CIVANA Wellness Resort and Spa

A great all-around health resort for wellness beginners, friend’s getaways or solo recharge. NOT just for girls!

Location: Carefree, Arizona

CIVANA Wellness Resort and Spa is a semi-inclusive wellness retreat located in the heart of the Sonoran Desert. A stay at CIVANA includes comfortable, upscale accommodations plus a wide range of fitness and holistic classes. This resort is the perfect way to treat yourself whether you are recovering from something difficult in your personal life or you just want to celebrate yourself and the joy of being alive.

CIVANA is about 45 minutes north of Phoenix and 1.5 hours south of Sedona. If you fly into Phoenix, you can rent a car but if you plan to stay at CIVANA you don’t really need one. I just Uber to and from. If your flights arrive early in the day, you can opt to take advantage of their shared shuttle.

Review Update – January 2026

CIVANA – Overall Summary

I just returned from my 6th visit to CIVANA, 4th time in the last 12 months. I still feel CIVANA is the best value for an all-around wellness resort in the United States. While prices are creeping into the luxury zone, the value is still high considering the amount of classes/activities that are included. There really isn’t anything else like it except Golden Door which is a whole different price point. I give them an overall 4 out of 5 stars with the main detractors being food quality and cost and room comfort.

Visiting CIVANA is a great way to enjoy the beauty of the Arizona desert while also investing in yourself. The cost of your stay includes classes ranging from traditional flow yoga, cardio and stretching to feng shui, manifestation, inner child work, chakra balancing, intention setting (and burning) and sound baths. For a nominal fee, you can get offsite for small-group guided hikes. For a higher fee you can kayak or paddleboard. And yes, there is a spa with all the spa things you would expect. Read on for a full review.

CIVANA Wellness Resort and Spa

I discovered CIVANA in January of 2020 right before the pandemic. I had just emerged from a very long winter season of my life and needed to relax, heal and recharge. They were just getting started at that time, but I fell in love. The property has remained essentially the same since then with some modest improvements.

Prior to CIVANA, the idea of a wellness resort was basically a hotel that offered spa services. How far we’ve come! There are now “wellness resorts” throughout the U.S. and in international destinations, but read the details carefully. Most of them are still just hotels with a nice (and expensive) spa and maybe a free yoga class. CIVANA is in a class that has very few competitors.

CIVANA – Getting There

CIVANA is about 45 minutes north of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (and 1.5 hours south of Sedona). The resort provides shuttle service at certain times of day for a reasonable price. If you arrive outside of those scheduled shuttle times, you’ll either need to Uber, pay for the private car service or rent a car.

Update: Uber/Lyft are more reliable now – you can easily get one to take you to CIVANA from the airport. I recommend you schedule your return Uber/Lyft to guarantee it arrives when you need it. Comfort-level was around $50 each way.

CIVANA – Pre-Arrival

Pre-arrival is the most important part of booking your trip to CIVANA.

About 45 days prior to your arrival, you will receive a link to start signing up for classes. It is extremely important to jump on that immediately so you get the classes that are most important to you. You will be able to see all the class offerings for each day of your stay including those which have extra fees. I recommend browsing the current class offerings on the main CIVANA website prior to receiving your sign-up link so you can get an idea of what is offered.

Your personalized link will allow you to sign up for 2 of the free classes per day. Anything with a fee can be added on above and beyond that. You can take more classes if you choose, but you may have to wait until arrival or day before to sign up.

Example: Day 1 – You may see a morning hike for $45. Sign up for that, plus a dance cardio class and introduction to feng shui. The rest of the CIVANA activities will show as unavailable once you pick two classes. The schedule also shows “conflict” if you try to sign up for a class that overlaps with the time of another class.

There are a few things on the schedule that don’t really require you to sign up (or use one of your two advance reservations). Examples include CIVANA’S daily intention setting ceremony in the morning or the daily reset gratitude circle. You can sign up for those so they show up on your daily schedule, but they shouldn’t prevent you from signing up for actual classes.

Limiting your sign-ups to just 2 activities may seem restrictive, but it works out just fine. If you could sign up for everything you wanted, you’d burn yourself out by Day 2. By only being able to schedule two classes in advance, it ensures you pick the things that appeal to you most versus packing a schedule that will end up defeating the purpose of coming to relax and recharge. You can make changes to your CIVANA classes at any time, but I highly recommend jumping on your class schedule as soon as you get the link.

Somehow you always end up exactly where you need to be.

If you sign up for a class and don’t show up or cancel after 5pm the day before, they will charge you $15 (or the cost of the excursion if you no-show for an activity that has an extra fee).

Pro Tip: For all of you gym/yoga junkies, CIVANA offers plenty of classes for you. That said, I challenge you to let go of your urge to burn as many calories as possible and explore the more holistic offerings. Why? Because you can work out at home. Do something different. Get out of your comfort zone.

Remember, you chose to come to a wellness retreat. If you just want to work out, it is cheaper to go to a hotel that just has a gym.

SPA Appointments: You will want to reserve any spa treatments in advance so you can work them in around your class schedule. Your personalized link will also have a link for spa appointments. More on the spa below.

I’m Overwhelmed at the Choices: If you feel overwhelmed by the choices for classes and activities, CIVANA now offers packages. Check out the Joyful Journey or Stars Align packages where you don’t have to make any decisions.

CIVANA – Accommodations ⋆⋆⋆⋆

Overall the accommodations at CIVANA are great, 4 out of 5 stars. All the rooms are essentially the same, with the exception of Spa King rooms which have a tub in addition to the rain shower. I personally love these rooms if I’m visiting in a season where it’s cold at night. Great way to get the chill out before bed. Rooms are clean.

The rooms are arranged in 4 buildings, each with 2 or 3 floors. Most rooms face the pool or the spa. I prefer the spa-facing rooms because you have gorgeous views of the mountains at sunrise and sunset.

There are double rooms or king rooms. I believe they have one room with a kitchen and a few rooms that are more basic and face the parking lot. I believe all the Spa King rooms face the spa so you get the mountain view. All the outdoor patio/balcony areas are shaded so for those who look for rooms with sun, you’ll need to get your sun at the pool.

Rooms at CIVANA are quite spacious with very minimalist decor. The linens and bath products are high quality. Towels are high quality and plenty are provided.

There is no coffee maker or microwave in your room, but you do have a mini-fridge and an instant tea kettle. They provide you with teas or pour-over coffee (the pour-over is pretty poor so if you are a coffee drinker, plan to buy your morning brew at Seed). Bathroom is very large, I believe all have double sinks. There is ample closet space plus a shelf attached to the back of the bed that works well for your folded items.

A large flask of purified water is also provided in your room daily.

Pro Tip: I usually pre-order a couple of snacks and half bottles of wine at AJ’s Fine Foods prior to my arrival. Schedule the stop when you book your Uber/Lyft so you can pick them up. Otherwise you can use Instacart to order from several stores in the area if you need provisions.

The food at CIVANA is very hit or miss. Room service is available until 10pm. Prices add up quickly if you eat 3 meals a day on site. On my most recent trip, it cost me $55 for the salmons tacos and a smoothie for lunch. Having a few go-to items in your room can be a lifesaver when that afternoon nap causes you to sleep past dinner and will also save you a lot of money.

There are a few options in Carefree just a mile away if you have a car (Uber is more consistent in this area and I did use Uber eats on my recent visit with no problem). It is an easy and safe 20-minute walk (under a mile) so in warmer months, it is a lovely stroll. See below for more info on other places to eat.

I give CIVANA’s accommodations 4 stars instead of 5 for a few reasons:

First, each room has a balcony or patio with two chairs and a small dining table. This would be great for nights when you order room service (you almost certainly will order room service at least once) so you can eat outside, but the chairs are pretty small and very hard. The table is difficult to shift inside so if it is cold, you’ll end up eating on your lap in the room. I feel that based on the price of the rooms, it’s time they got some comfortable seating for the outside areas. It’s screaming for some loungers and there is plenty of room. Deck hammock and small bistro set would be a great.

My second complaint on accommodations is the sitting chairs inside the room. CIVANA is the kind of place where there isn’t anything to do after dinner. You’re going to want to chill in your room before bed, maybe snuggle up with a book or a cup of tea. The two chairs provided in the room are basic IKEA style and just not comfortable for sitting for more than 5 minutes. Needs improvement.

On my most recent visit I felt the carpets were due for replacement and causing a stale odor (I travel with an air freshening spray which did the trick).

CIVANA – Property/Grounds

The property isn’t huge, but it was thoughtfully laid out. It feels bigger than it is. Everything on the grounds is kept immaculate and well-manicured. here are gorgeous palo verde trees, tons of cacti and amazingly colorful rocks. There are also lots of birds and bunnies on the property plus a roadrunner or two. The Gambrel’s Quail are my favorite. Freaking adorable, especially during baby season.

It’s easy to get around once you get the lay of the land. There is a main pool with plenty of room for everyone and really comfortable lounge chairs. They provide organic sunscreen, ice water and food and beverage service at the pool. There is a second pool at the spa (see spa info below).

My new favorite place on the property is the hammock garden. I had the most delicious nap there one afternoon. Definitely check that out.

Classrooms at CIVANA

CIVANA is an old conference center that was renovated into the current resort, so they have these sort of throwback conference rooms that are used for some of the classes. They provide back support chairs, but you will be sitting on the floor. The did just update the carpet. They offer many classes outside. I did the intention burning ceremony on New Year’s Eve on the outside lawn and it was pretty cold (40℉) but they provided blankets and it was kind of campy.

There is a yoga/movement studio that has been brought up to date. Everything feels clean.

There are filtered water stations for refilling your water bottle in several locations (you get a great CIVANA water bottle at check in so don’t bother bringing one – it’s a good bottle).

CIVANA – Food ⋆⋆⋆

Welcome to all of you who skipped the rest and scrolled right to the review of the food. You’re my people 😉

The main dining room at CIVANA is Terras. It is a lovely, low-lit dining room area with additional outdoor seating (with propane heaters for chilly nights/misters for summer). There is also a bar/lounge area that is a little more lively in the evenings (but “wellness-retreat” lively) where you can get a modest snack if you don’t want formal dining. CIVANA also has a coffee shop/snack store called SEED that is open from very early until 4pm.

Terras serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. The breakfast menu offers choices from overnight oats and avocado toast to a traditional breakfast. The lunch menu is also satisfactory with several options for salads (you can add proteins) plus more substantial entrees. Dinner also includes starters, mains and sides plus dessert.

Why I give 3 out of 5 stars for food at CIVANA:

I give the food 3 stars overall and my most recent stay was the worst yet. This might be a little bit of a hangover from my first visit to CIVANA in 2020 because the food at that time was AMAZING. They have since changed chefs. I just reviewed my food photos from my trip in Sept 2023 and Jan 2025, and realized that things keep ticking downhill.

I’ve made a habit of asking the servers which dishes they like best or which ones customers seem to like most. You always get a good nugget of truth that way.

I was planning to order the moringa dumplings for lunch until I asked my server what he thought. He hesitated for a second but then wrinkled his nose and said he didn’t like them. He said they were served cold. That was a key piece of info because when I order dumplings I would expect them to be served warm. Same thing with the lasagna on the dinner menu – I asked about it and found out it was served cold.

Cold lasagna? Yuck! I ended up trying it on a summer visit and it turned out to be more of a white bean and basil lasagna with fresh tomatoes and it was delicious!

Update: I tried the moringa dumplings on this trip. They were room temperature and decent but very bland. The cold lasagna, which was great, is gone. So is the carrot pasta that I disliked but was supposedly popular.

Best Items to Eat at CIVANA

My favorite items are the frittata bites at Seed which now vary from day to day but come with a yummy roasted red pepper sauce, the salmon tacos or the tuna poke bowl for lunch and the tofu with forbidden rice at dinner (I swap out the bok choy for broccolini).

I’ve tried the cauliflower tacos but remember thinking they were “eh” so I’m sticking to salmon.

They offer 2 fresh juice options at Seed (a downgrade from previous stays). The Red Bliss is delicious.

It seemed to me that they offered less salad options than in the past, and when I did order a salad it was 99% greens and very little of the other textured ingredients described. I tried the Forager Salad at seed which was supposed to be kale, roasted butternut squash, farro, dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds. I found very little besides kale when it arrived.

The heart of palm crabcake did not look appealing when it came out, but I actually enjoyed it. Not sure if it is supposed to look like this or not.

Update: On my most recent visit, a friend ordered this and it did not look burnt and she loved it.

The flatbreads have gotten much smaller and on this visit they only offered a margherita version which was good.

Pro Tip – They do an amazing job with room service. Food arrives on real plates, nice and hot. I got salmon delivered to my room against my better judgement but it was absolutely perfectly cooked and still hot upon arrival.

The most inedible thing I’ve tried that is still on the menu is the vegan mac & cheese. Super disappointing because a girl should always be able to count on mac & cheese when all else fails. It was super bland, visually unappealing and just downright bad. I’ll spare you the picture. The apple and brie grilled cheese at Seed was also terrible. I should have listened to the staff member who tried to discourage me on it.

Food Outside of CIVANA/Carefree & Cave Creek

If you decide to venture into town, there is a little town center in Carefree less than a mile away. It’s a nice walk or bike ride using the complimentary beach cruisers. Good way to kill an hour or so picking around the shops. Nothing of note but a good diversion.

The two restaurants that were recommended to me were Athens (Greek obvioulsy) and Pizzicata (pizza obviously). Athens looked great and had outdoor seating – I plan to make that a priority on my next trip. Pizzicata also has outdoor seating and supposedly has great Neopolitan-style pizza though the recent Google reviews were not that great. Keeler’s is a steakhouse of sorts but looks like it has a nice, spacious rooftop seating/bar area. There was also a cafe (Venues?) that had a buzz and outdoor seating. I checked out the menu and they literally had everything you could every have on a lunch menu. That is usually a red flag for me, but based on the crowd they must be good.

I decided to take the bike down to Cave Creek. I was in the mood for Mexican and I’ve eaten at El Encanto before (a fixture Mexican restaurant). It looks like the overall vibe has gone downhill from my visit in 2020, but they pack ’em in and the food is good. I tried Ofrenda Mexican on my most recent trip and it was TERRIBLE so avoid that.

I noticed another place right next door that had more appealing outdoor seating so I checked out the menu. Here’s what happened next:

Absolutely spectacular plate of green chile pork nachos and a cold beer. Just because you’re on a wellness vacation doesn’t mean you have to eat healthy every day. Part of making sure you nurture yourself is knowing when you just need nachos. Had to ask for sour cream and guacamole on the side, but it was worth whatever the upsell was. The salsa verde was delish.

After devouring that entire plate of nachos, I went next door to City Creamery where they are actually making ice cream on site. Double cone of chocolate and cookies n cream.

CIVANA will warn you not to take the beach cruisers to Cave Creek because it’s all uphill on the way back. I decided it would be the best way to burn off the nachos, beer and ice cream so I did it anyway. Had to stop to walk once but it wasn’t that bad. They have a nice dirt “trail” along the road so you don’t have to compete with the cars most of the way.

Cave Creek is an interesting little town. Cowboy bars on one side of the road, biker bars on the other. It has a very touristy old-west vibe and an actual Pioneer Town where they do re-enactments and sell low-budget fake souvenirs. If that’s your thing, you won’t want to miss it.

The Spa at CIVANA ★★★★

If you’re visiting CIVANA, your almost certainly going to get at least one spa treatment. Overall I think they do a really good job and prices are reasonable so I rate this as 4 out of 5 stars. I’ve also done the Spirit of the Desert which is a 2-hour experience that includes a massage, sound bowls and some meditation. Very relaxing. Facials are nice, pretty much standard fare.

My go-to masseurs are Jordan or Seneva (?) for Swedish Massage, both are male.

The spa offers a water circuit which includes hot tub, cold plunge and dry sauna. There are also steam saunas in each changing room.

On the day that you have a spa appointment, you have access to all the spa amenities all day. There is a separate pool area and loungers at the Spa, food and beverage service plus a lovely lounge with couches and blankets where you can rest or nap before or after your service.

On my most recent visit, I found the spa to be less pleasant that in the past. It was extremely crowded. The women’s changing area is way too small for the number of guests that are going through at any one time. There are also not enough attendants to keep up used towels and blankets throughout. I think they are in need of an expansion, especially in the changing spaces.

Pro Tip – On the day you check out, you can use the spa facilities to get a shower before you leave. I usually request late check out and have been given an extension as late as 2pm, but on my last visit I had to be out at 11am. I wanted to do a hike before I went to the airport, so I just packed a change of clothes in a separate bag plus my toiletry kit and left it with concierge until I was ready. The spa had no issue letting me in to shower and change.

CIVANA – Classes and Offsite Activities

When you visit CIVANA, it’s all about taking advantage of the classes. This is what really makes this a special place to go. I’ve done almost everything available, and classes change over time so I always feel like there is something new to try. I’ll provide my recommendations, but classes are always changing and teachers come and go so go with your gut.

My favorite don’t-miss activites are the Intention Burning Ceremony, Guided Labyrinth Walk, Numerology and the sound baths. I just did the new Bhavanna Writing class and enjoyed it. I got out of my comfort zone and did Dance Cardio on this visit which I definitely enjoyed though my coordination for dancing has seriously declined since the 80s. Anton Mackey’s dynamic flow class is a fantastic (and challenging) departure from your typical vinyasa flow class. Be on the lookout for guest wellness guides.

Conscious Breathwork is now offered at CIVANA. I will just say that if you’ve never done it, it will be an experience you won’t forget. It isn’t for everyone. If you feel called, then you should do it. I participated in both of my recent visits and that was a highlight for sure. IFKYK.

I’ve done all the hikes except Black Mountain and find them all enjoyable. They are not “wow” hikes, and sometimes it’s hard to hike in silence where you can really take it in because typically someone will want to chat you up. I’ve decided that next time I’m going to pay for a private hike. The guides (my favorites are Chad, Micah, Collin and Angel) are allowed to take you off the beaten path if you do a private. UPDATE: I tried to book a private hike but they just wanted to charge me $200 for the same hikes I have already done.

Black Mountain – I finally did it! It is WAY more of an aggressive hike than anything else offered. Tom Thumb is the next most aggressive but I haven’t done that yet. Black Mountain is a rocky climb pretty much straight up for a little over a mile. It took me 55 minutes but was so worth it. Going down was MUCH easier and faster. Roundtrip from the time we left to being back at CIVANA was 2.5 hours.

The kayak and paddleboarding excursions are new. I did not take advantage on my last visit because I thought they were overpriced. The hiking guides said the location is beautiful (kayakers and boarders go to the same place). I talked to a couple who went and they enjoyed it. They said it was a 30-minute drive each way, but they got a solid hour and a half on the water.

I will re-emphasize that CIVANA is a chance to do both active and more holistic activities so don’t just go to work out and do yoga.

CIVANA Wellness Resort and Spa – Just for Girls?

There is no doubt that most of the guests at CIVANA are women. Great solo retreat, but I also see lots of pairs of friends, sisters and mother/daughter combos. I noticed a lot more men the last two times I went which is great, both solo and with their girlfriends/wives. I definitely think men who are in touch with themselves would feel as comfortable here as women.

If your husband wants to watch sports and drink beer, he won’t like CIVANA. Arizona is full of golf courses thought, so I’m betting your husband could go golfing while you invest in yourself.

I’m pretty sure they have a policy that guests must be over 18. Thank god, I can’t imagine what you would do with a child here. Adults-only is always a thumbs up for me.

CIVANA – Service ⋆⋆⋆⋆

Overall, I am satisfied with the level of service at CIVANA. I’ve previously commented on the front desk staff not being the most friendly or accommodating, but I’m happy to report that on my most recent visit it was much better. Except for one lady I recognize who is still a bit sour.

Getting the Best Price

As I mentioned earlier, the prices are creeping into the luxury zone as CIVANA continues to get media recognition for what they offer. I don’t see myself paying full price at this point, so I will look for the deals.

I get notified about deals pretty regularly. My most recent visit was 50% off the room rate to book during a certain date range. I booked 3 nights (the resort fee isn’t discounted but the 50% off helps a lot) and they sent me an email the next day offering a 4th night for a very low price which made it an even better deal overall.

Last year, they sent out an offer around October where if you booked nights between October and end of January, you got equivalent free nights to use between May and September of the following year (resort fee still applies, but that means I basically got 50% off the room rate again). If they offer that this year, I’ll like grab it again.

CIVANA – Final Thoughts

I consider myself a loyal guest and an ambassador for CIVANA. I think it is the perfect way to treat yourself at least once a year if not more often. In my opinion, you need 3 full days though 5 would probably be ideal as that would give you a lot more down time for just wandering, reading or napping.

If you have never done a “wellness retreat” before, I highly recommend checking CIVANA out. The experiences I’ve had and things I’ve learned about myself from my visits have truly contributed to my overall expansion as a human.

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