Forget the traditional spa break. This winter, wellness is taking on a whole new meaning, with travellers looking beyond massages and facials in favour of experiences that reconnect them with nature, culture and themselves.
Wellbeing is becoming as much about where you travel as what you do when you get there, whether that’s hiking ancient pilgrimage routes in Spain’s Basque Country or harnessing the power of the Atlantic waves while windsurfing in Fuerteventura. Here are our top ten destinations for recharging and restoring balance this winter.
Sri Lanka For the ancient wisdom of Hela Ayurveda
Set along Sri Lanka’s southern coast, Shangri-La Hambantota is the ultimate winter destination for travellers seeking holistic wellbeing. Chi, The Spa, has partnered with Siddhalepa, Sri Lanka’s trusted name in Ayurveda for over 90 years, to offer ‘Hela Ayurveda’. Rooted in 200+ years of family healing traditions, treatments are guided by certified doctors and crafted from 100% natural herbs. Guests begin their journey with a Prakurthi consultation, a detailed diagnosis by a certified Ayuverdic doctor that determines body composition and underlying imbalances. Based on this, a tailored wellness programme is created, encompassing two hours of daily treatments, daily follow-up consultations, personalised Ayurvedic meals, yoga, meditation, and herbal therapy, and elixir and tea tastings.
Mauritius For an exclusive island switch-off
For those seeking a slower pace this winter, guests at Shangri-La Le Touessrok have exclusive access to Ilot Mangénie, a secluded island. An idyllic setting for a restorative wellness escape, it’s located just five minutes from the resort by boat, and dedicated island butlers ensure a seamless experience. Surrounded by turquoise waters, the island offers the chance to reconnect with nature; pristine beaches, lush tropical vegetation, and a tranquil sanctuary to disconnect from everyday life. At Chi, The Spa's island outpost, signature treatments incorporate locally inspired ingredients such as coconut and sugarcane, accompanied by the soothing sounds of gentle waves and birdsong.
Fuerteventura For wellness on the waves
With consistent all-year-round sun, Atlantic winds, and an expansive coastline, Fuerteventura has a reputation as a world-class destination for water sports. Recently opened ZEL Fuerteventura offers a wellness programme centred on movement, community and the outdoors, spanning windsurfing, kitesurfing, kiteboarding, wing and e-foil. Alongside this, ZEL’s land-based programme includes Run Club, cycling, POUND, barre, HIIT, functional training and Paddle Pilates, giving guests a range of ways to stay active throughout their stay. At the heart of the island’s water sports calendar is the Wellness Wind Week, timed to coincide with the Windsurf and Windfoil World Cup. For travellers increasingly looking beyond established wellness destinations and towards places that offer space, nature, movement and a genuine sense of escape, Fuerteventura presents a less expected alternative.
Bhutan For wellness rooted in local tradition
Part of Pemako Hotels, Bhutan’s first locally owned and managed hotel group, Pemako Punakha sits beside the Mo Chhu, with 21 tented villas featuring private heated pools overlooking the river. The property’s sense of place carries through to its wellness offering, shaped by Sowa Rigpa, Bhutan’s traditional medicine. Traditional medicine doctors, or Dungtshos, offer personalised consultations drawing on Bhutanese herbal medicine, while the spa’s signature five-herb elixir and traditional hot stone bath bring local rituals into each experience. Beyond treatments, guests can join yoga in the Sorig pavilion or meditation led by Buddhist monks, offering an insight into Bhutanese wellbeing.
Athens For a restorative city break
Formerly the Hilton Athens, Conrad Athens The Ilisian has been reimagined as a contemporary urban resort in the cultural heart of the city, with a wellness offering that pairs modern facilities with treatments inspired by ancient Greek rituals. Its 2,000-square-metre wellness space includes a heated indoor pool and hot and cold therapy facilities, alongside a 25-metre outdoor pool, the largest in central Athens. The 500-square-metre Longevity Clinic offers a more personalised approach to wellbeing. Guests can start the day with Pilates or yoga, or head to the 700-square-metre rooftop Green Roof for a run on its 24/7 track, an outdoor workout or a game of pickleball, with views across the city.
Dubai For an advanced approach to longevity
At Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab, wellbeing is centred on recovery, resilience and long-term vitality. Spanning three floors, Talise Spa is guided by the pillars of Performance, Intention and Empower. Its Remedy Suite offers four technology-led therapies: cryotherapy, ChromoSpace light treatments, the iDome Infra-Red Triple Detox and a hyperbaric oxygen chamber. Personalised programmes can combine these therapies with fitness, mindful practices and advanced skincare. The spa also features 13 treatment suites, each with a private terrace overlooking the Arabian Gulf, a 20-metre indoor pool and a fully equipped fitness centre.
Estonia For a seasonal reset on a remote Baltic island
Off the coast of mainland Estonia, the remote island of Hiiumaa offers a wild, nature-rich escape, where forests, bogs and shifting seasons set the pace of life. It’s here, within a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, that Eha brings a distinctly Estonian approach to wellness, rooted in the restorative power of the natural world. The retreat’s personalised programmes are shaped by the country’s five distinct seasons, from winter’s focus on deep rest to Springrise – Estonia’s short-lived fifth season – which celebrates reawakening through nature-led rituals, lymphatic flow therapies and experiences such as sap collection and herb blending. Seasonal cuisine by Green Michelin-starred chef Peeter Pihel, showcasing local ingredients and traditional preservation techniques, completes a restorative immersion in the island’s rhythms.
Altea, Costa Blanca For a Mediterranean approach to longevity
With its mild winters, sun-drenched landscapes and Mediterranean way of life, Spain offers a natural setting for a restorative wellness escape. In the coastal town of Altea, ZEM Wellness Clinic Altea takes a science-led approach to longevity and preventative health, combining advanced diagnostics and precision medicine with holistic therapies in a five-star setting. Personalised programmes address everything from cognitive wellbeing and metabolic health to immunity and recovery, supported by a 4,000 sqm spa and state-of-the-art fitness facilities. Nutrition is equally central to the experience, with Mediterranean-inspired menus at Restaurant Salvia incorporating produce from ZEM’s own 200,000 sqm estate farm, Finca Althaya. The result is an approach to living not just longer, but better, rooted in the region’s climate, cuisine and slower pace of life.
The Basque Country For hiking ancient pilgrimage routes
For an active approach to winter wellness, Spain’s Basque Country offers a chance to reconnect with nature along the ancient pilgrimage routes of the Camino de Santiago. Overlooking La Concha Bay, Nobu Hotel San Sebastián provides a luxurious base from which to explore the historic coastal trails, with guided walks following the Camino's Northern Way through forests, dramatic cliffs and secluded coves overlooking the Cantabrian Sea. Housed in a restored 1912 villa, the boutique hotel combines the Belle Époque elegance of San Sebastián with Japanese minimalism, creating a tranquil sanctuary overlooking the water. Guests can retreat to serene, sea-facing rooms or enjoy Nobu's signature Japanese-Peruvian cuisine, incorporating fresh local ingredients and Basque influences, offering a restorative end to a day spent exploring the rugged coastline.
Bali For the lost art of slowing down
As many luxury wellness experiences become focused on technology, tracking and optimisation, Jumeirah Bali offers a different perspective on wellbeing, rooted in the lost art of slowing down. Perched above the Indian Ocean in Uluwatu, the all-villa resort draws inspiration from the ancient Majapahit Empire, with tranquil water gardens, traditional architecture and secluded spaces designed to encourage stillness and reflection. Here, wellness is guided by Bali's centuries-old healing traditions, from sunrise yoga and meditation to sacred water purification ceremonies and the creation of traditional Canang Sari offerings.
Meanwhile, set in 22 acres of lush jungle above the Ayung River, COMO Shambhala Estate blends traditional healing practices, including Ayurveda, yoga and meditation, with highly personalised wellness programmes. Sacred spring water, restorative spa rituals and nourishing, nutrition-led cuisine further connect guests to Bali’s deep-rooted relationship with nature and wellbeing.
