Yoga, Hiking and Reiki Week at a Lake-View Tuscan Farmhouse

Spannocchia sits in the hills of the Montagnola Senese, about 20 km from Siena, and has been farmed continuously for centuries. It's now run as a nature reserve and organic agricultural estate: vineyards, olive groves, beehives, pigs, vegetable gardens and about 1,100 acres of woodland. The retreat weeks take place in this setting, which means the walks you do and the food you eat are connected — the vegetables at dinner are grown on site and the olive oil comes from trees you pass on the trail.

Guests stay in one of three restored farmhouses on the estate — Villa, Casa del Chiusino and Casa della Quercia — alongside the main villa. Rooms are simple and traditional, with terracotta floors, exposed beams and antique furniture, most of them with views over the hills or the walled garden. The property has a swimming pool (open seasonally), extensive gardens, a yoga barn for classes in cooler weather, and indoor and outdoor common areas for meals and rest.

The yoga programme runs on a schedule that fits around the rest of the day. Classes happen in the garden when the weather allows and in the barn when it doesn't. Mornings typically start with a longer, more active practice, followed by breakfast. Some evenings there's a gentler or restorative session before or after dinner. The yoga is led by Sarah D'Angelo, a teacher who has been leading these weeks at Spannocchia for years and is familiar with the balance regulars want: enough practice to feel like a yoga week, enough free time to actually see the place.

Hiking on the estate can be done independently — there are marked trails through the woods, past the castle and the old mill — or with the group. The midweek excursion to Siena gives you a full day in the city: the shell-shaped Piazza del Campo, the Duomo, the museums, and lunch wherever you like. On some weeks the itinerary includes other nearby towns or the coast, so ask before booking if a particular destination matters to you.

What sets this apart from other Italian yoga weeks is the estate itself. It's a functioning organic farm and a nature reserve, not a hotel with a yoga studio attached. You'll see the pigs being fed, the vegetable gardens being worked, the wine being made — and if you're interested, there are tours of the gardens, the cellars and the agricultural operations that most guests join at least once during the week. It's also a genuine value proposition for Tuscany: full board with wine at dinner, a pool, and a week of daily yoga for a price well below what a comparable hotel-based retreat would cost.

Wi-Fi is available in common areas but not (reliably) in the bedrooms — this is worth knowing before you book if you need to work. The estate is also home to a resident community and to agricultural students who come for courses, so there's a bit more life here than at a single-purpose retreat centre. That's either a plus or a distraction depending on what you're after.

What's included

- Six nights' accommodation in one of the estate's restored farmhouses (shared or private room) - Daily yoga classes (morning and some evening sessions) - Guided walks and group hikes on the estate and in the surrounding hills - Full-day excursion to Siena - Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily except the two meals eaten out in Siena - Estate wine with dinner - Garden tour and cellar/wine tour - Use of the swimming pool (seasonal) - Wi-Fi in common areas - Optional reiki sessions during the week

What's not included

- Flights - Travel to and from the estate (car hire, taxis, train tickets) - Travel insurance - Meals eaten out in Siena - Drinks beyond the wine served at dinner - Additional excursions - Personal expenses and tips - Massage or other treatments outside the included reiki sessions