Whether it’s some serious pampering on a rooftop in Edinburgh or practising yoga on a paddleboard in deepest Devon, plunging into Atlantic Ocean swimming or watching seabirds soar as you strike out along the cliff-tops or down on the beach, there’s something to suit every taste and goal – from improving fitness to quite literally changing the direction of your life – in these 10 wonderful wellness retreats around the coastline of Britain and Ireland.
1 FOR… REWILDING WITH NATURE
South Hams, Devon
Just outside Salcombe, these three-night luxury glamping retreats focus on ‘rewilding yourself in nature’ while you hike along cliff-tops on the South West Coast Path, a 10-minute walk from the retreat base at East Soar Farm. You will also learn how to paddleboard and swim in the sea with a certified team of watersports experts at some of the most secluded beaches in the county such as Soar Mill Cove, Starehole Bay and North Sands beach in Salcombe. Twice-daily yoga sessions take place in a beautiful old Devon barn with a log burner, set high on the coast outside Salcombe. From £645 for four days, three nights, May and June 2022.
How to book: Call 07385 879188 or go to yogafieldandsea.co.uk.
2 FOR… REDISCOVERING YOUR FITNESS FIRE
Symondsbury, Dorset
If you’ve fallen off the fitness wagon or want to create new fitness habits from scratch, this is just the ticket. Run by husband and wife team Lucy and Andrew, ex-military fitness instructors, this dynamic five-day retreat is a combination of HIIT sessions, boxing, paddleboarding, wild swimming and hiking along the glorious Jurassic Coast in Dorset, a World Heritage site. With downtime in a sauna on the beach and staying at the lavish base of The Old Rectory, where both Thomas Hardy and Mick Jagger have stayed, you will come away feeling inspired, and full of energy. Prices from £695 for coast readers (quote the code coast), 16-20 May 2022.
How to book: Call 07858 563005 or go to dorsetfitnessretreat.com.
3 FOR… HIP & HILLY CYCLING
Cilgerran, Pembrokeshire
Billed as ‘hip Welsh farm meets Japanese forest retreat’, Fforest is a 200-acre farm next to a wild nature reserve which is your base for three days on the Gran ffondo retreat as you cycle through ‘sheepy hills’ to discover secret valleys and beaches along the majestic coast Southwest Wales. The brainchild of ex-London creatives Sian and James, Fforest is stylish and artfully curated. Don’t leave without heading to The Boy Ashore, their new beach shack takeaway on Aberporth Beach. All is included in the £195 retreat ticket. Accommodation is extra and ranges from campervan pitches to a garden ‘shac’ bedroom. Prices from £100, Fri 29 April-Mon 2 May, 2022.
How to book: Call 01239 623633 or go to coldatnight.co.uk.
4 FOR… RECONNECTING MIND & BODY
Tintagel, Cornwall
A yoga practitioner for over 50 years and teacher for 20, Emma Glidden runs this Do Yoga retreat in St Nectan’s Glen, a purpose-built building with its own multi-level Zen gardens and acres of ancient woodland to explore. A spiritual haven for centuries, it’s hidden in a ‘magical’ location within earshot of a 40ft waterfall not far from Tintagel and the South West Coast Path. With twice-daily yoga sessions, meditations by the waterfall, and Solstice Fire ceremony on the hill, this is the place where you can reconnect with yourself and nature. From £395pp for a shared room Friday 1-Sunday 3 July 2022.
How to book: Call 07884 434710 or go to doyoga.co.uk/yoga-retreats-devon-cornwall-dartmoor.
5 FOR… ENERGY WALKS & YOGA
Cliffs of Moher, Ireland
With the backdrop of panoramic sea views, you’ll spend your weekend at this luxury retreat hiking along the dramatic 702ft-high Cliffs of Moher on the Wild Atlantic Way and practising restorative Vinyasa yoga in a glass-fronted ocean-facing studio. If that sounds too energetic, you can choose to soak up the awe-inspiring views of the Atlantic from the wood-burning hot tub or indulge in a relaxing massage. If you fancy more of an adventure, you can go surfing or even try wild swimming. Prices from €555 for a weekend retreat, Feb 4-6 2022.
How to book: Call +353 65 7080997 or go to cliffsofmoherretreat.com.
Read next…. 10 top tub holidays by the sea
6 FOR… A JUICY RESET
Lulworth Cove, Dorset
This supervised organic juice and soup programme, with 90-minute morning and evening meditation sessions and daily guided walks along the iconic coastline overlooking Lulworth Cove is run by Ross Beckley, a natural juice therapist, with her partner Neil. Normally operating from their retreat centre in Southwest France, they take over a luxurious 10-bed thatched house above Lulworth Cove once a year to bring their juicing expertise to the UK. Enjoy that along with an indoor saline swimming pool, yoga studio and cinema room for a bit of escapism. Prices start from £1,375 for the week (quote coast); seven-day retreats from 14 January 2022.
How to book: Call +33 7 80319603 or go to maisondelunel.com.
7 FOR… A REGENERATIVE RETREAT
Shillbottle, Northumberland
Whether you simply want to soak up the views and fresh air or plan a full itinerary of yoga and massage, A Space To Be is a simple yoga studio and retreat with sea views on the spectacular Northumberland coast, which can accommodate couples, individuals or small groups of friends. Run by Lucy Maresh, a yoga teacher who specialises in 1:1 yoga, Yoga Nidra and Restorative yoga, this retreat can provide programmes to help you slow down, breathe deeply, and ‘find contentment in the joy of just being’. Maresh can also create bespoke retreats for pregnant women or for postpartum recovery with baby massage for you and your little one. Prices from £195 per person for a three-day weekend retreat. Retreats are available all year round.
How to book: Call 01665 581431 or go to aspacetobe.co.uk.
8 FOR… A HIGH-TECH DETOX
Bulphan, Essex
In seven acres of countryside not far from the Essex coast, The Glass House Retreat offers bespoke programmes that are focussed around detox. Offering everything from an outdoor sauna and natural swimming pond to a cryotherapy chamber (cold therapy), this retreat is great for anything from weight loss to soothing muscular injuries. It’s a strict detox programme so the menu does not offer caffeine or alcohol and the food menus are all vegan. Prices for a two-night package from £232 per person. Retreats are available all year round.
How to book: Call 01708 983590 or go to glasshouseretreat.co.uk.
9 FOR… URBAN PAMPERING
Edinburgh, SCOTLAND
With a glamorous roof-top pool, onespa is a cool city retreat where you can enjoy some pampering from expert therapists at the Sheraton Grand Hotel, Edinburgh. Located in the heart of this coastal city, you are only a short hike from the eclectic mix of quirky shops at Portobello Beach and the nature reserve at Aberlady Bay. Try onespa’s signature Escape at One experience which includes the chance to unwind in the famous pool (very romantic at night time) and find inner calm in the Thermal Suite, with uplifting water, salt and heat experiences designed to help you rebalance and refresh your body and mind. Treatments start from £54. Open all year round.
How to book: Call 0131 2217777 or visit onespa.com.
10 FOR… A TRANSFORMATIONAL TIME
Shanklin, Isle of Wight
Founded in 1979, Skyros Holidays is one of the original companies to specialise in retreats, with hundreds of testimonials on its website from those whose lives have been transformed by Skyros courses. Whether you want to create a bold new vision for your life, start a new career, learn to be a stand-up comedian, write a novel or just escape to figure out your next step, Skyros has a course for everyone. Its UK outpost, The Grange by the Sea, which is just moments from a white sandy beach on the Isle of Wight, is an elegant Georgian mansion that hosts courses and retreats with acclaimed authors and on yoga, life coaching, photography and much more every month. Prices from £295 for two nights.
How to book: Call 01983 865566 or go to thegrangebythesea.com.
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