the best wellness retreats to bookmark for autumn
Summer might still be in full swing but when it comes to wellness, now is the time to plan ahead. To think about achievable holistic goals that will set you up, both in body and mind, for the changing season and months ahead.
Of course, a retreat is also dedicated time out from the everyday to reflect, and a countdown date on the calendar for once the holidays are over. Whether you’re wanting a back-to-school style reset, a high-octane, fitness-focused blast of October sunshine or a long weekend of restorative yoga and meditation as the nights draw in, these are the wellness breaks to book now.
September Spiritual Residency
Mindful living is the focus of this immersive retreat at Beaverbrook, a quintessential country house hotel in the Surrey Hills. Taking place at The Coach House Spa, it will be led by Tibetan Geshe YongDong Losar, a master from the Yungdrung Bön lineage (one of the world’s oldest indigenous spiritual traditions). Expect ancient teachings woven throughout guided meditation workshops, breathwork exercises, chanting and sound healing across three daily sessions, all designed to encourage reflection and inner renewal.
11 to 14 September
from £2,950 for a single occupancy room
October PACE Retreat
The concept at Peligoni – a clubhouse and private villas on Zakynthos – is always a winner but two weeks at the end of the summer season are dedicated to wellness. The world-class instructor line-up includes cycling legend Sir Chris Hoy, triathlon champion Jonny Brownlee and Olympic swimmer Dan Wallace. The idea is that guests move between sessions at their own ‘pace’ – whether that’s health talks, tarot reading or reiki, then gather for sunset drinks and long-table feasts overlooking the Ionian Sea.
3 to 10 October, 10 to 17 October
from £600 including a week’s membership to The Club
Women’s Wellness and Soul Experience
The mythology surrounding Samos as the birthplace of Hera, the Greek goddess closely associated with feminine wisdom, is part of the inspiration behind this retreat at adults-only Casa Cook hotel in collaboration with wellness collective Shakti Alchemy. Alongside yoga, breathwork and somatic embodiment practices, there’s plenty of free time – whether guests want to relax in the hammam, go horse riding along the coast or sign up for a painting class. Add-ons include one-to-one coaching, designed to facilitate even deeper connections.
12 to 18 October
€1,600 pp for the seven-day retreat, rooms from €1210 per night
Yoga and Mindfulness by Patricia Thielemann
Close to the Torre Salsa Nature Reserve on Sicily’s southern coast, ADLER spa hotel offers everything from daily HIIT classes and e-bike tours to outdoor saltwater pools. This November it will also host Patricia Thielemann, who founded Spirit Yoga in Berlin over two decades ago. Her reset retreat will blend yoga and meditation with philosophy and mental resilience techniques. In between, perhaps sweat out toxins in the sauna and steam room or take a head-clearing stroll to the beach.
18 to 22 November
from €1,340 pp half board in a Junior Suite
Luminaries in Bloom
As well known for its Sunday brunch social scene as the exceptional kids’ club, this long-established Spanish hotel, Marbella Club, is also serious about wellness. Part of the year-long Luminaries in Bloom visiting practitioner programme, November sees shiatsu expert Sara Carling offer two different types of private session. The first focuses on restoring balanced energy; the second combines shiatsu with an energy assessment – especially helpful for those going through difficult life stages or unsettling periods of change.
throughout November
private shiatsu sessions from 250 euros pp, rooms from €1,000
Restorative Retreat by The Collective On Retreat
Hosted by The Collective On Retreat, this women-only retreat – which takes over six-bedroom Son Ermità in Menorca’s wilder north – is aimed at connecting those with an interest in business. The programme includes daily vinyasa sessions, sea swims, a sound ceremony and optional extras such as crystal healing and tarot with psychic medium and healer Mandy Maxted (who has a four-month waiting list). The setting is an 800-hectare private estate surrounded by olive groves and pine trees – ideal for switching off in nature.
12 to 15 October
£2,500pp for shared occupancy
Journey to Inner Vitality Retreat by Kamalaya
Eastern healing traditions meets Western medicine at holistic wellness escape Kamalaya, on the island of Koh Samui. For those who want to experience this integrative philosophy closer to home, a one-off Kamalaya retreat at Swiss Grand Resort Bad Ragaz (renowned for its healing thermal waters) is the solution. Longevity insights, an Inner Self workshop offering practical tools for realising emotional clarity, floatation therapy, Qi Gong and chakra meditation, are all highlights.
26 to 29 October, 30 October to 1 November
single rooms from 3050 CHF
Wise Women Retreat
At the foothills of the Franschhoek mountains, in the heart of the winelands, this reimagined 11-room farmstead, Sterrekopje Farm, has a creative atelier, a bathhouse and apothecary, and a programme of seasonal retreats – including the biannual Wise Women. From morning movement to exploring boundaries, it’s all about a gentle reset and renewal: identifying (and accepting) repetitive patterns and envisioning new beginnings through a releasing mental cleanse, in a nurturing environment with farm-to-table dining.
5 to 11 December
from 90,000 ZAR pp
Emma Love
