Sedona’s natural and artistic landscapes are flanked by nearly 2 million acres of natural forest. Needless to say, the city swirls with its own brand of bustle.
From thrilling eco adventures that plunge groups into ancient mystical landscapes to Sedona’s vortex sites, or sacred places that offer spiritual renewal and transformation, there is no shortage of hyperlocal group experiences in Sedona.
“Beneath the skin of the red rock landscape, the earth has a breath, the landscape has a pulse,” explains Jennifer Wesselhoff, president/CEO of the Sedona Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau. “Powerful vortexes are believed to unleash an energy field that resonates with all who come in contact. People travel from around the world to experience these swirling centers of energy that are conducive to spiritual healing, meditation and self-exploration. Groups can experience one or all four of Sedona’s powerful vortexes by hiking up to them or touring with a Jeep or Hummer.”
Hikes through the sun-struck red rocks reveal the area’s first artists through petroglyphs and pictographs. This same urge to tell the story of the land and people has long attracted creative types and seekers, to the advantage of today’s groups, who can experience the art of en plein air painters, consult with local shamans and alternative healing masters, hightail it into the wild red yonder for yoga, a group picnic or scientific vortex tour, or discover their inner artistic voices through myriad classes and workshops offered at the Sedona Arts Center.
The “Art & Soul” of Sedona is the Tlaquepaque Arts & Crafts Village, whose Spanish-style compound contains more than 45 artisanal shops, 19 galleries and four restaurants. In the ambiance of Old World Mexico’s cobbled walkways, fiery flamenco dancers and wafting aromas, annual festivals and fiestas take place here in this bookable venue. Aumbase Sedona offers yoga retreats in the heart of the vortex, while spas like eforea: Spa in the newly renovated Hilton Sedona at Red Rock, Enchantment Resort’s mii amo, or L’Auberge de Sedona’s L’Apothecary draw on the area’s healing energy through indigenous ingredients. At L’Auberge, a top-rated corporate retreat, groups can connect to this energetic environment by blending their own bath soaks and body scrubs, experiencing creekside spa treatments or meditative forest bathing among evocative juniper trees.
