SPRING ESCAPES
The days are getting lighter and longer, so shake off the winter gloom with an active holiday in the warm sunshine
WORDS ELLIE HUGHES, LAURA POTTER
YOGA AND COCKTAILS IN KEFALONIA
As I gently drop from downward dog into plank, the view of blue, blue Mediterranean and blue, blue sky stretches out before me, and the scent of jasmine teases the air. Daily pre-breakfast yoga in this beautiful outdoor studio – built into the mountainside above the shallow Lourdas bay – is pretty much my idea of a perfect holiday pastime. Unless, that is, you count sipping a cocktail, or two, lounging in a secluded day bed by the infinity pool – this time as the setting sun streaks candy pink across that glorious sky. It’s impossible to choose between the two and, luckily, here you don’t have to.
F Zeen Retreat, part of the Unique Kefalonia group, is the Greek island of Kefalonia’s first boutique hotel as such, and has totally g got healthy’s number. Hidden in its own charming world behind high stone walls and a castle-like wooden door, there is plenty of fresh, local food on offer (see: superfood smoothie of the day), Greek holistic toiletries from the Apivita range, lots of activities – hiking to secluded beaches, sea kayaking to hidden coves with local companies Outdoor Kefalonia, (outdoorkefalonia.com) and Sea Kayaking Kefalonia (seakayakingkefalonia-greece. com), an outdoor gym and that yoga studio – but also plenty of time for indulgence. There’s the Wellness Hub, with the aforementioned fitness facilities, and home to a beautiful spa (where I have one of the more painful, but ultimately rewarding massages of my life), but how much you want to sample is up to you.