What the heck is Serenbe? That was our first thought when we heard about it a few years ago. A local friend named Kelly was moving to this “wellness community” outside of Atlanta and told us it’s a great place for a quick getaway with the kids. And soon after that conversation, we learned that our friends Vern Yip and Craig Koch are also building a home there. So, fast-forward 5 years, we finally visited over Spring Break and had a great time.
Ok, so now let’s answer that initial question.
What Is Serenbe?
Serenbe (rhymes with “Heron B.”) is a small “New Urban” community about 45 minutes south of Atlanta in a rural town called Chattahoochee Hills. It’s sort of a mix of an upscale-feeling suburban development and an eco-conscious resort in the countryside. There is a focus on well-being and connection to nature, including on-site features like an organic farm, several farm-to-table restaurants, and 16 miles of nature trails.
We didn’t know if we should expect sprawling farmland or dense town centers and honestly, it’s kinda both. The main attractions are these quaint “hamlets” with shops, restaurants, and homes within walking distance of one another. But between them are horse pastures, wooded trails, and larger lots called “farmettes” that still give you a sense of remoteness. There’s a wide range of home sizes and styles, from modern condos to retro bungalows which makes for lots to look at when you drive around (in a golf cart, which is the preffered method of transportation for locals and visitors alike).
There is an Inn you can stay at, as well as several Airbnbs, but overall Serenbe felt more full-time and residential than we expected. We asked a local and they said about 70% of its occupancy is full-time, which differs a lot from our beach down (which is more like 50/50 or even lower depending on the area). We also came in their off-season (mid-March) so perhaps it has a more tourist-y vibe during the summer. Either way, it was great for us because we live in a vacation destination that gets quite busy over spring break, so the slower pace was actually really nice.
Where To Stay In Serenbe?
The Inn at Serenbe is the only hotel but you can also find rentals through sites like Airbnb and the official Serenbe Vacation Rentals website. Some Airbnb results may show up as “Palmetto, GA” and some may not be within Serenbe proper, so be sure to check the listing if that’s important to you. Being on site will give you easier access to trails & shops, and you’ll also be able to golf cart between hamlets more easily.
We ended up being extremely lucky that Vern & Craig let us stay in the condo they have (which is where they stay while their Serenbe home is being constructed, since they live full time in Atlanta). Sherry had texted them for Serenbe tips when we started planning our trip and they insisted that we stay at their place, since it wasn’t being used. They are seriously the kindest humans on the planet.
What To Do In Serenbe
Our 3 days in Serenbe were a wonderfully chill experience filled with – as cheesy as it sounds – great opportunities to slow down and connect with nature and each other.
Get Outside
Serenbe offers a lot of excuses to be outside: trails, playgrounds, even waterfalls. And much to our surprise, the main activity our kids requested each day was playing in a nearby stream. Our kids are 10 and 14 and we were pretty surprised to realize that this little stream would be a big draw for them. But it kept them busy for a couple hours each day – just playing with rocks and mud (our daughter made legit pottery with clay from the riverbed), walking across fallen logs, skipping stones, etc.
The trails & streams were very reminiscent of the Virginia suburb I grew up in, so I’m not sure every kid would find Serenbe’s babbling brooks as captivating as our kids did. But I guess it was novel enough compared to the sandy beaches they’re used to in Florida.
Beyond the nature trails, our kids also loved the little playgrounds peppered throughout the community (again, something reminiscent of the suburb I grew up in – and something we wondered if they had outgrown). But Serenbe’s playgrounds seemed intentionally retro and simple – basic swings & slides vs elaborate plastic playplaces – which totally charmed our kids. They even ended up playing in this little lean-to made of sticks for a while.
The coolest “modern” playground features in Serenbe are a couple of in-ground trampolines, including one atop a hill called “Sunset Point” that overlooks the stables. They loved them.
Overall, there wasn’t anything specifically elaborate or unique about these various outdoor amenities, but there seemed to be some magic in the old-fashioned simplicity of them, and the fact that they were scattered around Serenbe (to the point that many kids would “trampoline hop” to each spot after dinner in the evening).
Ride Horses
With all of the stables and pastures around, it seemed only natural to splurge on a family horseback ride. Plus, it was Sherry’s birthday – so why not spend it atop a horse?
We booked a 1-hour excursion through Serenbe Trail Riding, which was perfect for novice riders like us. My daughter and I had done something similar last summer on our trip to South Dakota, but this was our son’s first time on a horse! He was nervous, but Crystal (our guide) and Dakota (his horse) were awesome. By the end, he said it was his favorite part of the entire vacation!
The ride took us along some of the Serenbe trails with enough sights (a waterfall! cool houses!) and terrain (steep-ish hills!) to make it engaging & relaxing at the same time.
Hit the Spa
Sherry’s other birthday present while we were there was a relaxing trip to the Spa at Serenbe with our daughter. When we called to book, the woman on the phone gushed so much about the Reiki treatment over a typical massage that Sherry took her advice and that’s what they each enjoyed for an hour (along with hanging out in the infrared sauna before and after the treatment, and ordering some macarons). But both our daughter and Sherry ranked their spa experience as their favorite part of the trip!
Rent Bikes or A Golf Cart
You can easily get around Serenbe without a car. We only used it one day when we ventured out to a nearby park. Our friend Kelly – the one who moved there full-time a few years ago – loaned us her golf cart and our kids loved that we could all scoot around town in it. Had we been there longer, I definitely would have brought our bikes (or rented them), although it is fairly hilly so getting around could be a bit of a workout.
Go See A Waterfall
Okay, so this one is technically outside of Serenbe, but it was definitely worth the 15-minute drive (there are a couple of smaller waterfalls in Serenbe too). We went on a 2-mile-ish hike at Cochran Mills Park that took us past numerous waterfalls, including this impressive cascade right at the start. It was a little steep and overgrown at parts, but our chihuahua did it, so I wouldn’t say it was too challenging!
FYI – the trails we took (the Orange trails) are across the main road from the parking lot.
Shop the Stores
We had a fun afternoon of exploring some of the shops in Serenbe, although they are fairly limited – especially when it comes to things that kids enjoy. So the shops didn’t take up much time, but they were nice pit stops on our walks.
Probably our two favorites were Typo Market and the Hills & Hamlet Bookshop. They’re both charming & quaint, and Typo Market packs a lot of cute curiosities (stationery, decor, toys, etc) in a small store! Sherry also ducked into an upscale home decor store called Mister & Mrs Sharp to oogle the goods. She left with two little gold fortune cookies (one for each of our kids) that hinge open, and you can write a little note for them inside. Here’s an affiliate link to a version of what she got that you can get engraved on Etsy.
Where To Eat in Serenbe
Much like the shopping options, the dining options in Serenbe aren’t numerous, but we enjoyed every meal we had – especially from the place we ate three times!
Blue Eyed Daisy
Blue Eyed Daisy is a casual spot that was a short walk from our condo and we ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner there (not all on the same day). They only serve dinner a couple of nights a week and we caught their weekly “Burger Night” on Monday, which Vern and Craig said we couldn’t miss. My Dubliner burger was the best burger I’ve had in a while.
Halsa
Halsa is a Swedish-inspired restaurant that definitely had our favorite “vibes” of all the restaurants. It’s a little pricier, and the “clean” and “vegetable-forward” menu might not be every kid’s favorite, but we liked our lunch so much that we came back the next day for breakfast!
The Hill
The Hill is a slightly nicer, but still casual dinner spot where we ate on our last night. Like the other restaurants, it boasts local farm fresh ingredients and would be a good date night option too. Our kids shared a pizza, Sherry crated her own “tapas” from the apps & sides, and I thoroughly enjoyed my “beef stack” that ended up being code for a burger.
Nigel’s Fancy Bananas
We’ve been big fans of this frozen banana & gelato shop ever since a mutual friend of ours & Kelly’s opened her first one in Florida a few years ago. Serenbe is its third location, so of course we had to stop in. It never disappoints and the chocolate-covered bananas sprinkled with things like graham crackers & marshmallows or a melted peanut butter drizzle are great. We counted this as lunch once day (at home every once in a while, it’s dinner, along with some other random snack that we eat afterwards).
Other Places To Eat
Another popular dining spot is The Farmhouse at the Inn, but we were told it’s a bit dressier and we didn’t pack for the occasion. There are also coffee shops like Birdhouse Coffee Room and Minro Studio that is a cafe and ceramics studio where you can take pottery workshops (but that was closed while we were there). There’s also a pizza place called Radical Dough that we would’ve loved to try, but it was also closed while we were there.
A Trip to Serenbe: A Summary
We had a great time in Serenbe. We didn’t really know what to expect, other than it always being referred to as having a “farm” feeling and being a nice slow place to relax. It lived up to the chill, connect-with-nature vibe we’d heard about – and I think its contrast to our daily environment was especially fun for our kids. Our daughter is already asking to go back and try goat yoga!
Anyways, here’s a quick rundown of our trip in bullet form:
Where to Stay:
What to Do:
Shopping & Dining:
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