Words by Emma Lavelle
The perfect places for unwinding and enjoying a slower pace of travel – whether you prefer city, coast or countryside.
Slowing down the way that you see the world not only allows you to actually take a break when holidaying, it also has multiple benefits for both your mental and physical health – and helps you to lessen your impact on the natural environment. It’s possible to enjoy a slower pace of travel wherever you are visiting, but there are places that naturally encourage you to unwind.
These destinations automatically make you want to kick off your shoes and put up your feet, spending as much time lounging in your hotel as exploring. And when you do explore, you feel relaxed enough to do so at your own pace; taking strolls around local neighbourhoods, lingering for hours in quiet coves, woodlands or coffee shops, and soaking up picturesque scenery. Rushing around to tick off as many sights as possible doesn’t even cross your mind.
1. Mallorca
Mallorca has become a go-to destination for anyone seeking crystal-clear seas, pretty mountain-top villages, design-focused hotels and a slower pace. There are spectacular hiking trails in the Serra de Tramuntana mountains, flea and farmers markets to browse all across the island, and the tiny, tucked away coves along the south-east coast are a swimmer’s paradise.
Base yourself at Cap Rocat, a serene adults-only hotel housed in a 19th-century fortress just a short drive from Palma. Soak in the saltwater swimming pool, relax in the hammam and admire the views of the sea sparkling below from the private patios of the hotel’s stylish suites.
2. Sweden
Sweden is a country perfectly suited to slow living, from the Swedish love of taking a coffee break (fika) to their focus on spending time outdoors in nature. Stockholm is a city designed to be explored at a slow pace, sauntering between coffee shops while admiring the architecture, or hopping on a boat for wild swims and nature walks on the archipelago.
Designed to feel more like a house than a hotel, guests at Ett Hem are welcomed as one of the family, and encouraged to make themselves at home; borrowing a book from the library, snuggling up on a sofa in the living room or taking fika in the garden.
3. Slovenia
The ‘green heart’ of Europe offers everything from historical towns to vast vineyards and hiking trails through beautiful countryside. Ljubljana is the most charming capital city, and can easily be explored on foot, by bike or even by paddleboard along the river – while visitors to Lake Bled can hire a rowing boat to float around with a picnic.
With its tech-free rooms, Vila Planinka is perfectly set up for a digital detox, surrounded by ancient forests, mountains and rivers, and located within four natural energy points that promote mental and physical wellbeing. Guests can simply soak up the immediate surroundings of the hotel from the tranquil terraces, or join in with activities such as guided stargazing walks, forest bathing, yoga and visits to local farms.
4. Scotland
Scotland is the ultimate escape for anyone who loves spending time outdoors. Whether your idea of taking it slow involves bagging a Munro or enjoying a quiet countryside stroll, the Scottish landscapes always deliver. Take a road trip around the North Coast 500, or hole up in a county pad where you can sit by the fire with a glass of whisky.
Stay at Cromlix for a bucolic getaway where you can do as much or as little as you please. There are dramatic landscapes to discover right on the doorstep, or you could quietly admire the hotel’s kitchen gardens, woodlands and very own loch before enjoying a spa treatment in your room.
5. Italy
The home of slow food is unsurprisingly one of the best destinations for a slower pace of travel in Europe. Italy is vast, with so many different regions and cities to explore, but these are among the most tranquil.
Tuscany is the perfect location to unwind in a country retreat surrounded by rolling hills and historical towns. Check-into Lupaia, a sustainably-focused agriturismo comprising five rustic farmhouses. Visit nearby Bagno Vignoni thermal spa, tour local vineyards or explore the hotel’s own organic gardens.
Visit Umbria for a diverse landscape of forests, mountains and valleys, where nature lovers can enjoy quiet walks and the more adventurous can pursue activities such as canoeing and horseback riding. Castle-turned-boutique-hotel Castello di Reschio is the perfect base to explore the region, although the serene swimming pool, beautiful grounds and bathhouse spa may tempt you to stay put.
Puglia offers ancient whitewashed hilltop towns, endless coastlines and acres of olive groves. Naturalis Bio Resort & Spa is a serene setting to soak up the surrounding farmlands. Unwind with a spa treatment, learn a local craft such as braiding panari baskets, or join a pasta-making class.
You may immediately think of coastal towns and breath-taking beaches when you picture Sicily, but the rural heart of the island boasts diverse scenery with towering mountains, green hills and luscious valleys. Susafa is a 200-year-old farmhouse converted into a tranquil boutique hotel where guests can lounge around the pool, linger in the orchards, or take part in a Sicilian cooking class.
Emma Lavelle is a travel, nature and portrait photographer, slow travel and lifestyle writer, and content creator living in the English countryside. Follow Emma on Instagram @fieldandnest for more slow living inspiration.