Travel
8 adventurous sport retreats that will blow you away in 2019
Forget coming back from holiday overweight – these heart-pumping fitness retreats will leave you stronger, happier and energised.
You may have resolved to get fitter in 2019, but it can be hard to get inspired by the sweaty innards of a gym in winter. So why not head off to an adventurous fitness retreat instead?
Not only will you be able to totally focus on getting fit during the retreat, but putting a true physical challenge in your calendar will give you something to train for, making you even more likely to nail those resolutions. From becoming a super-fit surfer to running across the Rockies, we’ve picked the most heart-pumping, leg shredding retreats for 2019. Who knows, you may just discover your new passion…
1. Kite safari in the Caribbean
The Caribbean seas offer some of the best kitesurfing conditions on earth
© Josh Simpson
Pro kite boarder Tom Court leads this live-aboard retreat on a luxury catamaran Lagoon 52 plying the Caribbean seas. Court has spent years traveling the world to sniff out the best kitesurfing spots and the The Grenadines, AKA ‘Windward Islands’ have constant wind conditions, paradise beaches and secret kite spots.
Whether you’re a kite noob or carving downwinders, Tom’s ‘Slice Of Life’ clinics provide kitesurfing training, as well as the chance to sail the cat. Your skills will develop until you’re giving the dolphins, rays and turtles swimming alongside a masterclass in kiting.
2. Rock climbing in Catalunya
Most people’s knowledge of Catalunya doesn’t go past Barcelona, but a relatively short drive out from the airport will take you to some of the most stunning limestone sports climbing Spain has to offer. Climb Catalunya are based in Abella de la Conca, a traditional village nestled between rising cliffs. Nick and Ella offer week-long guided rock climbing and yoga retreats, and cater for guests with a hearty and fully vegetarian menu. Nick is a qualified mountain guide and is passionate about helping his guests improve – if you’re at the crag then there’s no slacking off!
Even though it’s only 50km from Andorra, this part of the world has a microclimate freakishly suited to all-year around climbing, including the murky depths of the British winter. It’s an ideal venue for converting your indoor climbing skills into outdoor adventure…
3. Mountain biking the world’s steepest island
Some serious airtime in La Palma
© Matt Ray
La Palma is the Northernmost island in the Canary Islands and it also claims to be the world’s steepest. As you fly into it, the coastline’s barren volcanic cliffs drop like a black curtain into the sea, so you can believe it. The lush but rugged terrain – including mist-shrouded fields of pitch black volcanic sand, gnarly boulder fields, root-threaded pine forest singletrack, and even gigantic, collapsed lava tubes – is a perfect playground for mountain bikers.
So far, it’s mostly German cyclists who have cottoned onto this winter-sun bolt hole from the frozen North, but more British riders are catching onto the week-long guided packaged provided by Atlantic Cycles, which has fleets of top-end XC, freeride and e-bikes. On this island some of the climbs are so steep only an e-bike can make it to the top...
4. A surf fitness retreat in Nazare
Portugal's silver coast is home to some of the world's best waves
© Josh Simpson
Former Devon plumber Andrew Cotton has learnt some hard ocean lessons riding 80ft monsters off the Portuguese coast at Nazare. But you don’t need to big a big wave charger to learn from the master. He is on hand at the Surf Fit Life retreats to personally pass one some of his waterman knowledge, teaching you to deal with wipeouts in challenging surf and improving your confidence in any conditions, using breathing techniques and anaerobic training.
Meanwhile, Personal Trainer Andy Blake will take you through a fitness assessment, then deliver a programme of workouts and flexibility training throughout the week, including sunrise yoga sessions on the beach, to give you the strength and mobility to ace your surfing goals. Ideal for anyone keen to take their board game next level.
5. Triathlon training In Lanzarote
Home to one of the world’s toughest Ironman triathlons, Lanzarote is the place to do for winter training camps. With sea temperatures ranging from 18°C in the winter to 24°C you can front crawl along gloriously sandy beaches with Tri Sports Lanzarote who run fully programmed and catered training camps at Villa Parasio. They even have a 25m pool for video analysis of your technique, while the cycling in Lanzarote varies from palm-lined, narrow streets, to lava fields stretching out between the island’s 500 volcanoes.
Tri Sports also offer off-road running across lava sand trails, as well as the more traditional pavement pounding. Endurance training in the UK winter can be a real drag but the sun-drenched surroundings here will inspire you to hit your numbers, ready for the race season back home.
6. Running across The Rockies
Sunrise over the Rockies as witnessed by Red Bull's writer
© Matt Ray
This is a fitness retreat with a difference because you stay at a different remote, high altitude mountain hut in the Rockies each night, after running there during the day. You’ll start in the resort of Aspen, Colorado and end in Vale, covering 100 miles of rugged mountain tracks along the Continental Divide amidst jaw-dropping wilderness scenery, over six days. It’s a true retreat in that no vehicles or human habitations (other than the huts and roads them) are allowed into the wilderness areas, and the huts have no electricity or cell phone coverage, or running water. You’ll need to train for Run Hut Run one because you’ll be running across the Sawatch and Gore ranges at between 2700m and 4000m.
7. Yoga in a Mayan ruin
Tulum is on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and home to spookily well preserved ruins of an ancient Mayan port city. YogaDownload have chosen it as the perfect place for a mindful reset where experience the wellness boost of a yoga retreat, on the setting of a white-sand beach. Adding fitness into the mix, the retreat will also feature hikes into the rugged surrounding countryside, alongside daily yoga sessions and workshops. What’s more, the area is peppered with limestone sinkholes, or cenotes, with crystal clear water which offer a mind-blowing snorkelling experience.
8. Go wild in Menorca
Wildfitness takes you back outdoors to discover the joy of being in nature. Their week-long retreats run outdoor training sessions including yoga, lifting and running, as well as workshops on wild moving, living and eating. Located on the south central coast of Menorca, the retreat is in Binigaus Nou, a private, forested estate. You can run through the fig and citrus trees right onto the unspoilt beach. After an assessment and goal-setting session, your body will be tested with 2-4 group workouts a day, but the daily mobility and yoga sessions will help you to recover each evening.