just being there is enough.

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How I Changed the Way I Travel

Once I realized how profound the “Blue Mind” effect was, I started planning my trips differently. I didn’t just want to see water — I wanted to feel it, live with it, build my rhythms around it.

Here’s how that changed the way I explore:

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🌊 I Seek Water First

Before I book anything now, I ask: Where’s the water?

Whether I’m choosing a hotel or an Airbnb, I try to stay as close to water as possible — even if it’s just a view. One of my most peaceful mornings was spent in a tiny cabin in the Pacific Northwest, where I could hear a creek outside my window as I drank my coffee. That sound carried me into the day with clarity I hadn’t felt in weeks.

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🧘‍♀️ I Build in Time to Do Nothing

I used to pack my trips with activities, trying to “see it all.” But now, I leave big empty windows in my schedule — time to sit on a dock, float in the sea, or walk slowly along a riverbank with no destination.

The goal is simple: let the water do what it does best — calm the nervous system and reconnect you to the present moment.

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🧠 I Notice My Mental State

When I’m near water, I try to be aware of how I feel. I literally pause and ask myself: What’s different? What’s softened? This mindfulness makes the experience even richer. I journal more. I sleep better. I think more clearly. It’s not magic — it’s biology, responding to water the way we were always meant to.

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📍 I Choose Destinations for Their Water Energy

Some of my favorite Blue Mind places aren’t famous at all. A quiet lake in northern Michigan. A remote beach in southern Costa Rica. A hot spring tucked away in the Colorado mountains.

I’ve learned to travel not just for the sights, but for the feeling of the place — and water is always at the heart of that feeling.

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You Don’t Have to Travel Far

Here’s the beautiful part: you don’t have to cross an ocean to get the benefits of Blue Mind. A walk along a river. A weekend by the lake. Even a few minutes listening to a water fountain or soaking in a warm bath can bring your brain back into balance.

We’re water-based beings, after all — made of it, drawn to it, healed by it.

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Final Thoughts

Understanding the science behind water’s calming power hasn’t made me love it any less — it’s made me love it more. I no longer take for granted the way I feel after a swim, or how a rainy day can feel like a reset button. I use it. I honor it. I build my life around it.

So the next time you plan a trip — or even just a break from the day — ask yourself:
Where’s the water?

And go there.
Stay longer than you planned.
Let it wash away what doesn’t matter.

I’ve always believed that the best beaches aren’t the ones with the most Instagram tags — they’re the ones where you can hear your own breath between the crashing waves. Costa Rica, a country I return to again and again, is known for its postcard-perfect coastline. But what keeps pulling me back are the hidden beaches — the quiet, unspoiled stretches of sand that locals whisper about and maps tend to overlook.

These are the places where you don’t fight for towel space, where the jungle presses right up to the sea, and time moves at the speed of the tide. Let me share five of my favorite lesser-known beaches in Costa Rica — the ones that feel like secrets.

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1. Playa Arco – Uvita

This one’s a true treasure, but you have to earn it.

Tucked inside Marino Ballena National Park, Playa Arco requires a short hike through lush jungle and a careful eye on the tides (it’s only accessible at low tide). Once you step out onto the sand, though, it feels like you’ve walked into a dream. There are caves to explore, gentle waves, and usually no more than a handful of people — if any. I brought a book here and didn’t open it once. The silence was enough.

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2. Playa Barrigona – Near Sámara

Most tourists breeze past this one, especially since it’s down a bumpy dirt road outside Sámara on the Nicoya Peninsula. But ask a local — they know.

Playa Barrigona is wild and raw. The surf can be strong, but the view? Absolutely breathtaking. When I visited, I walked the entire beach and didn’t see another person. Just driftwood, pelicans, and a golden stretch of sand backed by jungle. It’s the kind of place that reminds you how small and lucky you are.

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3. Playa Cocolito – Montezuma

If you’re staying near Montezuma, take a hike south along the coast trail. After about 45 minutes, you’ll reach Playa Cocolito — a black-sand beach with a freshwater waterfall spilling right into the ocean.

Yes, a waterfall on the beach.

Locals use the waterfall to rinse off after a dip in the ocean, and the jungle trail leading to the beach is half the adventure. I remember cooling off under that waterfall after the hike and thinking, “Why doesn’t anyone talk about this place?”

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4. Playa Zapotillal – Guanacaste

North of the busier Playa Conchal and Tamarindo beaches lies this quiet gem.

Zapotillal is all soft sand and calm vibes — perfect for reading, napping, or letting the waves lap at your feet for hours. No vendors, no loud music, just you and the horizon. I spoke to a local fisherman who told me this was his favorite beach for “thinking.” I couldn’t have said it better.

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5. Playa San Josecito – Osa Peninsula

Accessible by boat or by foot (if you’re up for a solid hike), this beach is worth every ounce of effort.

Tucked away near Drake Bay, Playa San Josecito is perfect for snorkeling, swimming, or simply being. The water is crystal-clear and the palm trees provide just enough shade to stretch out and lose track of time. I floated in the bay for what felt like hours, watching tropical fish dance beneath me. No resorts, no crowds — just nature, uninterrupted.

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Final Thoughts

If you’re headed to Costa Rica, don’t stop at the guidebook favorites. Talk to locals. Rent a car. Follow the dirt roads. Some of the most meaningful travel memories I’ve made started with curiosity and ended with sand in my shoes from beaches I almost didn’t find.

These hidden beaches reminded me that the best places aren’t always the loudest. They’re often the quiet coves, the low-tide entries, and the ones without cell service. And that’s the point.

Love, just add water.