Yoga, Sea Kayaking and Island Sailing: An Eight-Day Active Wellness Week in Greece

Days one and two are spent in Athens. On the first day you walk from hill to hill — Pnyka, Areopagus, Philopappou and Lycabettus — hearing the myths attached to each, then eat a welcome dinner at a rooftop restaurant. The next morning a professional guide takes you up to the Parthenon, the Propylaia and the Temple of Athena Nike, and on to the Acropolis Museum, where lunch is served on the terrace. In the late afternoon you drive to Cape Sounio for a sea kayak trip to the Temple of Poseidon, timed for sunset, followed by dinner at a sea-view restaurant.

Day three is a three-hour bus drive north to Agia Anna on Evia. You settle in, do a yoga session, and can then choose from mat Pilates, cycling, beach volleyball or dynamic exercises on the beach. Lunch is cooked by the trip's executive chef at a seaside tavern, and the evening is a wine tasting at a local winery covering the history and grape varieties of Greek wine, with an organic dinner afterwards.

Day four starts early with yoga and a breakfast buffet, then an exclusive massage treatment. The rest of the day is a hands-on cooking class with the chef, working through traditional Greek dishes and the principles of the Mediterranean diet, with free time at the beach before dinner.

On day five a sailboat carries the group for two hours to Skiathos. After lunch and a settle-in, there is an afternoon hike to the island's Faraway Tree Forest with geocaching to find hidden clues along the way, then sunset yoga back at the hotel on Koukounaries beach. The evening is free to walk the town.

Day six is the sailing day to Skopelos, seeing the locations used in Mamma Mia, with swimming stops and free time in the island's tavernas. You sail back to Skiathos for sunset yoga and a dinner cooked by the chef. Day seven flies the group back to Athens from Skiathos airport for a farewell dinner, and day eight is departure after breakfast.

The trip is led by an Aegean Outdoors leader and yogi, with a separate professional tourist guide for the Acropolis and its museum. The operator describes the retreats as based on yoga and Greek philosophy, and keeps the group small — a minimum of four and a maximum of seven people — so that everyone gets individual attention.

What's included

- 7 nights' accommodation on a double-occupancy basis - All transport during the trip - Aegean Outdoors leader and yogi - All activities listed in the programme, with equipment - Professional guide for the Acropolis and Acropolis Museum, entrance fees included - All meals listed in the itinerary - Economy flight from Skiathos to Athens - Transport of one reasonably sized suitcase and one carry-on per person

What's not included

- Flights to and from Greece - Anything not mentioned in the programme - Personal insurance - Alcoholic drinks with meals - Meals not listed in the programme - Personal expenses - Gratuities