Fitness, detox and yoga with HHH Retreats

If you hadn’t already noticed from my social media channels, earlier in the month I headed off to the wonderful island of Crete again, but this time I was off on a different type of holiday. Nothing like the trip I took last year, staying at Daios Cove Resort & Villa; this time I was off on a detox, fitness and yoga retreat with HHH Retreats!

The Location

It’s not hard to see why Crete is the ultimate destination for a retreat; with the island’s rolling hills, active lifestyle and locally sourced food at every corner, it is the dream destination to find your zen and climb mountains.

Crete is a country that delights, and one that I will visit again and again. The island offers some of Europe’s most scenic hiking routes, stunning cycling, and picturesque beaches. I was delighted to be asked to join HHH Retreats in Crete and was looking forward to leaving my hectic city lifestyle behind in London.

This all takes place at the stunning Maravel Art Hotel, a brand new hotel which opened in 2016 situated in ​the middle of an extended sandy beach 7km east of Rethymno. The hotel which is simple but classic offers an array of rooms, quiet evenings and friendly eco-lodgings. There are 25 rooms; 15 ocean view and 10 pool-view, each with an en-suite (wet-room), hair dryer, toiletries and air conditioning!

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Maravel Star and fell in love with the hotel, location and the owners George and Eva, who welcomed us with open arms and met our every need.

The Fitness + Yoga

The idea of the retreats are to give you both a challenge for your body and relaxation for your mind; to give you a break from the chaos of life, and spend 7 days really working on you, mentally and physically.

The retreats cater for all different fitness levels so no matter what size, shape or fitness level you are, they can customise your week’s schedule and they are always on hand to push you further if you need it, or give you time off if you’ve pushed your body too far.

We spent the mornings out and about on the island, and then afternoons sitting by the pool, before an evening HIIT workout with the trainers, including Personal Trainer Divan Kombrink and a yoga session with the wonderful Phoebe Greenacre. The first morning we ventured out on a hike & bike through 30km of countryside, the second day we headed out on the bikes 17km uphill to the Arkadi Monastry and then on the third and fourth day we went out on hikes with Hiking Guide Mike Veros around the local villages; all with incredible views across the island and we visited a Spirulina plant to see how it’s made during one of the hikes.

From beginner to expert, the HHH team will have something for you. You can check out the full list on the HHH Retreats website.

The Food

The food was one of the best parts, and probably the thing that I will take away with me more than anything. I came to realise on the trip that my body was craving healthy, nutritious food and more often than not I only give it the bare minimum. On this trip I came to realise how good I could feel through eating great food, and how my body was in fact full more and a lot longer on this cuisine. The food was portion controlled for optimal weight loss, and served Al fresco everyday (weather dependant).

The amazing chef, Alan Wichert, produced a mouth-watering menu that was detox-friendly but tasted incredible. It looked good, and tasted even more amazing! He mixed up spices and flavours and then threw them into dishes with locally sourced, organic food including from-line-caught fish, organic fruits and vegetables, free range chicken and amazing olive oils the island produces. We even had a detox cooking lesson with Alan to learn a few of his secret tips.

There was no sugar, no caffeine, no gluten, no alcohol and a few others are limited.

The Results

Over the five days I was in Crete I had the following results:

• Walked or ran 89,000 steps
• Burnt 16,800 calories
• Conquered 69km ​
• Was active for over 587 minutes
• I lost 5lbs

Fancy going on a trip yourself? As my readers I can offer you discount on your next trip with HHH Retreats!

Join the team in:

– Kefalonia 3rd-10th June – £100 off per room

– Kefalonia 30th Sept – 7th Oct – £100 off per room

– Austria 24th June – 1st July – £50 off per room

– Austria 12th-19th August – £50 off per room

– Bali 4th-12th August – £100 off per room

– Portugal with Liz lark and Peter Roberts 26th Oct – 3rd Nov – £50 off per room

Their next retreat in Kefalonia is going to be amazing – A serious 5* hotel with floodlit tennis, indoor squash court, fitness centre, Elemis dedicated SPA, Helicopter pad, semi-private beach, kayaking, amazing hikes, great dinning areas and much much more!

Simply quote reference SOPHIES SUITCASE at the checkout!

Thank you Alan, Henlu and the team for the inviting me on this retreat, it was amazing, and I will be back on another very soon!
*I was invited on this trip but all views are my own, as always!