Mount Madonna Named a Top Experience Gift in Santa Cruz
“For the Holidays, Give Friends a Truly Local Experience,” By Elizabeth Borelli
In a recent GoodTimes holiday feature celebrating clutter-free, experience-based gifts, author and mindfulness coach Elizabeth Borelli highlights Mount Madonna as one of Santa Cruz’s most meaningful local offerings — an invitation not to accumulate more things, but to give gifts that are lived, shared, and personal.
A Local Retreat That Feels Worlds Away
In Borelli’s roundup of unforgettable experience gifts for GoodTimes — from kayak adventures to candlelit concerts — Mount Madonna stands out as a place of quiet depth. Borelli describes a day or weekend on the mountain as “the perfect reset,” noting the coast redwoods, sweeping views, miles of hiking trails, meditation spaces, and opportunities for unplugged self-reflection. Whether gifted as a day pass or a guided retreat, the experiences offer something increasingly rare: time to slow down and return to source.
An Experience Gift Rooted in Well-Being & Peace
For nearly five decades, Mount Madonna has served as a sanctuary for yoga, meditation, and personal transformation, welcoming both longtime practitioners and first-time retreat guests. Being recognized alongside Santa Cruz’s most beloved local experiences reflects a spirit of giving rooted in care, presence, and the intention to nurture peace in each other’s lives — a spirit of giving we are grateful to share.
→Read the full GoodTimes article by Elizabeth Borelli on experience gifts in Santa Cruz
→Explore Personal Retreat overnight and Mountain Experience day visit options at Mount Madonna
→Awaken Your Senses: A Mindful Living Retreat with Elizabeth Borelli at Mount Madonna, January 16 – 18, 2026
