6 UK Vacations That Will Improve Your Health and Wellbeing

Stepping away from your usual routine for a few days can work wonders in terms of recuperating and restoring wellbeing. In this article, we look at six UK-based vacation destinations to boost your mental, spiritual, and emotional health.

1. Coasteering - Pembrokeshire

Pembrokeshire in Wales is home to the only coastal national park in the UK. Preseli Venture is a local adventure center and ecolodge offering a variety of different activities, from yoga and woodland runs to wild swimming and coasteering.

Coasteering is a sport that involves rock-hopping, swell-riding, cave-exploring, and shore-scrambling. It can occasionally involve jumping off cliffs. It may sound dangerous, but experienced guides are on-hand to keep visitors safe from currents, changing tides, and other hazards, as well as drawing their attention to the most interesting geological features and wildlife in the area.

With its miles of unspoiled, rugged coastline, Wales is an ideal location for coasteering. The sport became popular in the 1980s when surfers flocked to the area and scrambled around cliffs to reach the best surfing spots. Today, coasteering is popular with both families and thrill-seekers alike.

2. Mindfulness - Devon

Sharpham House is a Georgian mansion. Set in a 550-acre estate, the property offers expansive views across the River Dart Valley, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Designed in 1770 by Sir Robert Taylor, Sharpham House is a textbook example of English Palladian architecture. Occupied as a family home until 2003, the property now forms a base for charitable activities.

The venue offers a variety of mindfulness programs, including a five-night spring retreat. Guests have the opportunity to refresh and reconnect, watching Mother Nature stir from her slumber as spring unfolds right before their eyes. Optional activities that can be incorporated include yoga, creative writing, mindful movement, meditation, and treks through the beautiful Devon countryside.

3. Life Coaching - Yorkshire

The Raw Horizons life coaching retreat is aimed at women seeking a temporary escape from the pressures of work or family life. Offering two- to five-night wellbeing retreats, the venue is a comfortable converted home situated in the breathtaking Yorkshire countryside.

Run by Dr. Claire Maguire, a life coach and raw food chef, Raw Horizons getaways combine yoga, life coaching, and gourmet raw food. Raw Horizons provides guests with the opportunity to reset their relationship with their bodies, relax and unwind, work through real-life issues, and adopt a more positive attitude.

4. Trail Running - Northumberland

Organized by Contours, this trip offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to retrace the footsteps of Roman legionaries. Participants follow Hadrian’s Wall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, coast to coast from Wallsend to Bowness-on-Solway.

The trek travels along this historic site as closely as possible. There are steep climbs and expansive views of the surrounding national park and nearby ruined forts, settlements, and churches. The 134-kilometer trail is suitable for hikers of all abilities, from short 6-kilometer strolls to grueling 67-kilometer runs.

Hadrian’s Wall is one of Great Britain’s most important archaeological sites. It served as a Roman Empire frontier for almost 300 years. Construction commenced in 122 CE. It is the most substantial and important Roman site remaining in the UK today and has inspired British painters and poets for centuries.

5. Ayurveda - Worcestershire

Translating from Sanskrit as the “Science of Life," Ayurveda is regarded by many as the world’s oldest healing science. Originating in India’s ancient Vedic culture more than 5,000 years ago, Ayurveda is known as the “Mother of All Healing." Ayurveda takes into account the individual’s unique physiological constitution, using herbs and invoking lifestyle changes to create the perfect balance.

The Clover Mill in Worcestershire is a renovated 17th-century watermill located in the Malvern Hills. Orchestrated by Ayurvedic chef Julie Dent, a former scientist, the venue invites guest for two-night (or longer!) retreats featuring daily yoga classes and Ayurvedic treatments.

6. Rock-Climbing - Highlands

Rock-climbing is an effective method of increasing muscle strength, stamina, and flexibility. The National Center for Rock Climbing in Scotland offers a two-day Discover Rock Climbing course based at Glenmore Lodge in the Cairngorm National Park. The course helps climbers develop movements and techniques, teaching them how to act as either a leader or second climber.

Rock-climbing requires endurance and physical strength. It builds muscle and gets the heart pumping. A single hour session of rock climbing burns more than 700 calories. The lengthy reaches and tricky maneuvers help to develop suppleness and flexibility.

The psychological benefits of rock-climbing are well reported. Participants must live in the moment, detaching them from the stresses and strains of day-to-day life. Research suggests that strenuous physical exercise such as rock-climbing can have therapeutic effects on mental illness, improving a range of conditions, from anorexia and addiction to anxiety and depression.

Novices are welcome on the Cairngorm course, although experience indoor climbing or bouldering is advantageous. Rock-climbing does call for a significant degree of physical fitness, but there are local treks and walking paths available for visitors seeking a slower-paced vacation.