This feature also appears in the Spring 2009 (April) print edition of Open Air Magazine.

By Christine Egan

Kayaking, rock climbing, sailing, wine tastings, mountain biking, scuba diving, cooking classes, kitesurfing: Welcome to your spa vacation. If you think resort spas are just about pampering and quiet meditation, you’re in for a surprise. These days, spas encourage guests to get outdoors, be athletic, gain a new skill (or revisit an old one), slim down or put themselves to the test in other ways.

Skeptics who still associate spas with flickering candles, New Age music, herbal tea and pre-wedding bridal parties may want to reconsider. Fact: Nearly a third of U.S. spa-goers are men, according to Susie Ellis, a 30-year spa industry veteran and president of SpaFinder (spafinder.com), which helps connect people with their ultimate spa experience. “Men typically want something different from a spa than women do,” Ellis says. “They want to accomplish something, whether it’s losing weight, improving their golf swing or climbing a mountain,” she says.

Of course, after you tackle your fitness goals, feel free to indulge in relaxing spa treatments, excellent food and fine wines at first-rate accommodations set in dramatic natural landscapes. And with more than 1,000 resort spas around the country (plus more in Mexico) that aim to blend the merits of physical activity with spa-related passivity, you can pursue your diverse passions however you please.

“Resort spas are the fastest-growing sector of the spa market,” says Mary Bemis, editor of Organic Spa Magazine. She believes that many spa-goers — men and women — “want to leave feeling better, stronger and ready to take on the world.” That may explain why some approach a spa vacation much like they handle a merger: They simply transfer their boardroom intensity and desire for tangible results to their playtime.

Rick Keith, who runs his own management consulting firm in Granville, Ohio, has held flying licenses in sailplanes, balloons and helicopters, and he’s a master scuba diver. Not exactly a couch potato. He, his wife, Lorrie, and sons Ross, 20, and Scott, 15, recently headed for Hawks Cay Resort in the Florida Keys, where they took an intense four-day sailing course. “We search for excitement and adventure as the key to our family vacations,” Lorrie says. “To us, the memory of the adventure is as sweet as the trip itself.”

Rick, who says that sailing was on his “bucket list,” admits the vacation was “exactly what we’d hoped for. One night after dinner, the four of us had a great time creating a makeshift sailboat out of our villa’s sofa cushions so we could practice what we’d learned.” After they passed a series of tests on the final day, the family took a 26-foot sloop out in the Atlantic by themselves for a few hours. “Now I’m definitely hooked and hope to return to advance to the next level,” he says.

If you’re looking for aquatic fun, Hawks Cay (hawkscay.com) “is all about the water,” says activities director Justin Varner. Guests looking for water-related physical challenges can learn how to wakeboard, earn scuba diving certification, kayak in the ocean or water-ski in Florida Bay. Landlubbers can bike the resort’s 40 acres and perfect their backhand on the resort’s two clay and six hard tennis courts. After all that self-improvement, spoil yourself with an 80-minute deep tissue sports massage (or dozens of other services) and unwind in the eucalyptus steam room at the resort’s 7,000-square-foot Calm Waters Spa. Don’t be surprised if you run into some rugged spearfishermen in the spa: “That trend is definitely evolving,” Varner says.

Be active to reduce stress
Outdoor activities in an unspoiled setting can have a lasting positive effect. “The No. 1 reason people go to a spa is to reduce stress,” says Lynne McNees, president of the International Spa Association, an organization that advises spas and helps educate the spa consumer. Being actively engaged with nature stimulates a sense of reinvigoration in addition to the “tangible take-aways” that McNees believes many people seek.

If that’s what you’re after, you might choose a mountain retreat that appeals to both quietly reflective and intensely athletic guests. Bill Belleville, a private banker in New York City, wanted such an experience. He recently visited Mohonk Mountain House (mohonk.com), 90 miles north of the city, with his father, brother and a friend to give rock climbing a try. “I think we were drawn to Mohonk mostly by the thrill of trying something new and challenging,” Belleville says. “And after a day of scaling a 150-foot face and rappelling down a completely vertical ridge on the other side, we all got deep tissue massages in the spa. I love mixing strenuous outdoor activity with a bit of pampering.” He plans to return to Mohonk with his wife and two young sons for more open-air adventures.

To ease the aches from guests’ physical exertions, Mohonk’s spa features a host of body treatments and facials, plus a solarium with a stone fireplace, a heated indoor swimming pool and a heated outdoor mineral pool. Nina Smiley, Mohonk’s marketing director, sums up the resort’s appeal: “It’s a renewal of body, mind and spirit in the wilderness.”

But your body needn’t be still for even a moment: In addition to rock climbing, the resort offers mountain biking on 40 miles of trails, fly-fishing with an expert instructor, kayaking and swimming in the lake, tennis, golf, horseback riding and weekends devoted to the art of ballroom dance. In the winter, it’s just as easy to stay fit with cross-country skiing, ice-skating, snowshoeing and even curling.

“Many of our guests tend to push themselves first and relax later,” Smiley says, adding that the resort’s outdoor programs cater to beginners as well as experts who want to test their limits.

Learn something new
Testing limits can take forms other than physical exertion. There’s also exploration of diversions you may never have considered trying before, including “Broadway musical” voice and dance lessons, hypnosis, African dance and novel-writing workshops. And you get to broaden your experiences amid stunningly beautiful landscapes. People who are used to being in charge often find it difficult to give up control, relax and surrender to something new, SpaFinder’s Ellis says: “Those aren’t things a high achiever usually thinks about.”

Brad Snyder, a San Diego-based sales executive with a significant martial arts background, falls into that category, yet he has made an impressive 10 solo visits in nine years to Rancho La Puerta (rancholapuerta.com), a destination spa and wellness center in Mexico. Volleyball and Nia (a form of movement that includes aspects of dance, yoga and martial arts) are some of his active passions there. He likes to follow up volleyball or Nia sessions with yoga, tai chi and sports massages in the men’s health center. “When I first visited, I was a workaholic with too much stress and not enough balance,” Snyder admits. “But thanks to the ranch, I have learned to respect my life more and reflect daily on my inner journey.”

Type-A personalities needn’t fear. You can pack in as much tennis and lap swimming as you please, but don’t be surprised if you find yourself decompressing with a hot stone massage afterward. Plus, Rancho La Puerta offers programs — including yoga and core strength — specifically tailored to men: Tango lessons, mask-making, cooking intensives, photography classes, Pilates, water aerobics, ballet and qigong are just a few of the ranch’s additional offerings.

“The ranch is a place that men are missing out on,” Snyder says. “It’s a sanctuary that feels almost like summer camp for adults. And my wife loves the effect one week there has on me. It makes me a saner partner at home!”

Customize your adventure
A range of athletic and non-athletic opportunities in one place can keep people occupied and inspired. “One person’s perfect resort spa experience is different from another’s,” says ISPA’s McNees. “Choices and variety are very important to the consumer.”

As a result, resort spas have been developing and expanding to meet and exceed the varied needs of their clients. Monte Travis, an attorney who owns a small San Francisco law firm, took a hands-on cooking class one night during a weekend trip to Sausalito’s Cavallo Point Lodge (cavallopoint.com) with seven of his colleagues to indulge his love of food and wines. Travis helped plan the menu and contributed vintage wines from his private cellar, but members of Cavallo Point’s culinary team procured the ingredients — including foie gras and porcini mushrooms — from local farmers markets. Together they created and feasted on a Dungeness crab salad, a sautéed duck breast with fried capers and a cranberry walnut tart for dessert.

Located in Fort Baker, just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco, the eco-friendly resort regularly designs intimate, multi-day immersion “learning vacations” around the “creative arts” (painting classes, private museum visits) and “culinary arts” (farm tours, wine seminars, cooking classes like the one Travis attended). More intrepid guests can kitesurf, windsurf, kayak and sail on San Francisco Bay or in the Pacific Ocean or even mountain bike in Golden Gate National Parks.

If such pursuits aren’t bold enough, Kristin Coates, Cavallo Point’s program director, suggests that avid runners try to keep pace with “Ultramarathon Man” Dean Karnazes this summer or join a three-day road-bike trek with elite riders, which includes a complete fitness assessment and more than 10 hours of cycling. After all that, Cavallo Point’s Healing Arts Center and Spa will beckon you to indulge in a tandem massage (four hands working simultaneously on you) or to consult with a nutritionist or acupuncturist. Better yet, sink into the outdoor heated basking pool before drinks by the fire and dinner at the resort’s restaurant.

You’ve overcome the challenges; now reap some rewards.

Spas with substance: Three more resorts that offer activity and luxury

The Boulders Resort
Immerse yourself in the Sonoran Desert landscape at this Scottsdale, Ariz., resort, where you can indulge your inner cowboy on a cattle drive, take a spin in a four-wheel-drive Jeep or view the same terrain from high above in a glider plane. If you happen to strain yourself while acting like a cowboy or pilot, then book a massage or therapeutic bath at the acclaimed Golden Door Spa. Or you can restore your peace of mind by walking along the Hopi-inspired labyrinth. The spa also offers classes in all levels of Pilates, yoga and tai chi. theboulders.com

The Lodge at Woodloch
Try out the geocaching excursion at this resort in Pennsylvania’s lake region. Participants in this outdoor treasure-hunting game use a GPS receiver to discover containers, or caches. Venture into culinary territory and sign up for a cooking demo; pick up new techniques and food presentations. After a morning run through the woods or an afternoon wine-pairing session, head to the 40,000-square-foot spa for some downtime. thelodgeatwoodloch.com

Lake Austin Spa Resort
You’ll have plenty to choose from at this Texas spa. Follow your outdoor tai chi class with a healthful breakfast. Then hydro-bike on Lake Austin or take a scenic canyon hike. Then, try out the spa’s Flora Bee treatment: It starts with a body masque made with fresh local honey and ends with a flower-lotion massage. lakeaustin.com — T.J. Walter