Top European Retreats for Mind, Body and Soul Rejuvenation
Seeking a transformative escape that soothes the mind, body and soul? Europe offers an incredible array of retreats designed to help you reconnect with your inner child, unleash creativity, or simply find profound relaxation in beautiful surroundings. From playful art holidays to intensive self-discovery programmes, these ten exceptional getaways provide the perfect opportunity to change your life or simply kick back and unwind.
Art and Play in Montenegro's Bay of Kotor
Playfulness forms the very heart of the Art and Play holiday, based on a family-friendly farm retreat just outside Montenegro's spectacular Bay of Kotor. This unique experience has been specifically designed to reignite joy and help participants reconnect with their inner child, welcoming solo travellers, couples and parents with children alike. Creative sessions span everything from expressive dance to painting, while ample time is provided to enjoy the farm itself – feeding animals, collecting fresh eggs or helping harvest vegetables for delicious farm-to-table meals.
Excursions include scenic hikes to hidden beaches, kayaking adventures, and cultural trips to historic Kotor and Budva. There's also plenty of opportunity to relax by the pool, while evenings are dedicated to board games, live music and cosy campfires. Accommodation options range from camping and glamping to charming cabins, a magical treehouse and a beautifully restored farmhouse. The seven-day experience starts from £695, with children aged 5-12 costing £350 and under-fives joining free. The price includes brunch, dinner and snacks, with retreats scheduled for 3rd May and 23rd August.
Ceramic Creativity on Greece's Aegina Island
Unlock your creative potential on a week-long Exploring Ceramics retreat on the beautiful Greek island of Aegina. Led by accomplished artist Marina Coriolano-Lykourezos, this meditative and playful experience emphasises self-discovery, being present in the moment and simply having fun. With a maximum of just six participants per retreat, the programme offers an intimate, hands-on approach with approximately six hours daily exploring clays and techniques in the studio – absolutely no prior experience is necessary.
Accommodation is provided in either the Grape House or neighbouring Lemon House, both surrounded by picturesque vines and a fragrant pistachio orchard just a short walk from both the studio and Aegina port. Breakfast at home and lunch from local tavernas are included alongside various excursions. Aegina Retreats operates numerous other workshops and holidays throughout the year, including painting and creative writing programmes. The seven-night Exploring Ceramics retreat costs €1,800 for solo travellers or €2,750 for couples, including all accommodation, tuition and materials.
Nature Reconnection at Devon's Embercombe
Founded over two decades ago by Mac Macartney, Embercombe is a remarkable 20-hectare rewilding site and educational charity situated on the edge of Dartmoor in Devon. Their retreats and learning weeks support visitors in reconnecting with nature, discovering purpose and building community. The flagship offering is The Journey – six days of guided reflection, self-discovery and nature connection designed to help participants identify and act upon how they truly wish to live their lives.
Basic yet cosy accommodation is provided in shared or private yurts dotted across the site, while hearty vegetarian meals are enjoyed feast-style in a spacious dining tent. Embercombe welcomes people from all backgrounds and walks of life. Several Journey retreats are scheduled for 2026, with the next running from 8th to 13th March at £1,395, including all accommodation, meals and activities – bursary places are available for those requiring financial assistance.
Luxurious Restoration in Andalucía's Yellow House
A firm favourite with wellness experts at the Global Retreat Company, The Yellow House represents a new luxurious sanctuary offering restorative escapes in nature, approximately 40 miles north of Seville in Andalucía. Beyond yoga and meditation sessions, the programme includes mindful walks, sound healing experiences, visits to rescue donkeys on an organic farm and enchanting horse-drawn carriage rides.
Accommodation is provided in the former mayor's house within the pretty village of Higuera de la Sierra – a beautiful six-bedroom refuge featuring original tiles, antique furnishings and a tranquil courtyard with plunge pool. Food represents a particular highlight, focusing on exquisite southern Spanish cuisine with dishes like traditional fish stew and stuffed peppers – vegetarians and vegans are thoughtfully catered for. This retreat is one of several exceptional options operated by Iberian Wellness Retreats. Three-night retreats cost €1,475 including accommodation, all meals and activities, with dates available from 30th April and 2nd July.
Off-Grid Transformation in Mid Wales
Spirit Horse is a truly unique off-grid retreat centre situated on an 80-hectare rewilding site within a secluded Powys valley, surrounded by forested mountains, flower-filled meadows and tumbling waterfalls. Their busy summer programme celebrates both eastern and western traditions, including meditation, storytelling, women's and men's circles, plus a festival-style "tribal" gathering – all held within Celtic roundhouses, yurts and temples.
The signature Enlightenment Intensives, held three times annually, are designed for those seeking to dive deep into self-inquiry through exercises, silent walks and lectures. This is a place for getting back to the wild – while there are no hot showers, guests can enjoy refreshing waterfalls, natural bathing pools and a soothing sauna. Three healthy meals daily are served in the main barn. The five-night Enlightenment Intensive costs £500 including meals on 21st May and 6th August, while the Cauldron of Plenty festival is £165 (bring your own tent) from 27th to 31st August.
Equine Healing in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Meditate With Horses was founded by Katherine Beaumont after she recovered from a traumatic accident through meditation and spending therapeutic time with horses. Alongside daylong sessions and three-day silent retreats in the Lake District, longer trips further afield draw upon the profound therapeutic benefits of animal connection. The week-long Healing on Horseback in Bosnia break is based at a ranch in Livno and includes yoga, meditation, hiking and equine therapy.
Participants enjoy daily rides, opportunities to see some of Europe's last wild horses, time for swimming in the river and relaxing evenings around the fire. A new trip to Mallorca launching in November will include meditation, shiatsu and swimming with horses. The six-night Healing on Horseback retreat costs £1,500, with dates on 23rd May and 3rd October.
Peaceful Recharging in Portugal's Alentejo
Quinta Marugo is a dedicated wellbeing retreat centre in rural Alentejo, southern Portugal, specifically designed to help people slow down and reconnect with nature. They offer a range of group retreats from mindfulness in nature to transformational breathwork, alongside the option to create bespoke retreats for solo travellers or groups of friends. The personal four-day Deep Rest Retreat provides precious time to recharge in peaceful surroundings, relax by the pool or fire, with a massage and organic farm meals included.
Guests can tailor their experience with optional extras including yoga, qigong and nature connection sessions. The four-day Deep Rest Retreat starts from €585.
Men's Rewilding in Cornwall's Wilderness
Both Sides Retreats offer men-only spaces to escape daily stresses and reconnect with purpose and the natural world. Held at locations across the UK and Europe, they combine diverse activities from cold water immersion to martial arts and bushcraft. An upcoming highlight is the Men's Summer Rewilding Retreat at Cabilla Cornwall on Bodmin Moor, featuring days filled with yoga, saunas, breathwork, river swims and walks through an onsite ancient temperate rainforest.
The Men's Summer Rewilding Retreat runs from 2nd to 5th July, costing from £855 including food and all activities.
Zen Yoga and Song in Turkey's Dalyan
Designed for deep restoration, this week-long Zen Yoga, Singing and Sound Healing retreat takes place in Dalyan, close to Turkey's stunning south-west coast. Run by yoga teacher Jane Morgan Jones and singer Sarah Warwick, yoga sessions are beautifully complemented by singing with a focus on uplifting chants, mantras and African and indigenous-inspired songs. The retreat welcomes all experience levels.
Additional features include sound baths, meditation, relaxation in nature, a boat trip, optional massages and traditional hammam visits. Daily Turkish brunch and two vegetarian suppers at the hotel are included. Sarah also runs singing events in the UK. The retreat runs from 17th to 24th May from £995.
Transformative Inner Work in Italy's Tuscany
For those seeking genuine transformation, The Path of Love offers an intensive week-long programme of deep inner work at various locations worldwide. Blending western psychology with eastern spiritual practices, the retreat includes individual and group work, active and silent meditations, writing assignments and more – all led by experienced psychologists and counsellors. While challenging, participants report genuinely life-changing results.
The Miasto retreat centre near Siena serves as one venue option, with pretty sandstone buildings surrounded by rolling Tuscan countryside. Various options are available including Tuscany on 5th-12th March and 25th November-2nd December at €3,190 or an earlybird rate of £2,800 – accommodation is extra from €520.
All prices were correct at time of publication. Whether you're seeking creative expression, nature connection, equine therapy or profound personal transformation, Europe's diverse retreat landscape offers something truly special for every seeker of wellness and renewal.
