Salt Escapes: Luxury Fitness Retreats with Sweat, Adventure & Chef-Cooked Feasts

Salt Escapes was started by Mike and Amy, and guests talk about them by name in reviews — they run the trips, not a rotating cast of reps. Every Escape is built around four things: challenging workouts, an off-the-beaten-path adventure, food cooked by a private chef, and a group small enough to actually get to know. The training covers HIIT, strength and conditioning, yoga and boxing, with sessions adapted to the location — sea-view circuits on the Zakynthos clifftop, jungle workouts in Tulum, alpine climbs in the Dolomites.

Destinations are chosen so that the adventure part is worth the flight on its own. In Greece it's the boat day to Navagio and a run along the clifftops. In Costa Rica, waterfall hikes and surf at Santa Teresa. In Portugal, forest-to-beach trails around Comporta. In Mexico, cenotes and Mayan ruins. In Cape Town, Chapman's Peak at dawn, kayaking with dolphins and a catamaran braai. You're not doing a resort workout class and then sitting by a pool for six days.

The villas are a deliberate part of the product — private infinity pools, clifftop positions, plunge pools, beachfront settings, sauna and cold plunge in the Dolomites chalet. Guests stay in shared rooms, deluxe doubles or master doubles depending on the trip, and you pick your room style when you book.

Food is a private chef, on-site, for the whole week. Meals are balanced rather than restrictive — the kind of food you want after a training session, not a juice cleanse. Dietary needs are handled if you tell them in advance.

About 85% of guests arrive solo, and most are in their thirties. The group size is kept tight enough that the whole week feels like a trip with friends rather than a tour. The deposit is £750 per person, with the option to pay in full and get 5% off.

What's included

- 7 nights in a private luxury villa - Private chef preparing all meals for the week - Two daily training sessions (HIIT, strength, yoga, boxing) - Off-the-beaten-path adventures (boat days, hikes, surf, excursions depending on destination) - Expert-led coaching throughout the week - Recovery facilities where available (pool, sauna, cold plunge) - Full trip management from arrival to departure

What's not included

- Flights - Travel insurance - Airport transfers unless arranged separately - Alcohol and drinks outside meals - Personal expenses - Optional extras and spa treatments