Can vacationing in a sustainability-focused community change the way you live?
What if your next vacation didn’t just compel you to unwind, but inspired you to rethink how and where you live? That’s the innovative shift happening in communities known as agrihoods, where wellness, art, and community converge to create something with lasting impact, beyond a weekend escape.
The growing numbers of agrihoods and biophilic developments throughout the U.S. merge vacation with holistic living. Think organic farms in place of golf courses, cooking lessons instead of buffet dining, and labyrinth meditation walks rather than state-of-the-art gyms. Here are just a few destinations that allow vacationers to get a glimpse of what a more intentional lifestyle could look like — and why it’s not only good for us, but also for the planet.
Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia
Serenbe, about 30 miles southwest of Atlanta, features New Urbanism design that is a blueprint for future neighborhoods to be built with sustainability, creativity, and togetherness in mind. Its distinct neighborhoods provide everything from bespoke medical care and high-end thrift shops to juice bars and a full-service spa. Serenbe’s mission is to foster a culture of curiosity, engagement, and a shared belief in a better way of living, or vacationing.
Here, farm-to-table meals come straight from the community garden, art is seamlessly woven into public spaces, neighbors gather at community mailboxes, and electric golf carts are used in place of cars. Start your day with a walk through the animal village, take a wooded path to get your morning coffee, stop to bounce on an in-ground trampoline, go horseback riding at sunset, and end with a nourishing meal with locally sourced ingredients. Guests can stay at the bucolic Inn at Serenbe or in a vacation rental immersed in the community.
As wellandgood.com wrote in a review of the community, “It’s nice living in an area where people share your love of being eco-friendly, staying active in nature, and enjoying the simple things in life.”
Sonoma County, California
Built in the 1960s, this environmentally conscious development focuses on engaging with nature and highlights architecture that blends with the landscape. The Sea Ranch was designed for “living lightly on the land,” in an effort to preserve the rugged Sonoma County coastline where it is situated.
Highway 1 provides a picturesque path through the area and allows access to beaches, hiking trails, the whimsical Sea Ranch Chapel, The Sea Ranch Golf Links — an 18-hole course overlooking the Pacific — and the oceanfront Gualala Point Regional Park with a campground and visitors center. The Sea Ranch Lodge welcomes visitors to stay in their down-to-earth guest rooms or private homes. The property includes The Dining Room, The Bar + Lounge, The Coffee Shop, and The General Store. The Lodge also hosts community classes and events, ranging from yoga and wine tasting to live music and sound baths.
According to The Quality Edit, “There isn’t a bad seat in the house; Sea Ranch might just be the California capital of peace and quiet.”
Gilbert, Arizona
Intentionally designed as a mixed-use community, Agritopia is a suburban agrihood in Gilbert, Arizona that is centered around its certified organic farm. The 166-acre area, just 30 miles southeast of Phoenix, draws travelers and residents looking for a farm-forward destination with a small-town feel that offers handcrafted goods, seed-to-spoon dining, and wellness amenities.
What was originally a homestead in the 1960s has turned into a modern-day village that has prevented urban sprawl from encroaching on its farmlands. The mainstays of the community include the 11-acre organic Agritopia Farm featuring a community garden, the Barnone — a workshop and marketplace for craftsmen and makers — The Coffee Shop, where the community gathers over a cup of Joe, Joe’s Farm Grill in the original (updated) residence of the homesteaders that serves dishes with ingredients picked fresh from the farm, and the Epicenter, an award-winning combination of loft apartments, elevated boutique shops, local eateries, and health and fitness facilities. You can book a place to stay through a vacation rental platform.
Tempe, Arizona
Culdesac Tempe is a car-free community in Tempe, Arizona, that offers a chance to reconnect with nature and neighbors through open space, walking and cycling paths, shared courtyards, a dog park, and a central plaza. You won’t see any asphalt, garages, or driveways. Spending less time in your car means more time outdoors and more opportunities to interact with others. As personal finance blogger Mr. Money Mustache wrote about why he was moving there for the winter, “I want to have the best winter ever, meet a bunch of smart new people, and I also want Culdesac to be a huge success so they will build more neighborhoods like this around the country and set an example that permanently improves the way U.S. cities build and expand themselves in the future.”
If you need to leave this walkable neighborhood, e-bikes, electric scooters, public transportation, and ride share services (including Waymo’s autonomous vehicles) will get you where you need to go. Residents receive a complimentary Valley Metro pass to use on nearby light rail and buses. Amenities include an e-bike shop, an outdoor pool, a gym and exercise studio, a market, restaurants, shops, and a community lounge with coworking space. Book your stay through vacation rental platforms.