WELLNESS HOLIDAY IN MARBELLA
Marbella wasn’t a destination I thought I’d ever be telling people to add to their wanderlust list, but that’s exactly what’s happening now. I’m fresh back from my second wellness holiday in Marbella this year and it gave me everything I needed and more. This trip wasn’t about hard core fitness or a focused yoga retreat, this was just me and a girlfriend getting a little bit of everything we wanted in one place – fitness, yoga, balanced food, hiking, beach, sunshine and the ocean!
WHERE TO STAY & EAT
The Amàre Beach Hotel is situated on the beach (of course!) around 7km away from Puerto Banus, a beautiful bike ride along the beachfront, should you fancy a visit. I did the cycle on my first trip, but this time I wanted to explore the more rustic and natural side for our wellness holiday in Marbella. Amàre’s location is pretty much perfect for whatever you need, as it’s opposite the old town, a stroll away from a water sports centre and only a short taxi journey from some beautiful hikes.
When it comes to food, if you’re vegan I’d call ahead and just make sure the hotel are aware. They were super accommodating for me, with vegan options available most of the time and lovely staff who were willing to adapt the menu slightly were needed to suit my requirements. If you followed along with my trip on Instagram, you might have seen my obsession with the guacamole at the Amàre Beach Club. No joke, one of the best guacs I’ve ever had. The Hayaca Mexican restaurant was a yummy addition to our evenings after long days in the sun. We were so shattered the night after our hike, but couldn’t resist going back to Hayaca for the grilled veggies and friend banana.
Enough about the food, Amàre has even more to offer. The gym is kitted out with Technogym equipment and doesn’t get too busy, which was great for us, as we pretty much took over and did a weighted HIIT circuit workout. When it comes to yoga, Amàre offers guests free yoga classes every Wednesday and Friday morning on the beach, which I was lucky enough to teach when I was there. Such a beautiful location with the sound of the waves lapping in the background.
Book your wellness holiday in Marbella and stay at Amàre here.
Soleo is a short walk along the promenade from the Amàre Beach Hotel, just down some steps onto the beach. The focus of Soleo’s menu is paella and fish, but that didn’t leave me with an empty stomach. The chef kindly put together a delicious vegan paella for me and of course lots of bread and oil – my dream holiday combination!
HIKING
Looking back, I’m not sure that we made it to the top of La Concha, but we definitely got to the top of a mountain, so we’ll count that as a success! I only say we didn’t make it, as most people said it takes 3 hours to hike up and it only took us two with a few photo stops, so I’m pretty sure we went wrong somewhere!
We got a taxi to Juanar, where we started the hike and instantly I was stunned by how peaceful and beautiful our surroundings wear. To think that this huge expanse of nature was only a 20-minute drive away makes me think that Marbella needs to be known more for it’s hiking than anything else. It was hot and sweaty and of course a lot of uphill hiking, but as long as you have enough water, sunscreen and some snacks, you’ll be absolutely fine. At the top, the view of Marbella and the coast is pretty amazing, so I massively recommend taking half a day out from your holiday to try this.
And if hiking sounds a little too much for you, why not book a guided tour around the old town instead. It’s so beautiful, so worth spending some time strolling the pretty streets. The tour I went on was hosted by the Marbella Tourism Board, find out more here.
YOGA
As well as the yoga class at the hotel every Wednesday, a friend of mine recommended a local studio to me that she’s been going to for years. Radiant Yoga Marbella offers hot yoga, vinyasa classes, restorative flows every day of the week, so if you’re not an early bird able to make it to Amàre’s class, then give one of the Yoga Marbella classes a go. You can find the studio schedule here. The perfect addition for those of you wanting to take your wellness holiday in Marbella that bit further.
ON THE WATER
Where else would you want to be while on holiday… other than eating the guacamole from the Amare Beach Club! Paddleboarding is one of my favourite ways to explore and also exercise whilst on holiday. Nalusur Adventures is a short walk from Amàre where we hired the paddleboards from. As well as paddleboarding, Nalusur also offer day tour fulling of hiking, biking, kayaks, SUP yoga and surfing. Find out more here.
AND RELAX
A wellness holiday in Marbella isn’t complete without a little bit of pampering, which just happens to be on your doorstep if you stay at Amàre. I had the most relaxing facial in the Amàre spa and a little dip in the pools. I love the sunshine, but even I find it gets a little too much sometimes, so a break inside was perfect.
Have you been to Marbella? If not, add it to that Wanderlust list!
Love, Cat x
