Home to hippies, healing water, and the best yerba mate west of the Mississippi — Manitou Springs is unlike any other place and most definitely worth a stay!

It might be only a 15 minute drive west of Downtown Colorado Springs, but Manitou Springs feels like a different world entirely.

This small, charming town was founded in 1872 by William Abraham Bell and was meant to serve as a scenic health resort, due to its panoramic mountain views and healing mineral water that flows throughout the town. Since then, the town has become a major tourist attraction and, most noticeably, home to many vibrant artists and down-to-earth hippies. Manitou Springs was even recently named the “14th Best U.S. City for Hippies” by Estately.

If you’re looking for a scenic and unique vacation or staycation, look no further! Here’s our guide to the perfect weekend in Manitou Springs, Colorado.

Best places to stay in Manitou Springs

• The Cliff House at Pikes Peak – This historic Manitou hotel “evokes an atmosphere of Victorian romance and opulence dating back nearly 150 years.” The Cliff House beckons you back to the founding of Manitou Springs with its luxury suites and turn of the century inspired decor.
• SunMountain Center – The perfect place to connect with your soul and nature, SunMountain Center is a bed & breakfast with a focus on wellness. Here you can eat farm-to-table cuisine, take a yoga class, and soak in their mineral soaking tubs.
• Avenue Hotel Bed & Breakfast – Visit Manitou Springs’ first bed and breakfast! This Queen-Anne-style Victorian house was built in 1886 and served as a boarding house for the Pikes Peak Region. Filled with unique antiques and local art, Avenue Hotel provides an authentic Manitou Springs stay.
• Manitou Springs Airbnb – If you’re looking for a more customizable stay, search the many private homes and rooms in Manitou Springs available for rent on Airbnb.
  

Unique activities in Manitou Springs 

• Hike one of Manitou Springs many scenic trails – Nestled in the foothills of Pikes Peak, Manitou Springs lacks nothing with it comes to scenic hiking tails. Perhaps the most famous local trail is the Manitou Incline, dubbed as the “holy grail of cardio workouts,” and not for the faint of heart. Click here to check out some of the best parks and trails in the area for all levels of fitness.
• Visit  SunWater Spa for a day of healing – Tucked back in the mountains close to Downtown Manitou Springs, SunMountain Center’s SunWater Spa is perfect for a day of relaxation. Visitors can soak in mineral water cedar pools, take a rejuvenating yoga class, or book a relaxing spa service.
• Explore the Manitou Cliff Dwellings – Explore history as you walk through Anasazi ruins that date back 800 to 1000 years.
• Take a subterranean adventure at the Cave of the Winds Mountain Park – Take a guided tour through massive limestone caves, zip-line above the canyon floor, or launch into the air on the “Bat-A-Pult.”
• Zip-line in the mountains with Adventures Out West – “The Best Hour of Adrenaline” — check out Adventures Out West for various Colorado zip-lining experiences that will fulfill your spirit of adventure!
• Rock climb with Front Range Climbing Company – Head to Garden of the Gods for a day of jaw-dropping views and guided rock climbing routes that will make you feel like a true Coloradan.
• Visit the shops of Manitou Avenue – Manitou Avenue and the surrounding streets are filled with unique shops to explore — from apothecaries to antique stores, there’s something for everyone! Here’s a full list of Manitou’s many unique shops and boutiques.
• Sip on Manitou Springs’ natural mineral springs – Are you a fan of La Croix? Then Manitou’s the place for you! Manitou Springs is the home of 8 natural mineral spring fountains, each naturally occurring and having their own unique flavor and level of effervescence. Click here for more information on each of Manitou’s unique fountains!
• Blast from the past at The Penny Arcade – Manitou Springs’ Penny Arcade is the perfect attraction for all ages! From pinball to skeeball and everything in between, visitors will find hundreds of old arcade games to play, some dating back to the 1930s.

Where to eat in Manitou Springs

• Adam’s Mountain Cafe – This Manitou cafe is serving globally inspired cuisine for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. While its omnivore visitors will surely be provided for, Adam’s Mountain Cafe caters to vegans and vegetarians, using local and organic ingredients whenever possible.
• Maté Factor Café – You can’t visit Manitou Springs without visiting The Maté Factor. This unique cafe is open 24/6 (Sunday-Friday) and serves up wholesome fresh foods and yerba maté in a cozy, whimsical environment.
• Heart of Jerusalem – Visit this local favorite and you’ll be shipped “across the ocean into The Heart of Jerusalem.” Here, you’ll find the area’s most authentic Middle Eastern cuisine and a homey atmosphere filled with Arabian tunes. Be sure to try some of their delicious Turkish Coffee!
• Crystal Park Cantina – Nestled in the foothills, Crystal Park Cantina is one of Manitou Springs’ many hidden gems. Visitors will enjoy home-style Mexican cuisine and the freshest margaritas made with agave tequila.
• Manitou Brewing Co. – Nothing’s better than a cold beer after a long hike. Manitou Brewing Company makes craft beer on location from the freshest Pikes Peak water. Grab a flight of beer and watch the sunset over the mountains.

Head to Manitou Springs, Colorado to unleash the adventurous hippie within! We hope you enjoy your stay!

After getting your fill in Manitou Springs, book a food tour with us, Rocky Mountain Food Tours, in downtown Colorado Springs. Not only will you experience some of the best local dining, but you will also learn about our local history and art. Check out our list of tours here!

Cheers! Your Rocky Mountain Food Tours Team

(So, what’s a food tour, anyway…?)

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