1 The Esalen Institute
Big Sur, California, USA (+1 831 667 3005; www.esalen.org)
From £245 ($465) for a weekend

With breathtaking views across Big Sur’s dramatic coastline and a backdrop of mountains, natural hot springs and numerous walks through the 27-acre estate, Esalen’s beautiful location alone has a transformative effect. Founded in 1962, it’s an educational institute dedicated to the exploration of human potential, and hosts over 400 alternative education and personal growth workshops a year led by the facilitators and speakers who are experts in their field. Create the retreat you need, whether that involves the creative outlet of photography, music, poetry or watercolours or more emotionally driven self-expression, body and movement, relationship or psychology workshops. The baths, showers and massage rooms were designed to optimise the views of the ocean. At the right time of year, you can watch migratory whales and their young pass by. Esalen draws visitors of all ages from all over the world. Fly to Monterey Airport.

2 Skyros
Northern Sporades, Greece (+44 (0) 20 7267 4424; www.skyros.co.uk)
From £400 (€665) per person per week

The most talked about holistic holiday destination in Europe since it was founded in 1979, Skryos offers a multi-layered holiday experience which, at its most gentle, means relaxation, socialising and great food and, at its most profound, the confidence and insight to change your life. You can choose to stay at the Skyros Centre, tucked away in the cobble-stoned town, or Atsitsa, by the sea and surrounded by pine forests. Throughout the year, the courses on offer are many and varied, working around the themes of creativity, healing, psychology, spirituality, music and dance, treatments, yoga and meditation, plus the Writer’s Lab for novices and published authors alike. Atsitsa has a greater emphasis on physical activities such as sailing and windsurfing and many different kinds of yoga for anyone who wants to embrace an active, healthier lifestyle. Fly to Athens, then take an internal flight or ferry to Skyros.

3 The Ashram
Calabascas, California, USA (+ 1 818-222-6900; www.theashram.com)
From £1,900 ($4,000) for the week

Nestled in the Santa Monica Mountains, the Ashram’s demanding programme cleanses the body and soul through rigorous hikes, restorative yoga and healthy eating. Just 10 miles inland from coastal Malibu yet a world away in spirit, it’s been full to capacity every week since it’s inception over 30 years ago yet not a penny has been spent on marketing. Catharina, a jovial Swedish woman and manager of the Ashram, conducts one-on-one interviews upon arrival to understand why each guest has come. While the programme is brutally tough, a non-competitive and loving atmosphere permeates, and guests leave with a transformed feeling that is nothing short of euphoric. All guests stay in no-frills bedrooms in a two story 1970s house located in a tranquil canyon adjacent to rolling horse farms and scenic mountains. Whatever your fitness level, a strong desire to prevail is vital. Fly to Los Angeles International airport.

4 Body & Soul Adventures
Paraty & Mamangua, Brazil (+ 44 (0) 20 3002 0936; www.bodysouladventures.com)
From £950 (US$ 2,000) per person for six days

This secluded and superbly-run fitness and detox retreat is based at the serene Paraty-Mirim, close to the entrance of Mamangua, the only fjord in South America and a region boasting tropical rainforest, majestic green mountains and (truly) unspoilt white sand beaches. Come to detox, lose weight, give up smoking or just rejuvenate and kick start a healthy lifestyle. Casa Grande, the main hill-top lodge, is built with massive wooden columns and over 1000 small windows, and boasts a lovely yoga room with views over the tranquil bay. A short walk away, Casa do Mar has brightly-painted rooms which face the sea with a balcony right over the water. Expect a challenging sequence of yoga, rainforest hiking and sea kayaking, with options for swimming, surfing and capoeira. Efficient yet warm and relaxed, Kirtan, and deputy manager and yoga teacher, is the star of the show. Fly to Rio de Janeiro International Airport.

5 Wildfitness
Watamu Coast, Kenya (+ 44 (0) 845 056 8343; www.wildfitness.com)
From £2,205 for 9 days

Based on an isolated, pristine stretch of the Watamu coast, Wildfitness uses natural habitats to help get you fit. You’ll find yourself sprinting up sand dunes, swimming across creeks and jogging through sweet-smelling Eucalyptus forest in a non-competitive environment designed to increase your body confidence. The brain child of Tara Wood, a competitive kite surfer and all-round athlete who grew up in Kenya, the trips are run by a changing rota of personal trainers trained at the CHEK Institute and are all about helping to break the negative thought patterns which make us say too often, ‘I can’t do that’. Your base is Baraka House (‘blessing’ in Swahili), set right on the beach and angled to catch the Kaskasi Monsoon breezes. It’s open and spacious with shaded lounge areas and two rooftops with 360 degree views. Fly direct to Mombassa or to Malindi via Nairobi.

6 The Big Stretch
Picos Mountains (+44 (0) 1273 676712; www.thebigstretch.com)
From £2,200 (€3,290) per week

A beautifully organised life coaching holiday based in the Picos mountains of Northern Spain, The Big Stretch is the brain child of psychologist Rosie Walford, a charismatic and creative life coach whose techniques have changed many people’s lives. With workshops each morning and treks or canoeing through inspirational scenery each afternoon, it’s a brilliant break for people feeling restless or stuck in their lifestyles, careers or relationships, and an investment that could stop you wasting years of time and money pursuing something (or someone) that just isn’t right for you. Your base is La Montana Magica, a charming all-wood mountain hotel set on a hill near the hamlet of El Allende near Posada. The workshops use creative problem-solving, lateral thinking and group brainstorming exercises as well as classic life coaching tools to help you recognise your self-limiting beliefs and turn them around. One day is spent at the hotel resting, having one-to-one sessions and enjoying a cranio-sacral or reiki massage with a local therapist. Fly to Oviedo or Santander.

7 Outward Bound
Anakiwa, New Zealand (+ 64 4 472 3440; www.outwardbound.co.nz)
From £750 (US$1,600) for 8 days

A charitable trust founded by educator Kurt Hahn in Wales in 1941 (www.kurthahn.org), Outward Bound courses use experiential learning - learning through doing – to help you find out more about yourself and others. The New Zealand branch is one of 47 international schools in 42 countries, and in one of the most inspiring locations, on the waterside in the stunning Marlborough Sounds at the top of the South Island. The adventurous 8 day Discovery course is designed to instill in you the knowledge and belief that there is always more inside you than you think there is - various daily activities are designed to take you out of your comfort zone and help you discover your potential, including running, swimming, sailing, rock climbing, hiking, canoeing and camping. A lot of activities are group-based, and finishing tasks alone is actively discouraged. That said, the heart of the course is being left alone in the bush for 36 hours in a spacious but confined area to ‘think about things’. Instructors are highly skilled and ensure a safe and supportive environment. Fly from any airport in New Zealand to Blenheim.

8 The LifeCraft Experience
Turquoise Coast, Turkey (+ 44 (0) 800 3894672; www.lifecraft.co.uk)
From £2,450 for the week

A life coaching holiday set aboard a traditional Turkish Gulet (sailing boat), this is a wonderful trip to take if you’re feeling stuck in life and need space, time and a new perspective. The boat starts from the port of Marmaris and cruises the stunning mountainous scenery of the Turquoise coast, sailing for four hours each day. The 95 foot Gulet is well laid out with plenty of room, and staffed by an expert crew with a captain, cook and two deck hands. Yoga, massage treatments, eating and workshops all take place on deck in the open air. Interesting and inspiring, the workshops are run by fully trained life coaches on topics such as health, diet, values, relaxation, setting goals, self-limiting beliefs and managing pressure. You’ll bond very quickly with the group, and the inspiring environment and set up ensures a positive atmosphere. Holidays run in May, June, September and October.

9 Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary and Holistic Spa
Laem Set Beach, Koh Samui, Thailand (+66 (0) 77429800; www.kamalaya.com)
From £120 (US$250) per person per night

Nestled in a boulder-strewn ravine with luscious tropical gardens trickling down to an idyllic lagoon and white sand beach, Kamalaya’s wellness sanctuary offers a distinctly different kind of retreat experience for soul-seekers and self-indulgent sybarites. A variety of rejuvenation programmes draw on Oriental and Western holistic healing practices, each beginning with a medical and personal wellness consultation to assess your needs, and prescribing anything from gentle nurturing to full-on detox and fitness motivation. Expert help is at hand from all manner of doctors and therapists, from acupuncturists to visiting spiritual gurus. The settlement is centred round a tiny cave temple that once served as a place of meditative retreat for Buddhist monks. At the heart of the site is the holistic spa, whose majestic views over the bay add an extra edge to the treatment rooms, yoga pavilions and dramatic Yantra hall where seminars and workshops are held. Fairly remote, once here you (thankfully) won’t see any evidence of Samui’s party scene. Fly to Koh Samui.

10 In:Spa Marrakech & Atlas Mountains, Morocco )+ 44 (0) 845 458 0723; www.inspa-retreats.com)
from £1,795

In:Spa runs regular week-long luxury wellbeing retreats led by a hand-picked expert team including a nutritionist, yoga teacher, two personal trainers and a private chef. The hot dry heat and stark plains of Morocco provide an exotic backdrop in which to concentrate on yourself. Based at the marvellous boutique hotel Jnane Tamsna in the Palmeraie, a quiet, flat enclave strewn with palm trees a 15 minute drive from Marrakech, the holiday features three treks in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains as well as a full programme of yoga, massage, personal training, nutrition consultations and seriously tasty but healthy food. In:Spa also runs week-long holidays on the Moroccan coast south of Agadir at the stunning Ksar Massa, to Es Cucons in Ibiza and to Trasierra in Seville. For those who want to push themselves more, you’ll find the pace a lot more challenging on an In:Spa Intense week. If you’re time-poor, In:Spa also run weekends in the Yorkshire Dales.

Caroline Sylge is the author of Body & Soul Escapes (Footprint, £19.99; www.footprintbooks.com)

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