Travel Guide of Sonoma County, California for: The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa Rating: 4.0 Pearls

Boyes Hot Springs, Sonoma Valley, Sonoma County

Sonoma Summary

What It's Like

Sonoma County is one of the world's best wine-growing regions, with hundreds of wineries sprawling over rolling hills. It's a little less touristy than Napa, and more laid-back, with family-owned wineries and less crowded towns. It's best known for Sonoma Valley, a region in the southeastern part of the county that's home to the city of Sonoma, Glen Ellen, and Boyes Hot Springs, but there are great wineries elsewhere in the county as well. The charming town of Healdsburg in the wine growing region Dry Creek Valley is a popular destination.

Hikers, non-drinkers, and eco-tourists can expect to have fun too -- Sonoma offers attractions apart from wine tasting and fine dining, including hot air balloon rides and golf.

Sonoma's beauty is striking any time of the year, but especially during the harvest season (September and October) and spring. It can get busy during the summer months, but you shouldn't expect as many crowds as in Napa Valley.

Where To Stay

• Sonoma is more slow-paced than Napa and attracts smaller crowds.
• Glen Ellen is home to some of the valley's finest hotels and restaurants, and its wineries go tête-à-tête with some of France's best.
• Santa Rosa's corporate buildings and traffic jams are unattractive, but the city (Somoma's county seat) has numerous chain motels and hotels.
• Healdsburg, to the north of Sonoma Valley, offers the best of wine country in less than four square miles: excellent wineries, quaint dining options, great shopping, fancy accommodations, and a charming rural ambience.