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Luxury Wellness Festivals

Written by Amira Hashish on . Posted in Latest.

By Amira Hashish

Keen to kickstart your wellbeing regime? Or maybe you are mapping out your travel itinerary for the year…Why not combine both? Wellness festivals with a healthy dose of luxury are popping up at some of the world’s leading hotels. Picturesque holiday villas are also hosting immersive retreats that are geared towards the mind and body. From a soulful getaway in The Maldives to mixing business and pleasure in Mexico, these are the global wellness festivals to have on your radar…

Envision Festival, Costa Rica

Envision Festival Costa Rica

When: February 27 – March 6

What to expect: Nestled between the jungle and the beach, Envision Festival encompasses spirituality, music, art, health, sustainability and education. Set in the rainforest, festival-goers can bring their own tents or rent a tent that is set up for you. Merging concerts and performance with yoga and workshops, this is a truly immersive experience. It may not offer the luxury of a hotel but if you are seeking an adventure this could be just the ticket.

Book: Tickets are not on sale yet but you can register here to be granted a ticket as soon as they are released. Expect to pay upwards of £500 for admission with separate fees for camping, envisionfestival.com.

MIND. BODY. RESET, Mallorca

Mind Body Reset Festival Mallorca

When: May 5 – 11

What to expect: A six-night wellness retreat with the goal of inspiring more conscious choices that will nourish the body and nurture the mind. Course leaders Donna and Gemma will weave their magic with workshops, meditations, conscious breath and movement along with dips in the crystal clear ocean. Grace Berrow of Patiki Beach, Port de Soller is on board as the private chef and Lily Sielaff joins as the Jivamukti Yoga teacher. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned yogi​, all levels are welcome. The backdrop to the retreat is the magnificent Son Rullan, a 14th-century Templar Monastery on a hill overlooking the ocean, surrounded by 500-year-old olive trees over four hectares of terraces. The house and rooms have been renovated, each simply decorated with antique furniture. The surrounding gardens are filled with corners in which to relax whilst the swimming pool mixes its waters with those of the Mediterranean Sea. Blissful in every sense.


Book: Prices start from £2,000 per person. A master suite with king bed, private bathroom, terrace and sea views. Plus, a living room with extra futon bed for 1-2 people costs £2,800 per person if sharing (takes 2-4 people). This includes workshops, meals, and activities, mindbody-reset.com.

PACE,  Zakynthos

PACE Festival Zakynthos

When: May 22 – 26

What to expect: A firm favourite with families in Greece, the Peligoni Club has diversified its offerings whilst remaining true to its barefoot beach club ethos. PACE is a laidback week that balances fitness and mindfulness with feasts, creative workshops and social gatherings. Designed to leave you feeling nourished physically, mentally and emotionally, it is a holiday that can be taken at its own pace, ideal for parents or groups of friends seeking to reconnect and kickstart the summer. Whether you are up for a dose of cold water exposure, breathwork, yoga, gong baths or meditation you can dip in and out as much as you would like. There will be healthy amounts of sumptuous food and Rosé too.

Book: For £400 guests will receive a week’s membership to the club, a full paddlesports upgrade along with all the fitness and yoga classes, meditation and wellness workshops. Accommodation is booked separately, peligoni.com. 

SOUL, The Maldives

Soul Festival Maldives

When: September 29 – October 8

What to expect: Luxury hospitality group Soneva is launching an immersive wellness festival called SOUL on the shores of Soneva Fushi in the Baa Atoll. Over ten days, the intimate retreat invites guests from across the world to explore wellness in all its forms, from personal to planetary. A global line-up of thought leaders and wellness pioneers will be at hand. Proceeds from the sale of festival tickets will go to the Soneva Foundation along with the ORGANIC INDIA Foundation to support the development of projects that have a positive environmental, social and economic impact.  

Book: Prices start from £5,600 for two guests for a minimum three-night stay. This includes two festival tickets and full access to the entire program during the stay, with private villa accommodation alongside daily full board at selected dining destinations and complimentary round–trip wheeled plane domestic transfers, soneva.com/soul.

Synergy, Mexico

Synergy Festival Mexico

When: October 24-27

What to expect: Following its debut in Ibiza last year, Synergy – The Retreat Show sets up camp at the Palmaïa The House of AIA in Mexico for 2023. This is a wellness escape with a side of networking. It is designed to unite everyone from luxury properties and industry experts to practitioners including yoga instructors and fitness coaches – as well as luxury travel designers looking for the next experiential wellness escape. With an eye on sustainability and slow hospitality, Synergy prides itself on creating a well-balanced platform for inspirational conversation, meetings, talks, creativity, and experiences. Set on the lush natural surroundings and sandy shores of Mexico, this year’s show will not only spark ideas centred around responsible wellbeing, wellness trends and slow travel, but also build long-lasting relationships that will nourish businesses and individuals.

Book: Applications are required to attend. Registrations are now open. Early birds receive 10% off if they book before January 31. Visit theretreatshow.com to apply.

ALMA, Ibiza

Alma Festival Ibiza

When: November 2 – 5

What to expect: Already firmly established as one of the White Isle’s most luxurious retreats, Six Senses Ibiza hosts its very own three-day wellness festival. Nestled in the tranquil northern tip of Ibiza on crystalline Xarraca bay, the setting lends itself to a relaxing retreat. Experiences are deemed deeply spiritual with a line-up of gurus from the music, wellness, and creative community. Full details of this year’s festival are yet to be released but you can register your interest to secure your spot.

Book: Register at almafrequency.com for announcements and booking details.

If a trip abroad isn’t feasible, there are some great UK options too. Here are the British festivals to add to your calendar: 

Balance Festival, May 19 – 21, London balance-festival.com

The Big Retreat Festival, June 1 – 4, Pembrokeshire thebigretreatfestival.com 

LoveFit, July 14 – 16, Sevenoaks, lovefitfestival.com

Happy Place Festival, July 15 & 16, Chiswick + September 2 & 3, Tatton Park, happyplaceofficial.co.uk

World Yoga Festival, August 3 – 6, Henley, yogafestival.world

Verve Wellness Festival, September 16 – 17, Wiltshire feeltheverve.com

WellFest, date tbc, London, wellfestuk.com 

The Best Staycations to Get Your Wellbeing Fix in 2022

Written by Anya Cooklin-Lofting on . Posted in Latest, Travel, Wellbeing.

By Anya Cooklin-Lofting

As the ashes of New Year’s fireworks settle and the Christmas ornaments are wrapped in their ancient papers and stored, from the glittery haze of Betwixtmas emerges a singular sensation, a paradoxical cocktail of both gloominess and determination. Yes, it’s still cold, and no, crisps and wine probably aren’t an acceptable mid-afternoon snack, and yet, the sense of a new beginning is enough to lift us from our spiced, mulled slumber with startling enthusiasm. It’s time, once again, to focus on what our bodies and minds truly need over and above the obligatory festive indulgences.

It is well known that gyms experience peak sign-up rates in January and that these first few weeks of the year see us reaching for rice cakes instead of the leftover Christmas cake, but our New Year’s resolutions can often leave us feeling less resolved and more reluctant. Wellbeing isn’t just for January, so why not follow my lead and plot some wellness highlights into 2022 with staycations to help you reset, refresh and recharge? Whether you’re after a fitness kick, a soothing spa weekend or the peace and quiet that distance and space can bring, read on…

Lake District – Walking & Fitness

The Lake District is one of the walking capitals of the world, perfect for getting away from the bustle of the city and reconnecting with the natural world. With a bottle of water and an apple in tow, I have found myself feeling refreshed, active and satisfied, hillside, lakeside and fireside on trips to the storied land of poets, writers and artists. Its bucolic cosiness is unrivalled in the UK, and the rush of following a map and reaching a peak, pit or pitstop on a track unfailingly brings a sense of achievement to my annual leave.

The Lake District’s towns and villages are tucked into crevices between the still bodies of water that lap at their shores and are dotted with tearooms and pubs that crop up exactly when you will them to after a bracing walk through rolling countryside. The choice of walks is almost overwhelming in these parts, but the walk from the Honister Pass to Haystacks, one of A. Wainright’s favourite fells, is one I’ll certainly be revisiting.

Bath – Wellness & Water

Bath is a hugely popular spa town with hot springs that were known to inhabitants as early as 60 AD when the Romans built temples and baths along the River Avon. Since this time, the town has become something of a site of pilgrimage for those seeking the curative properties of water and was cemented as a wellness destination by the Georgians. For a restorative break steeped in heritage and rich in culture, Bath offers a peek behind the veil of history as well as a modern homage to the Romans’ innovation.

The Roman Baths themselves are no longer fit for their original purpose, but visitors are welcome to explore the pools, the hallowed springs from which over a million litres of naturally heated water gushes every day and the remains of saunas and changing rooms. With a sense of the history of the therapeutic, healing waters, visitors to the UNESCO World Heritage site can make the one minute commute to Thermae Bath Spa on Hot Bath Street to take the waters themselves. The modern complex has views across the hodge-podge of the city’s golden, Bath Stone skyline, the perfect reminder that these waters are as rich in history as they are in health-giving minerals.

Isle of Skye – Distance & Solitude

For an enchanting, memorable and restful break, why not look to find peace and quiet on The Isle of Skye, a remote island connected to Scotland’s northwest coast by the Skye Bridge? The rugged landscape is encrusted with Medieval ruins and laden with stories of fairies, giants and Selkies, ‘seal folk’ that shed their skins and turn into humans. The island’s scenic hiking opportunities abound with routes via the Fairy Pools of glass-like water and the Old Man of Storr, an imposing rock formation that serves as a landmark for miles and resembles the face of an old man.

Soothing for the eyes and the mind alike, lucky visitors to the Isle of Skye over the winter months can see the Aurora Borealis Northern Lights. The lights generally appear white to the eye at this latitude but are no less magnificent than imagination might prophesy. The dancing sheets of spectral light are most visible in wide, open areas making evening hikes all the more magical.