Retreat in Greece: Kea Retreat is the first boutique hotel in the Cycladic Islands dedicated to yoga retreats

Looking for a retreat in Greece? Discover a conceptual, serene yet luxurious getaway just an hour away from Athens

Kea Retreat, a serene natural haven nestled amid rolling hills sloping down to Kea’s Psathi beach, is as much a spiritual retreat as it is a celebration of the island’s natural landscape and cultural heritage.

Underpinned by the values of slow living and sustainable development, Kea Retreat offers guests holistic, immersive and all-inclusive week-long yoga retreats. Their roster consists of both Greek and international facilitators, true farm-to-table culinary offerings, and an impeccable elegant while traditional aesthetic.

This retreat in Greece is the passion project of Israeli restaurateur Zviki Eshet and his wife Anat who decided to combine their search for meaning and healing with their life-long passion for Greek culture. From conception to the day-to-day operations, Kea Retreat is truly a family affair—the couple’s son Yoni is the hotel’s operating manager and in-house meditative facilitator, while Yoni’s brother Uriel, an experienced Chef with Michelin star experience, is in charge of the kitchen as well as the estate’s farm, with Anat, a therapist specializing in body-centered psychotherapy, lending her expertise in support of the healing and therapy work.

Architecture and design are an integral part of Kea Retreat’s experience. Seamlessly blending into the rocky landscape, a series of existing 400-year-old stone-built structures (a traditional type of Cycladic farmhouse called “kathikies”) have been transformed into austere yet elegant guest rooms, complete with sea views, private verandas and outdoor showers. A muted palette of earthy tones and natural materials imbues the rooms with calmness and warmth. Local artisan’s works furnish the rooms with bespoke pieces that have been specially made for Kea Retreat. Detail has been thoughtfully curated bestowing each room its own unique character.

Varying on a weekly basis, the retreats are designed to enable guests to re-discover their inner voice and reconnect with nature, as well as to bring them together in a sense of celebration for life. A typical week is filled with a mix of yoga, meditation and dance along with alternative activities to connect with nature, such as hiking ancient trails across the island’s virgin farmlands, visiting Kea’s ancient capital, and kayaking to more isolated sandy beaches.

A roster of world-class Greek and international yoga instructors, each one with her own approach to healing offers guests the opportunity to select the retreat that best fits their needs, interests and personality. From Vinyasa, Kundalini and Yin Yoga, sound baths, hypnotherapy and therapeutic breath-work, Ayurveda workshops and healing Mandalas, sun salutation to fire ceremonies and sharing circles beneath the stars, the diverse range of transformational practices constitute a tailor-made program of unique retreats.

What makes the Kea Retreat experience unique is the fine-tuned balance between physical and spiritual fulfillment in reflection of the family’s own philosophy of life. Succinctly described as Zorba-meets-Buddha, the retreat’s aim is to nurture body and mind through yoga, meditation and healing practices as well as through good food, good company and good fun. Apart from the daily yoga and meditation sessions, there are numerous secluded spots and nooks across the property, including a private beach, which offer plenty of opportunities for contemplation and reflection, but at the same time, communal meals, lively soirees and impromptu Greek fiestas set against endless sea views that embody the Greek experience of celebration.

Kea Retreat was inspired by Zviki and Anat’s love for Greek culture, so expect lively conversations over Uriel’s home-cooked meals and glasses of retsina, dancing and singing to the tunes of bouzouki courtesy of local musicians, and star gazing while sipping locally produced Tsipouro by the fire pit. In other words, contrary to the ascetic approach of the typical yoga retreat, this is a place to rest, heal, and grow as well as savor Kea’s earthly delights.

Helmed by Uriel Eshet, Kea Retreat’s cuisine embodies the project’s slow living and nature-conscious principles. Drawing from his experience in numerous Michelin-star restaurants in Europe and the USA (including Copenhagen’s 3-Michelin-star Noma), Uriel combines innovative techniques with a farm-to-table philosophy, offering guests dishes exclusively based on seasonal and local ingredients, a lot of which grow on the property’s olive groves, fruit orchards, vegetable and herb gardens, and vineyards. Uriel’s cooking is not confined to any national cuisine, focusing instead on offering guests unique, flavorful, and unexpected culinary experiences.