Greater Palm SpringsCalifornia
Horseback riding through the scenic Indian Canyons, along flowing streams and native palms
A magical hike surrounded by boulder formations and Joshua Trees at Joshua Tree National Park
Spectacular aerial views at the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
Behind the wheel at the adrenaline-pumping BMW Performance Driving School West
Shopping on glamorous El Paseo, a local shopping and dining mecca
Light dapples the rock formations and native palm trees in Indian Canyons
Footgolf at The Lights at Indio Golf Course, a night-lit Golf Course
A glamorous Southern California escape
Maybe it’s the laid-back vibe, the mix of stunning natural features with slick urban offerings, or the fact that it embraces so many different cultures, but there’s something very cool about Greater Palm Springs. Set in Southern California’s Coachella Valley and bordered by no less than four mountain ranges, this oasis is made up of nine distinct cities: Desert Hot Springs, Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Indian Wells, La Quinta, Indio and Coachella.
You can be outside golfing one of more than 100 courses, soaking in healing mineral waters or hiking more than 100 trails, or you could spend days indoors exploring historic hotels, cutting-edge museums, designer shopping lanes and outlets, and world-class art from outdoor sculptures to galleries.
An Adventurer's Playground
You might call Greater Palm Springs a geological wonder, with date palm-filled valleys, rock formations, mountains and oasis springs. Get a full lay of the land on the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, which launches you up 4 kilometers to Mountain Station summit. Ride a hot air balloon over the oasis. Head to Joshua Tree National Park and explore 200,000 hectares of wilderness by rock climbing or on a naturalist-guided Jeep tour. At The Living Desert, a zoo and botanical garden, see desert tortoises and Mexican wolves, as well as native flora. Golf to your heart’s content – Greater Palm Springs is known as the “Golf Capital of the West” – or try FootGolf, which combines soccer with golf. Visit the BMW Performance Driving School West (only one of three in the USA) and hit the test track for an adrenaline-filled experience like no other.
Refined Cultural Gems
As much a free spirit as it is a bastion of Old Hollywood glamour, Greater Palms Springs’ character is easy to fall in love with. If it’s art you’re after, dip into the galleries along Palm Canyon Drive. Take a Palm Springs Modern Tour to see the area’s midcentury modern architecture (there’s more here per hectare than any other place in the world). Tour Sunnylands Center & Gardens, a large midcentury modern estate on a golf course, where world dignitaries and presidents meet. To round out your education in all-things-modernist, visit the Palm Springs Art Museum.
Elegant Relaxation
Kicking back in style is a way of life here. To get in the spirit, retire to a historic resort or full-service luxury resort and soak up the sun by the pool or hot springs, leaving only to shop in high-fashion El Paseo shopping district or Palm Canyon’s boutiques in downtown Palm Springs (two outlets, Desert Hills Premium and Cabazon, provide a more affordable alternative). End your stay with a Celebrity Tour, where you’ll see where the Hollywood stars lived and played and leave with some very good stories – and make a few of your own.
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Fun Fact
With more than 50,000, Greater Palm Springs has more pools per capita than anywhere else in the country.
The date gardens in Greater Palm Springs produce more than 80 percent of this Middle Eastern delicacy in the United States, making it the nation’s Date Capital.
