Summer travel is still going strong. And whether it’s a weekend staycation or a longer escape, Angelenos don’t have to leave Southern California to find the country’s most relaxing destinations.
A new study found that six Southern California spots rank among America’s best places for a peaceful Airbnb stay.
According to the 2026 Most Relaxing Vacation Spots Index by Sudoku Bliss, millions of Airbnb reviews were analyzed to find the destinations where travelers most often described their stays as relaxing.
Joshua Tree is SoCal’s most relaxing destination
Joshua Tree earned the highest ranking in Southern California, landing at No. 6 nationwide. More than 61.22% of Airbnb reviews there mentioned a relaxing experience.
California dominates the national rankings
California claimed four of the top 10 most relaxing destinations in the country.
The top 10 are:
- Sonoma, California
- Santa Fe, New Mexico
- Sedona, Arizona
- Taos, New Mexico
- Napa Valley, California
- Joshua Tree, California
- Bar Harbor, Maine
- Big Sur, California
- Asheville, North Carolina
- Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts
With destinations ranging from wine country to the desert and the coast, California offers plenty of options for travelers looking to recharge without venturing too far from home.
SoCal’s most relaxing spots
Five other Southern California destinations also made the top 100:
- No. 14: Ojai (57.16%)
- No. 20: Palm Springs (55.28%)
- No. 36: Laguna Beach (47.87%)
- No. 38: Santa Monica (46.59%)
- No. 68: Newport Beach (36.69%)
How the study worked
Sudoku Bliss looked at more than 9.5 million Airbnb reviews from 100 destinations across the U.S.
The team searched for 45 keywords related to relaxation and calculated how often guests described their stays as relaxing. Cities were then ranked based on the percentage of reviews that mentioned a relaxing experience.
