For many, winter is the perfect time to recharge your mojo. As the days get shorter and the nights darker, we naturally look inwards and become more reflective. So, whether you suffer from insomnia, want to overhaul your fitness, or look more youthful, these are the newest retreats where you can find a healthier you. It’s a bonus that they’re set among some of the world’s most beautiful backdrops — from a UNESCO world heritage site to palm-lined Thai beaches.
Tap into your senses at Cape of Senses, Lake Garda
Best for: a positive mindset.
From colour therapy to embracing the sound of silence, Cape of Senses, a unique holistic spa found on the shores of Lake Garda, has launched a five-day retreat that hones in on the power of our sensory perceptions. The five-star hideaway has enlisted life coach and counsellor, Constanze Spagnolli, to devise the programme. Inspired by the notion of ‘sense hacking’, the idea, she says, is that by being supremely conscious of our senses we can improve our overall wellbeing.
Each day, you’ll explore a different one of the five senses: sight, sound, scent, taste and touch. You might find yourself embarking on a tactile nature walk while gazing over the still waters of the lake, for instance, or tuning in to a sound meditation class lit by candlelight. Dining is focused on hyper-local ingredients to concentrate the taste buds on regional flavours and there are sensory visits to the city of Verona, as well as scented spa treatments. It’s “designed for guests to go on a journey of self-discovery, while soaking up the beauty of Italy,” says Constanze.
Book it: The Senses Retreat starts from £2,350, 6 - 10 November 2024, and will continue throughout 2025. capeofsenses.com
Get moving at Habitas, Mexico
Best for: long-term fitness.
Sustainable hotel brand Habitas has joined forces with Physio Logic NYC, a pioneering wellness centre based in the Big Apple, that focuses on the power of Pilates and movement. Taking place at Habitas San Miguel de Allende, the three-day Re:You Retreat will offer dynamic movement sessions, nutritious meals and medical treatments, such as chirotherapy (a form of alternative medicine for the spine, joints and extremities) and IV vitamin therapy.
Following a functional movement screening and biochemistry testing, a tailored programme is drawn up for each guest with a view to help each person learn more about strength, fitness and new health strategies, as well as how to incorporate them into the everyday. Massages, physical therapy and nutrition counselling are also included, as are activities such as hiking and paddle boarding.
Found in the wildflower and cactus-studded countryside surrounding Mexico’s UNESCO World Heritage city of San Miguel, the Habitas hotel has natural hot springs and farm-to-table cuisine. For those wanting to move upwards, check out the hot air balloon rides that take you over the rooftops of the city’s Baroque Spanish architecture. Guaranteed to give you a natural high.
Book it: Re:You starts from £2,290, 27 - 30 March 2025. ourhabitas.com
Immerse yourself in Iceland at the Live Well Retreat
Best for: gaining a positive mindset.
Devised by boundary-pushing adventure company Eleven, the Live Well Retreat at Deplar Farm in Iceland will see you delve into a wintery landscape to emerge better connected with yourself. Centred around four pillars of wellbeing: movement, breath, nourishment and connection, the idea is for guests to throw themselves into a sensory-driven Nordic adventure.
Invigorating activities include horseback riding across the Troll Peninsula, Viking saunas followed by a bracing plunge into the North Atlantic Ocean and ancient Icelandic wellness rituals in the 10,000 sq ft spa. Also on offer are calming yoga classes, sea-to-table suppers and sound healing to send you off into a deep slumber each night. The super-luxury Deplar Farm is found in a remote spot in Iceland’s Fljot Valley. Converted from a 15th century sheep farm, the lodge has just 13 bedrooms with open fires and floor-to-ceiling windows that gaze out across snowy vistas. At the spa you can contemplate life in the steamy, geothermally heated indoor-outdoor pool. If you’re lucky, you’ll catch sight of the Northern Lights and feel your soul soar.
Book it: The Live Well Retreat starts at £8,850, 29 January – 2 February 2025. elevenexperience.com
Get chiselled in Thailand at Chiva Som Hua Hin
Best for: a youthful outlook.
Having set the benchmark for luxury wellness retreats for nearly 30 years, Chiva Som Hua Hin in Thailand still continues to innovate. From November to January 2025, it welcomes visiting beauty expert, Masa Sugiyama, to offer her specialised Beauty Cranium, Face and Neck Sculpting classes. The ex-ballet dancer retrained to become an expert in anatomy and cranial therapy, and has devised her own Masa Method which uses gentle yet precise movements to drain and release toxins from the face and neck. Benefits are said to include increased immune function, reduction in headaches and an overall more youthful appearance. She also coaches guests in facial shaping exercises that transform the jawline and reduce wrinkles.
The beach-side resort is a three-hour drive from Bangkok, where guests stay in their own pavilion suites surrounded by palm trees and can doze off the to the sound of the waves crashing on the shore. From the signature massage therapies to the 15 retreat programmes, a stay here will leave you feeling wholly rejuvenated and looking 10 years younger.
Book it: a five-night wellness retreat starts from £3,094; Masa Sugiyama will be visiting from: 15-30 November, 1-31 December, 1-15 January 2025. chivasom.com
Learn how to live long at Euphoria Retreat, Greece
Best for: future-proofing health.
Even without the in-depth, feel-good programmes that Euphoria Retreat offers, a stay at this hillside destination spa hotel is naturally uplifting. Surrounded by fragrant pine and lemon trees, the bolthole is found just outside the fortified town of Mystras in the Peloponnese and oozes a joyful Greek approach to wellness. Newly launched is a diagnostic programme centred around longevity. The seven-day Holistic Health and Longevity Retreat seeks to release guests’ emotional and spiritual blockages, caused by stress, trauma and self-limiting beliefs, which can cause health issues in many.
Through a variety of diagnostic testing, a personalised plan is devised for your stay, which includes IV therapies, fitness coaching, Chinese therapy and holistic practices based on ancient Greek philosophy. “Inspired by Byzantine civilisation, we aim to not just heal but to empower guests to embrace their higher purpose, enriching both themselves and society,” says the retreat.
Book it: retreats cost from £7,916 for seven nights. euphoriaretreat.com
Sleep and reset at the Conrad Maldives, Rangali Island
Best for: insomniacs.
We should spend a third of our lives asleep — except one in three adults worldwide are said to suffer from insomnia. Perfect for getting some shut-eye, is the new Serene Rejuvenation Retreat at Conrad Maldives Rangali Island. Putting a spotlight on the relationship between sleep and its benefits to physical and mental health, the five-day break is rooted in teaching guests how to achieve total relaxation and better deep sleep practices.
Included is a 90-minute sleep ritual experience to encourage mental clarity; a transcend treatment that will incorporate an energy-balancing massage with aromatherapy and gemstones for rejuvenation; a dedicated foot treatment for sleep health and a scalp treatment. There’s also a calendar of rest-encouraging classes to dip into, such as Nidra and yin yoga, morning sun salutations, meditation and breathwork sessions.
Offering a 360 approach, there is also a customised ‘sleep food’ plan, which has been developed by the resort’s nutritionist. Don’t forget to book a sunset cruise to soak up the region’s watercolour skies — it’s the perfect send-off before your head hits the pillow.
Book it: Serene Rejuvenation starts from $1,300, year-round from November. conradmaldives.com
Shed some pounds at ZEM Wellness Clinic Altea, Spain
Best for: a detox.
Set to cause a stir on the wellness scene is the new ZEM Wellness Clinic, which opens its doors in Altea, close to Alicante, in January 2025. Bringing his know-how from the renowned SHA Wellness, CEO Franck De Weerdt plans for the space to be a serious contender in the industry. It will focus on helping guests live longer, better lives. The Detox and Weight Management Retreat gives visitors a deep dive into healthy eating, with nutritional plans based on the Mediterranean diet and products grown sustainably at the clinic's own organic farm, Finca Althaya.
The 40,000 sq ft facility is made up of a clinic, covering 32 different ancient and modern practices as part of the integrative health offering; a luxury hotel, with 95 contemporary suites, and a wellness area, with zen pools and relaxing gardens. With six health concepts on offer, ZEM offers a mix-match approach, so you can pick and mix from each and tailor your stay to your own needs. The feel-good factor is also not overlooked, with outdoor cinema nights, guided stargazing and cooking workshops to help you disconnect.
Book it: The Detox & Weight Management programme starts from £10,450 for seven nights available from 7 January 2025. zemaltea.com
