Wellness Escape: Yoga and Hiking Retreat in Italy's Abruzzo National Park

This isn't a polished resort retreat; it's a working organic farm where the yoga happens on a deck overlooking the mountains and the vegetables come from the garden out back. The farm has been running for years as an eco-stay and yoga center, with a rotating cast of international volunteers helping out, so there's a genuine community feel rather than a transactional one. Your hosts are Antonello, who grew up on this land and runs the farm with his father Guiseppe, and a team of yoga teachers who rotate through the season—Ana, a tantra and hatha practitioner with over a decade of practice, and Michael, who trained in India and Thailand and brings a grounded, philosophical approach to his classes. The morning classes run from 8:00 to 9:30 and are aimed at releasing stress, loosening up the body, and giving you practical tools you can take home. The rest of the mornings and early afternoons are free—you can join the volunteers in the garden, walk into the nearby town of Sora (about 45 minutes on foot), or simply find a quiet spot and do nothing. The one organized activity is the guided hike to a waterfall in the nearby gorge, which takes place on a day that suits everyone. Dinners are at 7:30 or 8:00 PM and are a highlight—two courses, often including handmade pasta, fresh vegetables, local cheese, and eggs from the farm. There's an honesty to this place that comes through in every detail, from the hand-painted walls in the rooms to the fruit you're invited to pick off the trees.

What's included

- 3 nights accommodation in your chosen room - Daily morning hatha-tantra yoga classes - Daily fresh breakfast and dinner - One guided hike to the waterfall in Lacerno Gorge, Abruzzo National Park - Free wifi and parking - Luggage storage - Opportunity to pick and eat fresh fruit from the farm

What's not included

- Airport transfers - Travel insurance - Flights - Visa fees - Lunch (available for an extra fee) - Additional activities and treatments - Personal expenses