Health & Wellness Itinerary: How to Have the Perfect 3 Day Wellness Trip in Ventura

Day 3: Mindful Shopping and Wellness Activities in Downtown Ventura

On your last day here in town, you have to explore the heart of Ventura. Downtown Ventura is filled with unique local shops, fitness studios, and outdoor adventure. Downtown Ventura is fortunate to be home to various health and consciously curated wellness businesses that encapsulate what mindfulness means to our beach town.

Start the day off with a session at Grassroots Yoga to awaken the body and clear the mind. Grassroots Yoga offers out-of-town visitors a one-week travel pass that includes a yoga mat and towel rentals. Whether you’re a full-blown yoga pro or have never taken a yoga class, Grassroots Yoga welcomes everyone regardless of experience and offers classes ranging from hot yoga, candle-lit, meditative, to gentle. 

If you’d rather stay within the downtown area and look for something more laid-back and relaxing, think about booking an appointment at Pueblo Luna. Pueblo Luna is a massage and spa that offers sessions and bundles from 30 minutes to 90 minutes, traditional Japanese massage therapy Shiatsu, Cupping + Sound, an infrared sauna, and personalized energetic bodywork to fit your needs.  

By this time, you’ve probably grown an appetite. Immigrant Son Caffe is a great breakfast place downtown. Immigrant Son Cafe offers Italian-inspired food from locally sourced ingredients. Must order dishes include the yogurt parfait, the farmer’s market omelette (which is made up of seasonal vegetables accompanied with sides), and a ginger & turmeric wellness shot.

Another delicious breakfast spot just a 4 minute drive from downtown is Frontside Cafe, which is well worth the visit. With a large focus on healthy eating, Frontside Cafe brings classic Australian coffee culture to the California Coast. 

Now that we’re fueled up and ready to go, we can check out all the wellness shops downtown. First up is The Refill Shoppe. An eco-friendly apothecary that carries various beauty, bath, and home products. Once you pick out your favorite product, you can keep going back and getting refills! As a 1% for the Planet member, Certified B Corp, and Certified Green Business, The Refill Shoppe goes above and beyond to be eco-friendly. All products are cruelty-free, made in the US, 99.7% GMO-free, and use recycled packing materials for shipping purposes. If you forget to bring your bottle in for a refill, don’t worry, as The Refill Shoppe offers bottles & jars for sale.

Ema’s Herbs is also a must-visit downtown. Ema’s Herbs, a locally-owned business since 1989, combines both modern and folk medicine through thoughtfully sourced herbs, supplements, liquid vitamins, and recipes made by founder Ema Omanovic through her research and training. Their mission is to provide the first steps towards attaining wellness and allowing clients to take control over their health. 

The Healing Portal, home to one of the largest collections of hand-selected crystals and metaphysical tools in Southern California, offers all the necessary instruments to connect with the spiritual dimension of wellness. Founder of The Healing Portal, Kelle Evans, also offers energy & sound intensive healing sessions, Reiki, and hosts frequent workshops revolving around wellness. Check our events page to see what’s the latest happenings here. 

Venture Well is an herbal apothecary and somatic spa with a mission to reconnect with your inner rhythms and the natural world. Venture Well also hosts workshops like private meditation groups and aroma yoga. Check out their website for upcoming events. 

Make your way to Paradise Pantry for lunch. Paradise Pantry is a farm-to-table restaurant with a wine and cheese shop on the other side. Chef Kelly often sources local ingredients to curate their weekly rotating menu. Whether you pick one of their artisan sandwiches off the menu or try the cult favorite Pantry Haze salad, it’ll be a memorable meal.

Right behind City Hall is the Ventura Botanical Gardens, the perfect destination to take a mindful nature walk surrounded by healing botanicals and experience stunning views of the town, the Channel Islands National Park, and brilliant blue ocean. The Botanical Gardens has over 120,000 chaparral biome plants found from the five Mediterranean climates: Chile, South Africa, Australia, the Mediterranean, and California. The walking path is a 2.4 mile out-and-back that takes roughly an hour to complete. Tip: Don’t forget to stay hydrated, bring water, and your best tennis shoes! Along the way, you’ll want to stop and enjoy the beauty around you. 

The final meal in Ventura has come at last! Asiatique Eatery is located downtown, serving a combination of East Asian dishes made from the finest ingredients. Recommended items include the pineapple fried rice, vegan summer rolls, and pho. Another suggestion that is loved by locals is Rumfish y Vino. Rumfish y Vino is an upscale restaurant that offers Central-American-inspired dishes, seafood, and a bar. As the official Instagram states, “Come for the ambiance, stay for the food and drink”. Might as well kill two birds and one stone by attaining the physical and social dimensions!

As your stay in Ventura comes to an end, you’ll be leaving not only refreshed but recentered in the body, mind, and spirit. Whether it was soaking up the sun at the beach, reconnecting with nature, or taking advantage of the invitation to slow down, it gave you a special kind of energy to bring home.