View of the Pacific Ocean from Monarch Beach Golf Links hole number three.
Besides the slew of health benefits (like lowering your risk of breast cancer, heart disease and diabetes), walking can also help minimize your muffin top. It’s especially ideal for travelers since it doesn’t require gear (besides a good pair of kicks) and lets you take in the sights while getting fit. Here are a few of our favorite hotel walks:
Scenic Bluff Trail Hike, St. Regis Monarch Beach. You’ll forget you’re exercising as you walk through rolling hills and golf course greens while taking in canyon and ocean views. The two-hour scenic hike, which treks Sunday and Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. and Friday at 7:30 a.m., is one of the most popular classes taken at The St. Regis Monarch Beach. This guided hike leads you from the Five-Star hotel, along Salt Creek beach and up to the bluffs overlooking Dana Point Harbor (insiders say this is the best view on the walk and you might even spot a pod of dolphins here). Besides the wildlife, lush foliage and epic views, this hike will also do your body right—you could burn a few hundred calories on it.
Torrey Pines State Reserve, The Lodge at Torrey Pines. Making good use of its location near the scenic Torrey Pines State Reserve, the Four-Star hotel offers twice-daily, hour-and-a-half nature walks through the park. The walks, which set off at 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., take you through the hiking trails (there are about 8-miles worth) of the 2,000-acre reserve. Be sure to look out for the namesake Torrey pine, one of the rarest pine trees in the world. You can also admire stunning views of the coast from one of the reserve’s many overlooks.
Walk This Way package, Hotel Palomar Los Angeles. The Hotel Palomar encourages you to adopt Los Angeles’ healthy lifestyle with smart food choices and plenty of exercise. Take in the city’s urban surroundings with a pedometer and walking map in hand (all supplied in the welcome package). There’s also a $20 food and beverage credit that you can use for in-room dining or at L.A. hotspot BLVD 16 (think fresh, local eats). Dedicated walkers who accomplish 10,000 steps in one day are rewarded with a 50 percent discount on a future night’s stay at the hotel.
Photo courtesy of The St. Regis Monarch Beach
