IMAGES: HAMN I SENJA RESORT; MASLINA RESORT; KATHARINA POLLER
EUROPE
IKARIA, Greece
Aimed at: longevity chasers Highlights: Blue Zone cuisine, thermal springs & slow-living villages Health benefits: inflammation reduction, metabolic balance & mood support
By tradition, the Greek island of Ikaria takes its name from the myth of Icarus, the young man who famously flew too close to the sun, melting the beeswax that held his wings together and plunging to a watery death below. Somewhat paradoxically, the inhabitants of his namesake island are renowned for their longevity, and the same combination of sun and sea that proved fatal to him is thought to help prolong lives here. Today, Ikaria is one of just five places in the world identified by writer Dan Buettner as a Blue Zone, regions where people are known to live remarkably long and healthy lives. Even on a short visit to this small island, it’s easy
to spot some of the elements thought to underpin Ikarian longevity. The landscape itself plays a role: head to the seawater hot springs at Therma, where mineral-rich waters bubble up into the shallows and bathers linger. Diet, too, is central, with local menus built around seafood, vegetables and antioxidant-rich wild herbs, complemented — in moderation — by wine from small, family-run wineries such as Afianes. Locals are also known to look out for one another
— allegedly a legacy of the Greek Civil War, when communists were banished to Ikaria — and a strong sense of solidarity endures. While you can’t sign up as a partisan, you can glimpse this comradely spirit at the panagiria (village festivals), where eating, drinking and dancing take place in squares, and spirits soar as high as Icarus once did.
HOW TO DO IT: Thermal springs at Therma are free to visit. Winery visits, including a tour and tastings, can be arranged directly with Afianes and cost €35 (£30).
visitikaria.gr afianeswines.gr
SENJA, Norway
Aimed at: seasonal rebalancers Highlights: Arctic light-bathing, snowshoe hikes & sauna-to-sea plunges Health benefits: Seasonal Affective Disorder mitigation, sleep-cycle regulation & serotonin stimulation
Quieter than the nearby Lofoten Islands and without the Santa-chasing crowds that blight other quarters of Lapland, the island of Senja is the Norwegian Arctic at its most sublime. Granite peaks rise over deep-gouged fords and little villages of blood-red cabins perch beside driftwood-strewn beaches. Sparsely inhabited and threaded by only
a handful of roads, it’s a place that invites every visitor to slow down and absorb the particular calm of the continent’s northern edge. In the dark days of winter, you might drift through long stretches of sleep, confident the sun will barely breach the horizon, or spend your waking hours in a hot tub awaiting the aurora’s dance — the tub at Hamn i Senja resort is fashioned from an old fishing boat. Whatever the season, Senja is a natural setting
for friluftsliv, the Norwegian philosophy of open-air living. Popularised by playwright Henrik Ibsen in the 19th century and still widely embraced today, the concept celebrates the physical and mental restoration that comes from time spent in nature. Those with energy to spare can set out on winter
snowshoeing expeditions through Narnia-esque landscapes or, during the long light of summer, paddle kayaks along fords that, on a map, resemble the fingers of an outstretched hand. Few experiences are as invigorating as plunging into icy water straight from a sauna — perhaps at the floating Damperiet Sauna — feeling the delicious burn of cold on your skin as you gulp down fresh Arctic air.
HOW TO DO IT: Stays at Hamn i Senja start from $126 (£100) per night and includes access to Arctic activities. Sauna sessions at Damperiet cost KR 250 (£18) an hour.
hamnisenja.no damperietsauna.no
HVAR, Croatia
Aimed at: wellness purists Highlights: vineyard walks, lavender-based aromatherapy & eco-retreats Health benefits: nervous-system reset, improved sleep quality & immune support
The spear-shaped island of Hvar has long had a reputation as the Dalmatian archipelago’s party hotspot, but that’s only part of the story. While you might catch the distant pulse of nightlife around Hvar Town and the western shore, much of the island remains deeply tranquil — a mosaic of scrubby hills and olive groves, terracotta-roofed villages and coves lapped by turquoise water. And then there are the lavender fields. Once
a global hub of lavender production, Hvar’s interior is covered by sweep swathes of violet each summer. You could lose hours wandering or cycling among them, particularly around the village of Velo Grablje, the focus of an annual lavender festival. Those craving a deeper lavender immersion
might head to Maslina Resort, set on a headland outside the port of Stari Grad. Here, dedicated itineraries include lavender baths and treatments inspired by the plant, along with the simple pleasure of drifting off to sleep with its herbal scent lingering in the air. If you feel the need to escape Hvar’s livelier
pockets altogether, strike east along the island’s single meandering main road that follows a long ridge of hills. At the remote Cast Away resort, in the hamlet of Gromin Dolac, a desert-island calm prevails. Budget-friendly A-frame huts sit among the pines, and days slip by in hammocks strung above the shore, views stretching out to the distant scatter of islands along the southern horizon.
HOW TO DO IT: Wellness stays at Maslina Resort start from €400 (£345) per night and include lavender-based treatments. For an off-grid escape, Cast Away’s simple A-frame huts on Hvar’s south coast start from €54 (£47).
maslinaresort.com
castawayhvar.com
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER – ISLANDS COLLECTION 21
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179 |
Page 180 |
Page 181 |
Page 182 |
Page 183 |
Page 184 |
Page 185 |
Page 186 |
Page 187 |
Page 188 |
Page 189 |
Page 190 |
Page 191 |
Page 192 |
Page 193 |
Page 194 |
Page 195 |
Page 196
