Wellness weekends for gourmets

Stepping out of your hectic life to concentrate on fitness and wellbeing no longer means a visit to a mung-bean-and-celery style health farm; a new breed of wellness retreat offers seriously good food paired with paddleboarding and warrior poses …

Sun salutation by the sea

Bliss is … a peaceful yoga class with views across to the wild Atlantic ocean and a soundtrack of crashing waves. Yoga Breaks at The Scarlet in Cornwall are designed to destress every inch of you. Alongside daily yoga classes, a three-day break includes an ayurvedic consultation, bathing ritual, guided meditation, therapeutic massage and plenty of recovery time – we recommend suspending your troubles in one of the cocoon-like pods hanging in the relaxation room.

There’s even more food for body, mind and soul at The Scarlet Restaurant which overlooks the stunning seascapes of Mawgan Porth beach. Dishes cooked in a modern European style have organic and sustainable Cornish produce at their heart with plenty of delicious low carb and plant-based options for those looking for lighter alternatives.

www.scarlethotel.co.uk

Wild swimming and sustenance

Gloucestershire gadabouts can indulge in lazy lunching, picnicking and aquatic rejuvenation at Tudor Farmhouse Hotel’s Wild Swimming Breaks.

Gourmet treats start with a picnic hamper stuffed with pukka local produce, before bold bathers take the plunge for a 2km swim alongside lush meadows in Hereford. Not feeling quite so energetic? Content yourself with a leisurely paddle at a relaxing riverside setting in Hay-on-Wye. Both options include a half day tour with Edward, the hotel’s wild swimming expert, so daring divers and tentative toe-dippers are equally well catered for.

And after all the exertion? Dinner, bed and breakfast come as part of the package, so you can dry off, dine and doze in utter luxury at the ancient rural retreat.

www.tudorfarmhousehotel.co.uk

Paddleboarding and provisions

Pack your boardies as you’ll soon be walking on water at eco-friendly The Green House’s Surf’s Up weekend package.

Bournemouth-based adventures in the elements go hand-in-hand with indoor relaxation, as two hours of surfing or stand-up paddleboarding tuition is followed by a hot soak in a roll-top bath, a hearty dinner in the award winning Arbor Restaurant and sweet slumber under a goose down duvet.

Worried about the weather? Don’t be: autumn means awesome waves. Add to that wetsuits, heated changing rooms and a nature-induced adrenaline surge and you’ll soon be lost in Mother Nature’s swell without a thought for the cold.

www.thegreenhousehotel.co.uk

Fitness and fermentation

Sunrise sea swims and invigorating dawn runs set wellnessbreakers up for a day of fermentation workshops, stretch sessions and mindful clifftop walks at Dorset House in Lyme Regis.

Post-yoga breakfast goes down around the communal table, with homemade granola, freshly baked bread and Exeter-roasted Crankhouse Coffee joining a line-up of organic and ethically sourced goodies.

Small and friendly groups mean guests can get to grips with gut-friendly kefir, kombucha and sauerkraut processes while quizzing fermentation teacher Tiffany Jesse on the best ways to recreate the feel-good tonics at home.

Dinner at a local Lyme restaurant and an evening nightcap from the boutique B&B’s honesty bar enable further indulgence during the three-night getaway.

www.dorsethouselyme.com

Adrenaline-spiked adventures

All The Good Things retreats, run by Cornwall’s Surf Sistas, are about balancing body and soul and treating yourself to the best things in life, including delicious food and drink. Each escape is a blend of ‘good things’, designed to leave you re-energised, inspired and relaxed. It’s also a chance to explore some of the most beautiful spots in Cornwall.Choose from a mix of yoga, surfing, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding and wild swimming, and complement the adrenaline-spiked fun with foodie experiences such as wine tasting, gin making, foraging and beach cooking. Oh and did we mention the cedar wood saunas and hot tubs? Meet you on Mawgan Porth beach.

www.surfsistas.com

Beach bootcamp

Not for the faint-hearted or fitness fresher, Coastal Fitness Weekends at Watergate Bay Hotel see hardcore exercisers and self-confessed fitness freaks put the mojo back into their training programme.

Forget champagne on arrival, guests are welcomed to the two-day break with a clifftop hike and strength sesh before a sunset mocktail on the terrace.

There’s no rest for the active as circuits on the beach – we’re talking bear crawls, push-ups and boxing – with a strong dose of sea air are scheduled before a healthfocused breakfast and 10km run along the stunning South West Coast Path on day two.

Don’t sweat – there’s also a bit of down time in which to unwind at the hotel’s Swim Club and table hop at its three fabulous restaurants.

www.watergatebay.co.uk