Calamigos Guest Ranch is the place to be if you want to a relax, explore and just chill out and take some time for yourself. Situated on prime Malibu real esate - all 200 acres of it - this hip sancturary provides all the lux ambiance along with privacy and a friendly attitude.

​Once you are on-premise, there is really no reason to leave because everything you would want for a vacation, is right there.  Wine tasting, hiking, horsebacking riding, organic pizza making, spa pampering, poolside hanging, and simply enjoying yourself in a beautiful, natural environment with plenty of whimsical designs and mod architecture to make you say ahhhhhhh and feel OM.

The lobby sets the tone for what's in store for guests. With floor to ceiling glass walls that provide an airy feel and connect with the great outdoors, the connected wrap-around porch has plenty of seating and fire pits for socializing. In the evening and on colder days, the double-sided, wood-burning fireplace gives a welcoming glow. There are dog treats at the front desk and for humans, there's always hot coffee and an assortment of upscale teas. There's a piano for live music and the lobby is also home to the aptly named Leo's Lobby Bar.

Calamigos has three pools. This one is closest to the lobby and behind those curtains, is a lovely dining room where an ah-mazing complimentary, buffet breakfast is served from 7am to 11 am.

A few feet away from the pool are cottages hidden behind a wooden fence. Here's Sunshine, on her way to our Premium Cottage! Wait until you see what is behind that blue door!

These shots show the steps down to my cottage, the outside shower, bathroom and yes, there was a complimentary bottle of wine with a personalized note. Calamigos is also growing its own grapesso it is only fitting to enjoy their Calamigos-branded wine!

If you are a dog lover, you will understand that bringing your pooch along for the ride is such a treat! Sunshine  absolutely loves this property, especially the huge field that used to be where the reality fitness show "Strong" was filmed. She also loved prancing up and down the wooden walkways as well as chillaxing on the faux grass couch under the massive trees. This was actually one of my favorite spots too. A crystal chandelier hands from the trees and in the evening, it just looks so magical. It feels like you're in this huge tree house for adults. This is the juncture  you can head off to the "hipster pool" or walk further beyond the cottages to the gym, spa, open field and to the hidden curios like the nostalgic ferris wheel and antique merry-go-round.  

Another fun design aspect are the use of potted succulents that are a signature design element throughout the property.  Along the walking paths are planted herbs such as rosemary and lavender and in other areas that are vegetable gardens interspersed. I loved this aspect because it made me feel very connected to the food I was eating, the place I was staying and to the earth.

 There are five dining opportunities: 1) Leo's Lobby Bar 2) Malibu Cafe 3) Pool Studio 4) Pizza Bar and 5) Buffet Breakfast. These photos are from the breakfast buffet and being a lover of food, I have to say, Calamigos does a stellar job with breakfast. There is everything and more - from omelettes, eggs and waffles made the way you want, to chafing dishes of egg sandwiches, chicken sausage, bacon to oatmeal, cereal and fresh fruit, to a selection of bread, muffins and sweets to the most amazing toasts including salmon with arugula, avacado with corn and fig and goat cheese toast. Oh heck! Yeah! Did I try all that?  Yes, I did - not all - but the picture below tell you what I sampled! YUM!

There's are outdoor pizza ovens and terraced land that grow seasonal fruit, vegetables and herbs. I was so tempted to bring home some eggplant and peppers (two of my favorite veggies) but alas, I left them on the vine for someone else to enjoy.

The Spa at Calamigos is totally new!  While I didn't indulge in a spa service, I was happy to explore the new walkway, patio and spa decor.  Calamigos also offers spiritual wellness via a Vedanta philospher in residence. Vedanta is a based on Hindu scriptures in India. Individuals and groups can book 1:1 time or a lecture or workshop. 

I have many happy memories of this pool when I was a guest at WellFit (which has now moved to Utah). The building with the green roof has top-of-the-line fitness equipment including treadmills, elipticals, bikes, weight training and free weights. There's a fitness studio on the other side with rowing machines, punching bags, foam rollers, yoga mats and just about every type of fitness equipment you would ever want.  Both gyms are available 24/7 to guests. During my stay, the evenings were very quiet and I was perfectly happy to use both gyms and feel like a fitness champ!

If you have an eye for the unusual, or enjoy exploring or like taking picutres, there are endless opportunities at Calamigos to be a kid again and see things in a different perspective by allowing yourself to forget about time and wander with wonder.

I had a fabulous one-night stay so I could write up an article for Travel Pulse. The one thing I was very sorry to miss was the new Calamigos Beach Club. Why? Ooops. No one mentioned it. That being said, I read and heard it is totally fab and  is a great place to catch the sunset, have a few drinks and have the Calamigos courtesy Tesla pick up up and take you back to the ranch. The Beach Club is (of course) beachside and offers a variety of options from paddleboarding, surfing, snorkeling as well and the bar offers wine, beer and cocktails (and food!)

Every now and again, it’s time to hit the reset button. Wellness vacations offer a place to fully immerse in a world of well-being.  Invited to WellFit Malibu, this sanctuary is where stress is left at the door and replaced with nourishment for mind, body and soul.
 
My stay included 7 days of fresh, healthy food, hiking, exercise classes, lifestyle education and the best medicine of all – laughter. What could be better?

About WellFit Malibu:
Tucked away in the hills of Los Angeles, Wellfit Malibu is part of the sprawling 130 acres known as Calamigos Ranch. Privately owned by the Gershon family, Calamigos has been “in the business of making memories since 1947” and along with WellFit, offers special events, set location for filming, a lux boutique hotel, a hip café and private homes.
 
Often referred to as a fitness and weight loss resort, Wellfit Malibu at its core, is a healthy lifestyle program that helps guests cultivate positive habits into daily life. Weight loss is a natural by-product of improved healthy living skills and practices.

Half a century ago, Grant and Helen Walter Gerson wanted guests to experience Malibu as they did -  and share their elegantly rustic lifestyle that they both loved and lived at Calamigos. They also had a clear vision to create Calamigos as a premier property for wellness and healing and their passion for a healthy lifestyle remains to be their legacy. (I love this family mission and find it inspiring!)

• Their son Glen and his wife Mon-Li Gerson began creating, restoring, and building what has now become a hot spot for special events location in Southern California.
• Calamigos Ranchi is a popular place for filming, guests can expect to see trailers and lots of activity. The new TV show that premiered this week, “Strong,” was filmed on premise. The Strong building is still there along with the climbing wall and some of the outdoor obstacles.

The program runs Sunday to Sunday and offers a full schedule of fun activities from 6:30 am until 7 pm.  It felt a bit like summer camp – only better!
 
A Typical daily schedule included:

• Stretch
• Breakfast
• 2-hour hike  (Tuesday is beach work-out)
• Lunch
• Strength training/education
• HIIT class
• Water Aerobics/Water Zumba
• Dinner
• Optional spa treatments
• Lights out at 10 pm (encouraged)  

Many guests stay longer to achieve their personal goals.  In our group, there were different motivations for being there: training for a once-in-a-lifetime hike to Machu Picchu, recovering from a disease, rehabilitation after injuries, focusing on health a major surgery and yes, weight loss.

Here some general good-to-know info about WellFit programming:

• It is a well-paced schedule with just enough time in between sessions to change but not enough time to be tempted to take a nap, get sapped into work or feel bored.
• Wellfit’s consistent message is “listen to your body’ so if you need to take a nap, do that. Need an extra healthy snack? Enjoy! Prefer to hit the gym than hike or need to take a day “off”? Not a problem – as a courtesy, just let them know.
• Guests are invited to challenge themselves and there’s no shame if you’re not up to it. More often than not, an exercise can be adapted – if you have a pre-existing health condition, injury or personal worry – so that everyone can participate in group exercise and be successful. This is great because it brings people together and builds camaraderie.

Research shows that being in nature improve physical and emotional health. (Check out the Reconnecting with Nature and other top wellness travel trends here.)  Hiking a key component to the WellFit experience. There are lots of cool hikes from ruins of famous mansions, to the Mash set, to creeks and waterfalls, ocean views to an older western film set and hiking locations change daily.
 
Monday is the hardest day with an “assessment” for the hiking guides to determine fitness levels and plan hikes and staffing for the remainder of the week.  That was the toughest day for me and I kept a pretty good pace covering five and half miles in a little over 2 hours, but boy, was I pooped.
 
What I found to be totally impressive is the amount of expertise and planning that goes into coordinating these hikes with the vast differences in fitness levels from beginner level to fitness junkie and in between. Guests hike at their own pace and are never left behind. During my week, there were three groups from runners to slow pacers – and often the ratio was 1:2 guide to guest ratio. 
 
Hiking is a calorie burner that you can do practically everywhere. Wearing a Fitbit, I walked 10,000 steps usually before 10 am in the morning, which meant my calories for the day, were already spent. Pretty awesome!

Explain the hiking guide selection & training process at WellFit?
Other than the obvious love of the outdoors, we look for applicants who are dependable, knowledgable, dedicated, compassionate and most of all, relatable. Guides must be able to "step into guests hiking shoes" and understand the difficult challenges they often times face on their journeys to fitness. Being in good shape also helps with the job, but it's not a requirement upon applying.
The training process involves First Aid and CPR certification, instruction in hiking techniques, hiking safety and wildlife awareness, and familiarization with our extensive trail roster. Some guides also have the opportunity for additional training to test for a commercial driver's license, which is required to drive our passenger vans.

Do you have any tips you'd like to share on best practices for hiking? Or hiking and weight loss/improved fitness?
Always be prepared with the right gear! That includes a good pair of hiking shoes and socks, appropriate clothing for weather conditions, a hat, sunscreen, hiking poles, first aid kit, fully charged cell phone, plenty of water and a map or good knowledge of the area.
​
To improve your fitness level, sometimes you need to push yourself out of your comfort zone, don't be afraid to try new things, and most importantly, hang in there! Fitness is a journey and it doesn't always come easy. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication. While never easy, it does get easier with time and anybody can do it!

What are some of the most popular Wellfit hikes and why?
Our most popular hikes are trails that offer tough challenges as well as beautiful scenery. Two such hikes are the Mishe Mokwa Trail to Sandstone Peak, the highest point in the Santa Monica Mountain range, and Solstice Canyon. Both hikes offer challenging terrain as well as stunning coastal views and beautiful lush scenery.​

One of my goals outside of losing weight was to feel strong again and that’s why I loved the strength training and cardio sessions. Varied classes included a beach work out, circuit training, kick boxing, Zumba water, and water aerobics. Sure there were moments, when I thought I couldn’t possibly do it. But the great thing is if you try and dig deep enough, you usually can.

The menu plan centers around 1500 calories each day co-designed by a chef and registered dietician. Breakfast choices include: yogurt with granola, oatmeal with fruit and nuts, eggs, vegetables, toast and avocado or Ezekiel bread with almond butter and a banana.  Lunch and dinner includes daily specials and other choices such as chicken salad with pita or veggie burger. Lunches always start with a broth-based soup and both lunch and dinner offer a salad bar. Dinners ending with a sweet treat.  There are morning and afternoon snacks packed with protein combos like apples and peanut butter, cheese sticks and almonds, eggs and celery.

There are comfy, cozy cabins with front steps leading to a cute porch. A welcome change from a traditional, ho-hum hotel room.Contemporary wood furniture provides a good amount of space to organize belongings.  Free Wi-Fi and a desk were perfect getting work done (yes, I brought work with me). The flat screen TV was a nice amenity hardly used. Cabins come either with private or shared bath and are close together. Twinkling lights, trees and porches equipped with a chair gave a friendly neighborhood vibe.
 
The main building houses guest reception, dining hall, lounge area, spa, offices and shop in a contemporary wood and glass structure. A switchback walk way lead to the pool, hot tub, cardio and aerobic gym and beyond are winding paths leading to the lodging area.
 
The property is enchanting. Wooden banisters artfully made from tree branches added to the rustic feel of the ranch. A string of vertical twinkling lights grouped in trees giving a magical feeling when the sun sets. There’s  an old fashioned merry-go-round, cows, the Strong building mentioned earlier and quaint red buildings with white trim used for filming. The nice part – is nothing is off limits and you can walk about and explore to your hearts content

If you are a dog lover, you will understand how incredibly awesome it is to be able to bring your fur baby along for the ride! Oh my gosh, how great to have Sunshine be with me. Ok...maybe it took a little extra effort to get up earlier to walk her, use my breaks to check in and keep chugging along at the end of an active day to give Sunshine a good walk but boy - I loved every minute we were together!  It would not have been the same with out my Sunshine.

The nice thing about writing a blog is being free from editorial constraints. Herein lie my impressions, feeling and observations about WellFit.  I’ve been to those that focus on pampering with heavy emphasis on spa treatments and conversely hard-core fitness to the point of exhaustion, pain and puking (not me but other guests!). Thankfully WellFit was neither of those extremes
 
WellFit Malibu provides an opportunity to disconnect from daily stressors and connect with a like-minded community out in nature.  If you want to feel well, be well and look well – this is the place to be! It’s a place I want to go back to – again and again!

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