Big Sur, in your birthday suit

THE BATHS AT ESALEN

Big Sur, Monterey County

To fall for the baths at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, you don’t need to know that Joseph Campbell, Hunter S. Thompson, Linus Pauling, Timothy Leary, Joan Baez, Ansel Adams and Henry Miller all loved the place; that, like the Haight, Esalen helped put California in the forefront of the American cultural revolution we call the ‘60s; or that the institute still offers workshops on a range of outre topics related to religion, philosophy, psychology, art, sex and healing. To want to get naked at the Esalen baths -- which are clothing optional, with men and women bathing together -- you just need to see the two-story, terraced bathhouse, designed by Big Sur architect Mickey Muennig (who also gave us the Post Ranch Inn). Built into the cliffs above a bay where otters and dolphins play, it occupies what is arguably the finest piece of real estate on the Big Sur coast, so the views are terrific. The naturally heated spring water has been soothing muscles at least since the time of the Esalen Indians. And then there’s the signature Esalen massage, known for its slow, rhythmic strokes, performed on the bathhouse deck by institute-trained practitioners. People who join workshops or go on retreats at Esalen can visit the hot spring at will. Those who book massages ($150 for 75 minutes) can use the bathhouse before and after the treatment; others are welcome by reservations between 1 and 3 a.m. (yes, we mean a.m.) for $20.

Info: www.esalen.org.