The 7 Best Wellness Retreats in France

Reset your mind, body, and soul by treating yourself to a wellness retreat. With work, family, friends, and responsibilities taking up most of our time, we are all guilty of letting our self-care slip. Booking a wellness retreat is one of the best ways that you can do something entirely and only for you, and when was the last time you did that? 

France, with its sunflower-filled meadows, sun-soaked beaches, provincial towns, and staggering mountain ranges, offers a variety of retreat locations to suit everyone. Disconnect from reality, reconnect with yourself and pick the perfect retreat for you.

1. Lily of the Valley, La Croix-Valmer, Côte d'Azur

Just a few minutes’ drive from Saint-Tropez, Lily of the Valley is where luxury meets wellness. With multi-day programmes (4, 7, 10, or 14 days) designed and guided by revered nutritionist Jacques Fricker, the retreats are geared towards weight loss and health. The programme begins with a dietary consultation and bioimpedance analysis which measures body composition and helps develop a realistic plan to achieve weight loss goals. 

Along with nutrition, exercise and treatments are key components of the Lily of the Valley method. There are daily treatments to help repair and sculpt the body, such as the detoxifying Chi Nei Tsang massage. Retreaters also get 1-hour of individual coaching per day. There’s also a variety of additional exercise classes and excursions that balance fun and fat-burning, such as mountain biking, canoeing, paddleboarding, hiking, yoga, and more. 

As far as weight loss retreats go, this is one of the less intense ones – but it’s popular for a reason, and promoting balance in healthy living is the key to sustaining long-term change. And they let you have something unheard of in the weight loss world – a glass of wine to go with your very delicious, very nutritious dinner.

2. Azur Wellness, Biot, Côte d'Azur

Located in a beautiful hilltop southern France village, Azur is in the right place for a reset. However, enjoying local wine and bouillabaisse is not on the cards – Azur Wellness is the place to go if you’re interested in fasting. Azur remains steadfast that guided fasts are the key to unlocking a new realm of wellness, whether that’s intermittent fasting, juice fasting, or water fasting. The result is a body that is totally detoxed and replenished. Other benefits include weight loss, anti-ageing, increased energy and mental clarity, improved sleep, radiant skin, and many more. However, it’s important that fasting is done in a controlled and guided environment, and should only be undergone by those with healthy relationships with food. But it’s not all fasting, and you don’t have to partake in that if you don’t want to while still enjoying the other benefits of the retreat. There are healthy cooking classes, yoga classes, guided hikes, and massages.

3. The French Retreat, Bordeaux

If you want a complete break from your daily life, a chance to relinquish control and let someone else take the reigns, then The French Retreat might be for you. They offer a wide range of retreats to suit your wellness objectives, including yoga, pilates, growth, relationships, and creativity. But all retreats are planned so you get the most out of each trip, as well as get as much rest as possible. There’s also a menu of restorative treatments, including reiki, massages, reflexology, and more.

The retreat takes place in a farmhouse in rural France, surrounded by sunflowers, and the setting lends itself to tranquillity. The retreat runners both live and work from here, so they know the house and the area extremely well, and love taking guests out on bike rides through the countryside.

4. Alikats, Morzine, French Alps

Retreat to the jaw-dropping scenery of the French Alps for a fresh outlook on life, relationships, career, what’s important to you, and more. The Alikats programmes are designed to equip you with actionable steps to change your life back home, as well as nurture your relationship with yourself and nature. It’s a place to look inward, supported by a professional life and leadership coach. So, if you are really looking to dig deep and address a shift that’s happening within you or in your life, then Alikats could be the perfect retreat for you. As well as 1-to-1 sessions with Caitlin Cockerton, Alikat’s life and leadership coach, the retreat takes you on a mindfulness journey through journaling, meditation, food, and play. Challenge yourself to exhilarating mountain hikes, jump in wild swimming ponds, and ground yourself with yoga. The work isn’t just done in those few days, either – it starts before, and continues after with a post-retreat session. 

Bear in mind that Alikats retreats are for women only. 

5. Tourné Tao Meditation, Castelnau Durban, Ariège 

Located in one of the most unspoilt areas of France, the location sets the tone for this soothing retreat. If a luxury retreat doesn’t sound like your kind of thing, and you’re yearning to connect with nature in a free-spirited environment, then the Tourné retreat could be for you. The retreats are centred around the practice of Tao, which is considered the most natural state. Led by Tao expert Ram Chatlani, the retreat takes things back to basics, with daily Tao yoga, martial arts sessions, mountain meditation, tai chi classes, and nature walks through the astonishingly beautiful Pyrenees. You’ll also practice Shinrin Yoku, which is bathing and meditating in a fresh forest natural pool. The Japanese stress-relieving method simultaneously activates and calms all senses, resetting the nervous system. The retreat is held in a charming farmhouse in a stunning location, but it’s less luxe than other wellness retreats in France, thus a lot less pricey. 

6. Maison de Lunel, Mauruox, Lot

Set in the Midi-Pyrenees, Maison de Lunel is the picture of total serenity. Surrounded by undulating, sparsely populated countryside, this retreat feels like the setting of something special. The retreat runners, Ross and Neil Beckley, have gone all-in on their Juice Detox & Yoga Retreat, perfecting every element. Give your digestive system a total upheaval and flush out toxins to clear your mind, body, and soul by following a diet of 100% organic juices and soups. The juice detox programme is personalised to suit each guest’s metabolic needs. To help support the nourishment, they take retreaters on daily nature walks, host yoga sessions every morning and evening, offer workshops and discussions, put on two fitness classes per week, and end the night with candlelit meditation sessions. And there’s plenty of time to relax, too – take a few laps in the outdoor pool, or enjoy the countryside view from the hot tub.

7. La Réserve Ramatuelle, Saint-Tropez, Côte d'Azur

With far-stretching views of the Mediterranean Sea, La Réserve Ramatuelle is in a wonderful position for a reset. Whether you opt for a multi-day Better Ageing Journey dedicated retreat, or simply stay in the hotel and curate your own wellness timetable, you’ll leave feeling brand new. Balance your own well-being routine with a mixture of exercises, such as yoga, Nordic walking, cross training, pilates, and more, as well as treatments in the spa. Skilled therapists offer hydrotherapy, osteopathy, massages, anti-ageing treatments, figure-shaping treatments, and more to re-energise the mind, body, and soul. 

If you want a wellness experience that is more curated, as well as an opportunity to challenge yourself, then a Better Ageing Journey might suit you better. The term ‘better ageing’ does not only refer to the appearance of ageing – it’s about preserving happiness and health for as long as possible. There are currently three on offer: Women’s Better Ageing Journey, Bootcamp Performance Journey, and Mental Wellness Escape Journey. Each retreat involves exercise (yoga, personal training, and others), treatments (Chi Nei Tsang massages, Oxylight, Balneotherapy, and others), and a personalised nutrition plan.