‘I return with a new sense of purpose’: why wellbeing retreats are my favourite escape

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I love going on holiday but I’m not a fan of the packed itinerary, back-to-back excursions type of trip. To my mind, a holiday shouldn’t just be a change of scenery, but an escape. An escape from routine, an escape from the everyday, an escape from the general busyness of daily life. I want to get away, switch off, unwind and return refreshed, with a renewed sense of poise and purpose.

View image in fullscreen ‘I find spending time in nature to be incredibly inspiring’

While it might sound like I’m asking for a lot from my holidays, it turns out I’m far from alone. According to Abta’s 2024-25 Holiday Habits report, three of the top five reasons people think holidays are important have to do with wellbeing. In at number one was “to relax”, with 73% of people saying this is the main reason they go away; meanwhile, 50% of respondents said that holidays are important “for my mental health and wellbeing”, while 46% said they like to get away “to escape the pressures of day-to-day life”.

When you hear the phrase “wellbeing holiday” an image of an overseas retreat somewhere exotic often springs to mind. But that’s just part of the picture. There are all different types of wellbeing holidays and plenty of options closer to home, such as the Delta Hotels St Pierre Country Club in Che