Let’s be real: at some stage we’ve all attempted to surf, even if it
was just in shallow water on a child-sized bodyboard. With Women +
Waves weekends taking place year-round, all of our failed attempts
look set to become a distant memory. Rest assured, if you’re not
quite ready to go full Keely Andrew, there are plenty of other
water-based activities to enjoy, including stand-up paddleboarding.
After an entire day of salty air and riding the waves, make a
beeline for Newquay’s harbour to visit The
Boathouse. At this street-style market, you’ll find everything
from crab sandwiches to katsu curry and sourdough pizzas.

Fiona Arrigo is a name whispered – some may say worshipped –
among the well-to-do wellness set. Deep in the West Country, the
psychotherapist, intuitive healer and life teacher’s Bounce Back
retreat is the result of 40 years of fine-tuning, designed to set
guests on the path to health, happiness and peace. Days bookended
by nights in luxury yurts or private cottages are spent meditating,
attending expert workshops and baring your soul around the
campfire. Like this but can’t take the time out? Try sister retreat
A Place
to Heal in Notting Hill, where courses in biodynamic medicine,
crystal light therapy and such run between one and 28 days.

“Mindfulness in nature” has been the back-to-basics ethos of
Sharpham Trust since it began rewilding city-weary souls on the
banks of the River Dart in 1982. Choose between retreats based in
the Grade I-listed Georgian manor house (spot work by Barbara
Hepworth), the Barn Retreat centre and, our pick, bell tents
nestled among woodland. Expect guided meditation, silent rambles
and canoeing fuelled by plant-based menus. Pro tip: while you’re in
the area, imbibe the Devon terroir – quite literally – through a
wine-and-cheese-tasting tour of the neighbouring Sharpham Wine vineyard.
Wellness is all about balance, after all.

If, like us, you’re well and truly over the festive nesting,
then Wandering Wild’s three-day outdoor retreat is for you. In
2016, founder and guide, Henriettte Lofstrom swapped the fashion
industry for the rural and rugged landscape of Devon. There, she
trained as a moorland guide and eco-psychologist in order to bring
her vision of a nature escape to life. Today, Wandering Wild
excursions include mindful walking practice, wild swimming and
journalling, to name just a few of the activities on offer. Taking
place across Dartmoor’s
National Park, evenings end with you putting up your own
private tent alongside rippling rivers and granite tors (Milky Way
views are an added bonus). The best part? Each journey has a
maximum of seven participants, making for a comfortable
getaway.

A 19th-century farmhouse cradled by 42 acres of Somerset
countryside – not far from Frome – sets
the scene for “inner transformation” at this bougie-meets-bucolic
yoga retreat. A typical daily schedule includes morning meditation,
restorative yin yoga or pilates, breath work, sound baths and
guided walks in wild meadows, with time carved out for reading,
massages or zoning out by the fire. The flexibility that makes Our
Retreat your ideal retreat.

Arvon’s retreats are yoga for the writer’s mind, thanks in part
to workshops tutored by acclaimed writers in a library’s worth of
genres: fiction, poetry, non-fiction, YA, screenwriting,
playwriting and more. That said, its rural venues alone (courses are
also available online) are the kind of literary knockouts that
will make writer’s block crumble. Among the Shropshire Hills, The
Hurst was the home of playwright John Osborne; Totleigh Barton,
Devon, was listed in the Domesday Book; and Lumb Bank, once the
home of Ted Hughes, is surrounded by Pennine valleys guaranteed to
inspire your next novel.

Wildfitness has been running retreats since the early Noughties, when founder Tara Wood set up a “jungle gym” on the Kenyan coast. Since then, its holistic approach to wellness has drawn those in need of recalibration to Iceland, Menorca, Crete and Norfolk. The latter is dubbed a “glamping experience with a Wildfitness twist” – the twist being a handful of daily outdoor workouts fuelled by organic, locavore menus. Downtime is spent exploring the 750-acre site, wandering in woodland, spotting wildlife and wild swimming in the lake.

Tresco sits just 45km off Cornwall’s south coast, the
second-largest islet of the Isles of
Scilly. Life here is slow, intimate and refreshing. Streets are
characterised by whitewashed cottages that overlook powder-sand
beaches and blooming botanical gardens. We can hardly think of a
better place to reconnect with our surroundings than this Cornish
haven. With this in mind, we’re grabbing our stretchiest Lycra
leggings and heading straight to Tresco for the ultimate yogic
escape. Local legend and yoga expert Gem Hansen is offering four
days of island-hopping, restorative sessions, sunrise salutations
and guided meditation on 18-22 March – just in time for the spring
equinox. The package also includes complimentary bike hire, access
to Tresco Island Spa and Tresco Abbey Garden, so, in between
perfecting your downward dog, be sure to channel your inner Bradley
Wiggins and explore the
scenic surrounds (or opt to nurse those stiff shoulders in the
sauna – we’re not judging).

There’s a global catalogue of retreats run by Reclaim Yourself, from Finnish Lapland to Ecuador via the Azores. Of the UK options, the Scotland Yoga & Wilderness Weekend will appeal to those keen to temporarily check out of 2021 and into the near-Arctic Cairngorms. Base camp is a handful of lodges in a secluded dell. From there, you’ll be freewheeling across the mountainscape, taking dips in Loch Garten and exploring the national park with a conservationist. R&R comes in the form of daily yoga practice, plant-centric meals by Bettina’s Kitchen and steamy soaks in the outdoor hot tub. Travel emissions of all guests are offset, so you can feel especially good about this one.

This immersive retreat takes place in the grounds of the leafy
Badminton Estate, on the borders of the Cotswolds.
While the focus is on holistic practices, yoga and meditation,
participants will also discover the importance of good gut health.
With foraging on the itinerary, you’ll be ditching the full English
breakfast and discovering the joys of whisking up a green juice in
no time. Be sure to dust off your running shoes before entering
these green grounds: guided runs and walks around the estate are
pretty much the equivalent of hot chocolate and a movie here.

Between our buzzing phones, the ever-present roar of traffic and
“ping, ping, ping” of relentless notifications, we’re all
over-stimulated. A meditation retreat rooted in intentional silence
sounds like just the ticket. Gaia House runs programmes rooted in
Buddhist philosophy, many of which are also available online. Every
retreat (bar the Family option) is conducted in silence and led by
experienced Dhamma practitioners. Looking to drown out the noise?
Gaia House is for you

Few things dampen the flames of burnout like surf therapy – in particular, the science-backed type that Resurface uses to help clients “address their trauma” as well as “flourish and grow”. Building resilience, reconnection and adding a little flow to your life are the goals here – achieved through surf lessons, yoga, experiential group work, psycho-education and meditation. If this floats your board, check out Wild & Free too. Its Women & Water retreat on the northern coast of Cornwall sells out fast.