Kirsty Masterman enjoys an all-woman retreat by the sea
n the last few years, there’s been a real buzz about wellness retreats – from getaways promising to help you lose pounds, to hotel packages focusing on getting a good snooze.
At the age of 43, I’m still a wellness retreat virgin. But the idea of going on holiday with a group of girlfriends does sound fun. Choosing a location close to home – Guernsey, just an hour’s flight from Manchester – is also good way to ease myself in.
My base for the week is the luxury Fermain Valley Hotel on the Channel Island’s south-east coast, a spa property with sauna facilities and a focus on yoga, where I stay in one of the four treehouses tucked into a patch of forest.
All five women on my retreat have come to escape the rat-race and find a bit of ‘me time’. After arriving, we head down a winding, tree-lined lane to the Beach Cafe at Fermain Bay to get our first taste, quite literally, of what the island has to offer. I opt for the crab
Isandwich, which is deliciously fresh. Listening to waves lapping the shore is soothing but Katie Brock from Yoga Elements, who hold several outdoor classes in scenic locations (yogaelementsgg. com; £14 per class), promises to send us into an even more relaxed state. At Port Soif, on the west coast, we are treated to an hour of light yoga. The session is so relaxing, I find myself drifting off. Dinner that evening is at La Reunion, a stylish but relaxed beachfront restaurant overlooking Cobo Bay, famous for its spectacular sunsets. With its top quality, locally sourced produce, I ask what the freshest, local dishes are. “Everything,” is the reply.
The next morning, we are met on the beach by Ian Potter, a health and fitness expert who can be booked through the hotel, for an early morning workout. It’s not long before I realise the weekend is about to be taken up a notch. The session is all outdoors, using the natural environment to help clear our minds and test our bodies.
Concluding our hike with a picnic lunch, we then head off to meet Jacqui Hunt from Guernsey Swim Adventures for a guided swim around the neighbouring bays of Fermain (guernseyswimadventures.gg). The biggest challenge here is getting the wetsuits on and off. Once immersed and having adapted to both the temperature and the waves, and with Jacqui by my side, I can relax and enjoy the freedom of being out in the open ocean.
The final activity for the day is a relaxing, mindful, journaling session with Megan Cluett from All About Yoga (allaboutyoga.gg), the perfect way to reflect on what has been an action-packed day. The session takes place on the lawn above the Fermain Valley Hotel, a peaceful, sun-drenched location. We are instructed to bring a notebook and pen, and write down five things we are feeling.
Our final day is by no means any less exhilarating and full of new experiences. We begin with a a session at La Vallette sea-water bathing pools in St Peter Port. A leisurely walk into St Peter Port shortly after sees us board a tuk-tuk for a scenic ride to Ladies Bay in the north for the final activity, stand-up paddle boarding.
Rooms at Fermain Valley Hotel (fermainvalley.com) start from £225 per night with breakfast; treehouses from £338 per night. Aurigny (aurigny.com) operates year-round direct flights to Guernsey.