Holy Island Centre for World Peace and Health

Lamlash Bay, Isle of Arran, Scotland

From £25 per person per night

(+ 44 (0) 1770 601100; www.holyisland.org)

An unspoilt sanctuary off the Isle of Arran, Holy Island offers a relaxing and healing retreat from everyday life. Some come here just to relax and enjoy the serene environment and fabulous scenery. Others are looking for healing, learning and meaning in life. Rooted in the Christian tradition, it’s open to everyone of all faiths or none, and runs a wide range of courses from tai chi and meditation to cooking and gardening. This is a great place to learn to meditate, and there are lots of courses to choose from, as well as yoga, Tibetan Buddhism and vegetarian cooking led by Rob, the chef, whose food is admired and enjoyed by all who visit. Tai Chi retreats include those run by Relaxing the Mind (www.relaxingthemind.com) and Revitalise Tai Chi (www.re-vitalise.co.uk).

The island is a great place to explore – there are rare plants and birds, an ancient healing spring, the hermit-cave of a 6th-century monk, and evidence of a 13th-century Christian Monastery. If you want a longer retreat, consider staying as a volunteer. Delicious vegetarian home-cooked food uses Holy Island grown organic produce wherever possible. The nearest airports are Glasgow or Prestwick airports, from where you can get a train to Ardrossan Harbour, the CalMac Ferry to Brodick on Arran, a bus to Lamlash then the little ferry to Holy Island.

Estancia La Corona Sanctuary

Carlos Casares, Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina

From £490 (US$ 945) per person per week

(+ 44 (0) 1364 642261; www.lacoronasanctuary.com)

An extraordinarily peaceful and nourishing spot surrounded by wide open spaces, this working farm, a family estancia (ranch), is available from November to March to guests looking to recharge. You’ll be looked after by Serena Fraser, who was born here and whose brother, Alastair, runs the farm. A mother of six who founded a theatre school for the unemployed and taught there for 25 years, Serena excels at giving individual attention and is dedicated to making your stay a nourishing one.

Part of the land has been left as virgin territory, ideal for horse rides in the cool early morning or late afternoon. The retreat sleeps six people in luxurious, high ceilinged colonial-style rooms, cooled by old-fashioned fans. Sitting and walking meditation, hot or cold stone massage and Reiki treatments are available from local therapist, and visiting yoga teachers sometimes take daily classes. Enjoy sunrise or sunset from one of the benches dotting the landscape, walk and take photographs, lie in a hammock and read, write or do nothing. Fly to Buenos Aires or Ezeiza airport, from either of which it’s a three and a half to four hour drive – transfers can be arranged.

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