Top 10 Unusual Yoga Retreats

Combine daily yoga practice with a range of activities, in extra special places designed to deepen your connection with the natural world or to simply help you relax and destress. On our top 10 unusual yoga retreats you’ll be stretching out after surf lessons, meditating in the mountains and learning how to refuel the right way with healthy cooking classes. All alongside yoga classes perfect for beginners and beyond. Aaand breathe.

1. Walking & yoga, Spain

Yoga for the soul, walks for the lungs. Strap on your walking boots in between time on the mat for a retreat which perfectly balances energising hikes with restorative yoga classes. Deep breathing comes naturally in Alicante, a part of Spain reputed to have one of the healthiest climates in the world.

When to go: March and October
Our top selling trip: Yoga and walking vacation in Spain
See all our trips: Yoga vacations in Spain
Read more: Walking in Spain guide

2. Yoga on the French Riviera

Just inland from the French Riviera’s yacht-clogged coast is the beautiful countryside, with fantastic views of the Mediterranean Sea from a few hundred metres up into the hills. It’s astonishingly quiet, for being so close to somewhere to glitzy – the perfect place for a yoga retreat. There are homemade breakfasts, plenty of free time to explore the wider area, and wonderful gorges for wild river swims, in between twice daily guided yoga and meditation.

When to go: April to November
Our top selling trip: French Riviera yoga vacation
See all our trips: Yoga vacations
Read more: Yoga vacations in France

3. By the shore of Lake Skadar, Montenegro

Across Montenegro’s villages, stone circles, or guvnos, were used for threshing crops, and as gathering places for the community. It’s a surprising places for a yoga class, but you come to expect the unexpected on our unusual yoga vacations in Montenegro. You’ll also practise poses by the banks of beautiful Lake Skadar, and on a sunny terrace, and intersperse sessions with wild swimming, kayaking, and hiking.

When to go: May or September
Our top selling trip: Montenegro yoga vacation
See all our trips: Montenegro vacations
Read more: Montenegro travel guide

4. Himalayan hiking & yoga, Nepal

Combine challenging trekking with restorative yoga in Nepal. Trek in the lesser visited Helambu region, discovering Himalayan views, pine filled valleys and an insight into fascinating Buddhist traditions. Alternatively, the Annapurna Range offers more iconic, high-altitude hiking. Guided yoga based meditation and Ayurvedic spa treatments follow your trek, in mountain retreats or Kathmandu, and will help you reflect on your mountain experiences.

When to go: All year round
Our top selling trip: Nepal charity trek and yoga vacation
See all our trips: Yoga retreats in Nepal
Read more: Nepal trekking travel guide

5. Yoga & desert camping, Morocco

Match Marrakech with mindfulness in the Sahara Desert, where yoga vacations at riads and desert camps combine Moroccan hospitality with camel rides and stargazing. Alongside twice-daily yoga, relax in a steamy traditional hammam, sip sweet mint tea in cool courtyards, enjoy delicious tagines or take a stroll through Marrakech.

When to go: March and October
Our top selling trip: Morocco vacation with daily yoga
See all our trips: Unusual Morocco vacations
Read more: Morocco travel guide

6. Kayaking & yoga, Croatia

Here’s a tempting routine for your vacation: start the mornings with outdoor yoga in a little cove lapped by the Adriatic. Spend the afternoons kayaking. There are plenty of little coves and caves to explore by kayak around Vis island, off the Croatian coast. Maybe you’ll even find a new favorite yoga spot.

When to go: May to September
Our top selling trip: Kayaking and yoga vacation, Vis Island, Croatia
See all our trips: Vis Island vacations
Read more: Vis Island travel guide

7. Learn Spanish with yoga, Spain

Stretch muscles in your body and mind on a relaxed retreat in the heart of the Picos de Europa Mountains in green, northern Spain. Or join a local yoga group in Granada, with daily Spanish lessons to help you converse across your mat. You’ll enjoy daily yoga and an intensive Spanish course, all suitable for beginners and beyond. In your free time the mountains, cafes and local markets await.

When to go: All year round
Our top selling trip: Learn Spanish and yoga in the Picos de Europa, Spain
See all our trips: Yoga vacations in Spain
Read more: Picos de Europa travel guide

8. Yoga & surfing, South Africa

South Africa is great for surfing. Head to the Western Cape, near Cape Town, to the boho town of Muizenberg – or ‘Muzies’, where there are gentle waves and shallow waters. It’s the perfect little surf town, and when you’re done riding the waves, you can sit and contemplate them with guided meditation and yoga. And then, because it’s South Africa, wildlife central, you can snorkel with seals and sharks off Cape Point, too.

When to go: June to September
Our top selling trip: Surf and yoga retreat South Africa
See all our trips: South Africa vacations
Read more: Guide to Cape Town and surrounds

9. Yoga & sailing, Greece

There are few better ways to explore Greece’s lovely islands than by boat, especially when this doubles as your own mobile yoga retreat. Enjoy sun salutations on deck or harbourside, as the sun rises over the crystal-clear Ionian Sea, and in-between yoga practices swim and snorkel in hidden bays, explore fishing villages and sup on tasty food and wine at local restaurants.

When to go: May to July
Our top selling trip: Yoga and sailing retreat in Greece
See all our trips: Wellness vacations in Greece
Read more: Greece wellness travel guide

10. Yoga & cookery in Mexico

Pair yoga with cooking classes, tastings, street food and everything from tamales to tortillas in Mexico. Stay near the historic silver mining city of Guanajuato, in central Mexico, on a trip that’s got a gold star from us for its focus on local food and sustainable farming methods. Locally run accommodation provides a serene setting for your daily yoga practice.

When to go: March or October
Our top selling trip: Yoga and cooking vacation in Mexico
See all our trips: Mexico vacations
Read more: Mexico travel guide
Written by Sarah Faith
Photo credits: [Page banner: Marion Michele] [Intro: Paul Arps] [3. By the shore of Lake Skadar, Montenegro: jan vanaverbeke] [6. Kayaking and yoga, Croatia: Slobodan Spijunovic] [9. Yoga & sailing, Greece: Yacht Rent]