Esalen Institute
Esalen is a retreat center on the Big Sur coast with clothing-optional hot spring tubs above the ocean. The baths are for overnight guests, with a separate public night bathing time from 1am to 3am by reservation.
- Getting there
- Drive up on Highway 1, then walk up and down two steep hills to the baths
- Clothing
- Clothing optional
- Cost and hours
- See current prices and hours on the official site
- Pools
- Four large communal tubs and several individual tubs on a cliff above the ocean
- Reservations
- Required
- Stay the night
- Shared rooms, bunk beds and sleeping bag spaces as part of workshops and retreats
- Managed by
- Esalen Institute (nonprofit retreat center)
Good to know. Night bathing means a walk on two steep hills in the dark; bring a flashlight and good shoes. Check Caltrans for Highway 1 closures before driving.
In any natural hot spring, keep your head above the water. Health officials advise it because of a rare amoeba that can enter through the nose.
New to hot springs? A slow soak is a five-step way to enjoy the water safely.
Good for: quiet soaking. Something out of date? Let us know and we’ll check it.
More hot springs in California
No hot spring nearby?
Warm-water sessions at your own pool, or your community’s, in and around Flagstaff, by request. And there are small water practices you can do at home, in a bath.