Serenity at Golden Door

Set on 600 private acres north of San Diego, the Golden Door has beautifully manicured gardens.

Zen rock gardens provide spots for peaceful introspection.

Japanese-inspired design graces the property.

Multicolored koi are mesmerizing to watch.

Dinners begin with appetizers in the lounge, such as small mugs of carrot ginger soup.

Because the property used to be a camellia farm, there are many mature shrubs with beautiful blooms.

Serene rooms are set down winding pathways.

Some guests choose rooms that provide solitude.

The woods surrounding the property have open understories.

Hundred-year-old oaks, with their dramatic shapes, shade a walkway behind the resort.

Cabbage from the organic garden.

The iconic entrance to the Golden Door is through decorative Tunesian brass doors.

Guests walk to dinner along covered wooden boardwalks surrounding open courtyards.

The orange groves on the property have a delicious smell, almost like gardenias, in spring and summer.

The cuisine emphasizes ultra-fresh produce.

A healthy snack at the Golden Door might consist of an apple or orange and a handful of almonds.

Many of the fruits and vegetables served at meals are grown on property.

Japanese touches on the grounds include bamboo groves.

One of the best parts of the property is the network of private hiking trails that wind through the woods, meadow and up into the surrounding mountains.

Walking out through the camellia grove.

The Golden Door is known for its labyrinths, including this one made of carefully placed stones. Located on the shores of a serene lake, it’s reached by a two-mile hike.