Body Tonic Fitness & Adventure Retreat at Château Lou Casteou, French Riviera

The fitness programme at Lou Casteou runs across the château grounds and nearby trails. Mornings typically start with a stretching and mobility session before breakfast, followed by a rotation of kettlebell work, TRX strengthening and toning, boxercise, cardio blast and circuit training. There are also dedicated legs, bums and tums classes, water aerobics in the pool, and dance-based sessions to keep things varied. David Higgins leads much of the training; Dan Tegg, a tennis and performance fitness coach, handles the performance-focused and tennis-conditioning elements.

Afternoons are less structured. The programme includes kayaking and guided treks along the coastal routes of the Côte d'Azur, and a relaxing massage is built into the schedule. The château sits on the edge of a pine-filled national park near Fréjus, so the walking is genuinely scenic — sea on one side, Estérel mountains on the other.

What separates this from a standard fitness camp is the setting and the food. Lou Casteou is a proper château — en-suite bedrooms, terraces, lounges, a pool with sea and mountain views — and it's run hands-on by owners Morag and Chris, who also host tennis and salsa retreats here. Meals are cooked by visiting chefs; one review describes Italian chef couple Matteo and Silvia turning out French pastries, omelettes and strong coffee at breakfast, poached salmon and salads at lunch, and big evening feasts with Provençal rosé and fine wines.

The coaching team is experienced rather than celebrity-driven. David Higgins is described as a charismatic, enthusiastic personal trainer with years of experience working with mixed-ability groups; Dan Tegg is a highly skilled tennis and performance fitness coach. Both are used to adapting sessions so that a complete beginner and a regular gym-goer can train in the same room without either being bored or broken.

The retreat was ranked 'best in France' by About Time Magazine in May 2020 in their top picks for fitness holidays — one of several press mentions the château has picked up, alongside coverage in 101 Holidays and lifestyle magazines.

What's included

- 3 nights accommodation in en-suite château rooms - All meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner - Wine with dinner - Daily fitness classes (kettlebells, TRX, boxercise, circuit training, cardio blast, stretching, core, legs-bums-tums, water aerobics, dance) - Guided coastal and mountain treks - Kayaking session - One relaxing massage - Use of pool, terraces, lounges and games room - Airport transfers (on request)

What's not included

- International and domestic flights - Travel insurance - Personal expenses and tips - Alcoholic drinks outside of dinner service - Optional extra treatments or excursions - Transfers outside scheduled times