ROSH-PINA, Israel — It takes work to travel abroad. Often, it becomes a marathon of fitting in as many sights as possible, struggling to navigate new surroundings and making oneself understood in lands where you “no speak” the language, or at least not very well.

The answer isn’t to stay at home, but rather to consider building in some restorative time so that your trip really becomes a vacation. Should your travel plans take you to Israel, consider a stop at Hotel Mizpe Hayamim, which translates to paradise in any language.

This luxury spa-hotel and “health farm” is located in the northeastern Galilee, between the artist village of Rosh-Pina and the mystic Kabalistic city of Sefad. Tucked into 37 acres, highlights include not only decadent views of the Hermon Mountains, the Golan Heights and the Sea of Galilee, but also jasmine-scented gardens with rambling walking paths, tinkling streams and pools, a rustic organic dairy farm with goats, sheep, cows and chickens, and organic gardens growing fruits and vegetables featured in the Bible.

Then there is the spa, offering 45-plus relaxation and beauty treatments, many of which incorporate oil-and-herb potions cultivated on the property. “Love therapy,” for example, begins with a cleansing body and facial scrub and concludes with a holistic, full-body massage using aromatic oils that leave you smelling like fresh-picked citrus. 

Treatments for couples also are available, as are ones for pregnant women and those interested in more new-age practices such as Feldenkreis, which combines body awareness and posture with massage, and the Hawaiian Lomi-Lomi, in which therapists work on the body using their forearms, in circular motions. 

A dream come true, finally

Mizpe Hayamim was the vision of Dr. Erich Jacob Yaroslavsky (Yaros), a German immigrant to pre-Israel Palestine who purchased 30 acres of natural forest in the 1920s to establish a vegetarian resort and center for relaxation and homeopathic healing. Beleaguered by administrative headaches and opposition, Yaros could not begin construction until 1966, when the first 12 rooms opened for business. After his death in 1984 at the age of 92, Yaros’ successors established the organic farm, expanded the infrastructure and increased the number of rooms.

Today, guests can choose from among 97 rooms and suites; most have balconies overlooking the resort’s boundless greenery and surrounding mountains. The lobby boasts dozens of quiet nooks to sit, read and relax amid lushness and hanging plants, while the outdoors has multiple patios to soak up tranquility in true gardens of Eden.

The resort prides itself on its food, much of which is raised on the premises and is made from scratch, then served at its two restaurants, one that specializes in meat and fish, the other vegetarian. Bakers use only organic flour in their breads and pastries, while the milk of organically fed cows, sheep and goats is pasteurized and used to produce the yogurt and dozens of cheeses that grace the lavish breakfast buffet every day. 

Strolling the property is a must, especially in the early morning when chickens, birds and other “wildlife” act as unofficial tour guides. For those who prefer human guides, tours take place four times a week and last about a half-hour.  

Day tripping

From the resort, numerous day trips are easy possibilities, including a visit to the historic, walled port city of Akko (or Acre), where visitors can wander among the substantial remains of medieval Crusader buildings. Akko has existed for at least 5,000 years but was the capital of the Crusader world in 1104. In 2001, the city became Israel’s first UNESCO World Heritage site.

While there, do not miss the chance to eat at Uri Buri, an Akko institution widely considered one of the best fish and seafood restaurants in the Middle East. Its culinary mastermind is chef Uri Jeremias. He also is one of the owners of the nearby exclusive, 12-room Elfendi Hotel & Spa, an architectural gem located in two Ottoman-style 19^th century buildings erected on foundations dating back to the Crusader period. 

Restoration of the boutique hotel took more than eight years and includes a lobby with domed ceilings; a stone-walled wine bar with 2,000 bottles of Israeli wine from 150 winemakers; and an original, 400-year-old Turkish bath. Should Jeremias be on the premises — you can’t miss him with his long, wild, white beard — be sure to engage him in conversation. You won’t be disappointed.

Other worthwhile day trips: Safed, the highest city in Israel, known for its quaint art galleries and shops as well as the birthplace of Kabbalah; and Tiberias, the capital of the Galilee and one of the four Jewish holy cities, dating back to the early Roman period. 

Another fun afternoon is to tour the Golan Heights Winery in Katzrin, where visitors can see much of the production process and enjoy tastings in a vast wine cellar.

Should wine not be your thing, plenty of other souvenir food items are available back at Mizpe Hayamim.  At the farm shop, guests can buy a variety of products made at the resort, including preserves from berries grown in the fruit orchards, olives pressed into oil and soaps, and herbs dried for teas. Next door at a bakery, breads, cakes and other fresh baked goods are sold as well as homemade ice cream. 

The property does have some rules, among them, no children under the age of 10 as guests.  And the price of relaxation and ecological harmony between humans and nature does come at a price — rooms start about $350 a night and run upward of $600, depending on the time of year. Suites start at $400, with the palatial Presidential Suite suitable for a large family or two couples, going for roughly $1,200. 

Spa treatments run the gamut as well, from $100 for an hour-long body massage to $160 for the 90-minute “love therapy” to $200 for a 90-minute body treatment designed for weight loss and eliminating toxins.

For more information, go to mizpe-hayamim.com.