Best spiritual destinations in North America
Best spiritual destinations in North America
Quiet wilderness meditation spaces and historic community sites in North America
North America has a long history of places that people see as special, from ancient pyramids to red rock canyons that seem to invite a bit of quiet reflection.
Sedona in Arizona is famous for its energy vortexes, and even visitors who are skeptical about that usually enjoy the hiking, the sunsets and the many yoga and meditation studios in town. In Mexico, climbing the Pyramid of the Sun at Teotihuacan gives a real sense of how big this ancient city once was. At Chichén Itzá, crowds gather on the spring equinox to watch a shadow shaped like a serpent slide down the main pyramid. On the California coast, Big Sur has cliffs, redwoods and retreat centers where many people come to switch off for a few days.
Some sacred sites have limited entry or special rules on holy days, so check the details before you go.
Lists by region
City in United States
Sedona
Red Rocks, Vortexes and Starry Skies
Red rock glows orange at sunrise and juniper scents the Cathedral Rock trail. Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock and Airport Mesa are known as vortex sites in New Age belief. The Chapel of the Holy Cross, finished in 1956, is built into a red cliff above town.
City in Mexico
Tulum
Ruins, reefs and boho beaches
The ruins open at 8 am and mornings are cooler and quieter than afternoons. This walled Maya city faces the sunrise and was once called Zama, meaning dawn. A temple to the wind god stands on a cliff above the sea. Nearby cenotes, which are natural sinkholes, were doors to the underworld for the Maya.
City in Mexico
Oaxaca
Colonial Charm and Rich Traditions
Mitla near this city has walls covered in geometric stone mosaics. Its name comes from a Nahuatl word for the place of the dead. Monte Albán, a Zapotec capital founded around 500 BCE, crowns a flattened hilltop above the valley. At Hierve el Agua mineral springs harden into rock that looks like frozen waterfalls.
National Park in United States
Chaco Culture National Historical Park
Ancient pueblos under starlit skies
Ancestral Puebloans built huge stone buildings called great houses here between about 850 and 1150. Pueblo Bonito had hundreds of rooms and round ceremonial chambers called kivas. Some walls and rock art line up with the sun at the solstices. UNESCO listed the park in 1987 and its dark night skies are protected.
City in United States
Santa Fe (New Mexico)
Ancient adobe charm meets artistic soul
Spanish settlers founded this city in 1610 and it is the oldest state capital in the country. Loretto Chapel has a wooden spiral staircase with two full turns and no centre pole. El Santuario de Chimayó, a church about 25 miles north, draws pilgrims on foot at Easter.
Island in United States
Kauai
Lush Landscapes and Secluded Beaches
Early morning is the quietest time at Holoholokū Heiau beside the Wailua River. This heiau, a Hawaiian temple platform, was a royal birth site with sacred stones nearby. Kauai's Hindu Monastery near Kapaa has a hand carved white granite temple. Poliahu Heiau stands on a ridge above the valley.
Region in United States
Big Sur
Coastal cliffs and luminous sunsets
Esalen Institute, founded in 1962, has hot spring baths above the Pacific. Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, a Zen monastery in the Ventana Wilderness, offers guest stays in summer. New Camaldoli Hermitage, a Catholic monastery above the sea, offers silent retreats. Redwood groves at Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park are cool and quiet.
Lake in Guatemala
Lake Atitlán
Crimson sunsets over turquoise waters
In Santiago Atitlán locals keep Maximón, a wooden saint who receives cigars and rum as offerings. The figure moves to a new host house each year. Maya guides lead fire ceremonies with candles, flowers and chants. The lake is ringed by three volcanoes and villages reached by boat.
Village in Costa Rica
Nosara
Serene beachside village with lush rainforest
The Nicoya Peninsula is a Blue Zone, a region where people live longer than average. Nosara has yoga studios and retreat centres near Playa Guiones. Morning classes start around sunrise and end before the heat builds. The Nosara Yoga Institute runs teacher training courses near the beach.
State/Prefecture in United States
Hawaii
Tropical Vibes and Volcanic Wonders
The islands lie about 2,400 miles from California in the Pacific. Mauna Kea on the Big Island rises 13,803 feet and is sacred to Native Hawaiians. Pu'uhonua o Honaunau was a place of refuge for people who broke sacred laws. Halema'uma'u crater at Kilauea is linked to Pele, the goddess of fire.
Archaeological Site in Puebla
Teotihuacan
Ancient Pyramids, Timeless Mystique
This ancient city lies about 30 miles northeast of Mexico City. The Aztecs named it Teotihuacan, meaning place where the gods were created. The Avenue of the Dead runs past the Pyramid of the Sun, which is about 65 metres tall. Crowds in white gather here each 21 March for the equinox.
Archaeological Site in Mexico
Chichen Itza
Unravel the Mysteries of the Maya
A clap at the foot of El Castillo echoes back like the chirp of a quetzal. The Maya built the pyramid as a temple to Kukulcán, a feathered serpent god. At the spring and autumn equinoxes shadows form a snake that seems to crawl down the stairs. UNESCO listed the site in 1988.
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