Looking to kick start a health regime or get ready for bikini season in style? Perhaps a hardcore boot camp break doesn’t really entice you – let’s face it, shelling out to have ex-military types shout at you as you tackle 10k runs in the rain isn’t a very attractive option. However, you can choose to head to a resort combining luxury accomodation, tailored nutrition programmes, boutique spa facilities and maybe even a little sunshine! We’ve found five of the best luxury wellness breaks across Europe that don’t include 6am wake-up calls or roughing it in a dorm.

Breath-taking views at SHA Wellness Clinic

SHA Wellness Clinic, Spain

Where does Kylie head to when she’s in need of a little pampering and some me-time? Ms Minogue books into the SHA Wellness Clinic in Alicante; a super deluxe resort offering a variety of well-being programmes in sumptuous surroundings. A symphony of sleek modern design, glorious sea views and magnificent infinity pools, the SHA Wellness Clinic boasts top-notch treatments to match its luxe appearance. Various programmes are on offer to treat anything from sleeplessness to stress, but to kick start a healthy lifestyle and begin to get your body into toned and taut bikini-ready perfection, we recommend the resort’s 14-day weight loss plan.

SHA’s personalised programmes help guests to lose weight, and to keep it off, and to gain vitality and fitness in its place. At the start of your stay you’ll have consultations with the resort’s resident medical staff, nutritional therapists and a personal trainer who will determine the best solutions for you. A tailormade diet is planned and administered to balance metabolism and reduce blood sugar, complemented by a specially created range of herbal drinks that facilitate the elimination of excess fat. You can also participate in activities at the SHA Life Learning Centre, including yoga, tai chi and chi kung. Acupuncture and shiatsu are also part of the programme and we definitely recommend checking out the resort’s spa for a little extra pampering – it recently won a prestigious Condé Nast Traveller award. And if it’s good enough for Kylie…

The seven day Weight Loss Programme at the SHA Wellness Clinic costs from €1,600 per person. Further information is available on the resort’s website.

Ayurvedic cuisine at Parkschlösschen

Parkschlösschen, Germany

Located in a quiet valley in the Moselle, treatment at Parkschlösschen is based on the ancient Ayurvedic principle that health comes from being in harmony with oneself and one’s nature. This is Europe’s first fully Ayurvedic luxury resort and you can expect harmony in everything from the gourmet meals to the interior design. Parkschlösschen’s Panchakarma detox programme is an intensive ten- or 14-day plan designed to rid the body of harmful toxins and to rebalance both mentally and physically. Therapy includes step-by-step removal of accumulated waste and impurities under the supervision of the resort’s trained physicians. Treatment also includes soothing oil massages, cleansing herbal steam baths and warm oil body baths so you really have no excuse but to relax and let go of stresses and strains.

Parkschlösschen also focuses on re-aligning the body nutritionally and the menu is based on light haute-cuisine meals that won’t make you feel like you’re on a hardcore diet. As well as the resort’s thermal baths, there’s a luxury spa with treatments using Aveda products and fresh, tailormade preparations based on Ayurveda. Even the rooms and suites have been designed with relaxation in mind, as a balanced environment creates a sense of inner harmony – you can expect pure silk wallpaper and furnishings that calm or invigorate. If this resort doesn’t relax and rebalance, it’s fair to say that nothing will!

Ten-day Panchakarma detox programmes start at € 2,105 per person. For more information see the Parkschlösschen website.

The pretty Lot region of southwestern France

Camp Biche – France

Calling itself the ‘original luxury fitness boot camp’, Camp Biche is situated in gloriously verdant southwestern France and offers programmes combining a variety of sports with blissful spa treatments. The camp makes the most of the surrounding countryside with daily hikes in addition to a customisable exercise schedule that can include a wide variety of pursuits both leisurely and intensive, from yoga, pilates and swimming to Thai kickboxing or triathlon and marathon training.

Whether you choose the ‘Kick Start’ or ‘Endurance’ programme, daily hour-long massages are included. The camp’s spa was voted one of the best in the world by Tatler, so whatever ache or strain might be bothering you you’re in sure hands here. Meals are ‘portion-controlled’, but the camp serves gourmet grub so there’s not too much hardship. There’s also a ‘Lifestyle’ package available which is individually tailored to each guest and offers daily fitness classes designed to teach you workouts you can continue to do at home as well as cooking lessons showing you how to prepare delicious, nutritional meals. Should all the options on offer prove overwhelming you can chill out and cool down by taking a dip in the camp’s swimming pool and drinking in the view of the serene Lot countryside. Or if you’d like to tone up mentally as well as physically, French lessons can be arranged. It would seem that Camp Biche might just add a certain ‘je ne sais quoi’ to kick-starting a bikini blitz…

Week-long programmes start at €2,546 per person. For more information see the Camp Biche website.

A taxing well-being programme in Elounda...

The Blue Palace – Crete

With stunning views over the impossibly blue expanse of the Aegean Sea, luxuriously decorated rooms and private villas, a stay at the Blue Palace in Elounda, Crete is as far as you can get from a Spartan holiday experience! The resort’s Thalasso Slimming Programme is six days of low-impact exercise and marine-based therapies designed to transform you into a Grecian goddess with a minimal amount of effort. Muscles are toned and tightened though fitness routines in seawater pools and the package includes a selection of spa treatments which also harness the healing power of the sea. From sea water hydromassage baths using mineral salts and marine algae to submarine showers and thalgothermic body wraps, you’ll be pampered from top to toe.

Massages are administered to rid the body of harmful toxins and you can make use of the spa’s marble hammams, sauna and jacuzzis to prolong the relaxation process. Signature treatments use Cretan herbs, pure olive oil and crushed olive seeds to ensure perfectly radiant, glowing skin.  The Thalasso Slimming Programme includes nutritionally balanced meals based on the local diet and uses fresh organic ingredients – think just-caught fish, crisp salads and authentic Greek specialities. If this doesn’t feel like enough exertion, you can choose to take part in yoga or aerobics courses or perhaps try out a Cretan dance class. As you watch yet another sublime sunset, spare a thought for all those poor souls taking to the treadmill.

The five day Thalasso Slimming Programme costs €845 per person. See the Blue Palace’s website for more information.

Get away from it all in Le Marche

The Hill That Breathes – Italy

Looking to get away from it all and slow down? Il bel paese is reputed for the relaxed pace of life (it’s is the birthplace of the Slow Food movement and if you ask anyone who has spent any time here, just about everything – apart from the driving – is approached with a laid-back attitude!) The enigmatically-titled resort is situated amidst the rolling hills of the Le Marche region and offers retreats, yoga breaks and classes that will give you the opportunity to take time out, away from the stresses and strains of everday life. Whether you choose to book in for a detox week, try one of the hotel’s yoga programmes, or go for their renowned “F**k It” breaks, you will be forced to release control and let your worries evaporate!

The Hill That Breathes is actually a 100-acre wooded hill, with accomodation in an eco-friendly renovated farmhouse. Rooms are decorated in cool tones and furnishings mix modern design and vintage treasures – the hotel wouldn’t look out of place on the pages of Wallpaper. You’ll feel at one with nature during the resort’s activities: there’s a saltwater pool with stunning views over the surrounding countryside and yoga classes take place in a vast Geodesic Dome with floor-to-ceiling windows. And if you book a massage prepare to be lulled into a peaceful slumber by a soundtrack of chirruping crickets and a gentle woodland breeze – treatments take place in the great outdoors! If you’re a bit of a foodie, this may be the resort for you; the delicious vegetarian menu features locally-sourced, seasonal produce, whipped up into healthy Italian fare by the resident chef. And if you need to take a break from yoga, breathing classes, massages and sunbathing, you can take part in one of The Hill That Breathes’ cooking classes. The cab back to the airport may be a bit of a shock to the system…

Programmes cost between €845 and €995 per-person, per-week, depending on the week and course. More details are available on The Hill That Breathes website.