If the past few years have taught us anything, it’s that escape is an art form. And retreats are all the better for it. In 2025, the most compelling offerings are less about clean eating dogma and more about immersive nourishment: deep rest, compelling conversation, slow meals, and a sense of physical and creative renewal.
These are the kind of intentional, well-composed experiences I’m increasingly craving, despite myself. I’d never usually bow to the appeals of a retreat, preferring to luxuriate in my precious little free time lazing like a lizard on beaches and in tavernas, entirely on my own terms. But increasingly, the idea of handing over the keys to daily decision-making — of temporary community, of being hosted — has its pull. Wellness on a platter, but with actual taste. The kind that suggest balance can be found as much around a communal table as in a yoga class quietly infiltrated by Alo Yoga tights. The kind that make even the most cynical soul (yes, including me) consider breathwork.
A far cry from the monastic detoxes of days past, this new guard of retreats is elegant and chic — concerned more with resonance than regimen. From volcanic swims off Sicily to tomato tarts in central France, here are the escapes worth booking this year, curated for those who appreciate a well-set table as much as a well-paced vinyasa..
