PureandCure review: Marleen's visit to Euphoria Retreat

June 7, 2024

We have worked with Euphoria for over 5 years but although members of the team have visited I had not. Euphoria Retreat is a place that's hard to fully capture in photos and text. This heavenly retreat exceeded my expectations. Perched in the hills and next to a nature reserve, the retreat offers magnificent views of the valley filled with cypress trees, olive groves, and fruit orchards. Euphoria Retreat is just a two-minute walk from Mystras, a charming and traditional Greek village with quaint streets and squares filled with coffee bars and tavernas. Opened in 2019 by Greek owner Marina, who dreamt of creating Greece's first holistic hotel, it has become a beautifully designed paradise in Greek style with meticulous attention to detail. The name "Euphoria" reflects its mission to provide a heightened sense of well-being through its holistic programs. Whether you're looking to relax, de-stress, detox, exercise, lose weight, or find physical and mental balance. Here are my highlights:

First holistic health and wellbeing retreat in Greece

Inspired by her own personal wellness journey, founder Marina Efraimoglou wanted to create a place to heal, for self-awareness and for spiritual healing, with expert-led programs catering for the mind and body that work around the five elements of earth, fire, water, wood and metal. This is the place we have all yearned for, right here in Europe, that offers a meaningful, all-encompassing health and wellbeing experience.

Which program to choose

Euphoria blends the East with the West, ancient Hellenic medicine with Traditional Chinese medicine and science with naturalism, creating an approach that can’t be found anywhere else on earth. There are comprehensive holistic health and wellness programs available at Euphoria Retreat if you want to achieve a certain goal (detox, weightloss, emotional healing, pilates, sport, de-stress). If you just want to go and relax, you can choose for a short 'Wellness Break', 'Boost your Energy' OR you book a stay including breakfast or half-board and you can add treatments as you go. This option also allows you to join the complimentary holistic activities each day and unwind in the the spa. With our free giftvoucher you can book treatments on the spot: massages (5-elements was my favourite), facials, acupuncture, Energy healing treatments or reiki.

3GL Methods test

Euphoria Retreat’s healing programs include a unique, clinically-proven 3GL methods test, providing essential insights into your antioxidant levels, protein, carbs, fats, metabolism, and energy disorders. You complete a questionnaire and provide a blood sample from your fingertip. The 3GL methods, derived from Glucose, Glutathione, and Glycogen, each represent a specific metabolic pathway, collectively creating a metabolic profile to optimize your health, achieve hormonal regulation, and cellular longevity. It gives information to understand your body’s redox condition and needs in metabolism, aging, and longevity. It also offers insights into diseases like obesity, cancer, and autoimmune illnesses. With the results, a personalized optimal exercise routine and nutrition plan is created, which will significantly boost your metabolism and energy levels.

The Spa: architectural wonder and wellness oasis

Doubling as an architectural wonder and wellness oasis, the spa boasts an ice fountain (where you scoop fresh handfuls of ice to rub over your body), a sphere pool, a Finnish sauna, a tepidarium (a warm room of fine marble benches that emit warmth between 37–39°C to re-energise immunity), Waterwell Kneipp therapy (four floors connected by a stunning spiral staircase provides hot and cold footbaths to promote circulation) and a Byzantine Hammam experience (a sought-after ancient Eastern ritual combining cleansing techniques and massage). One of the wonders of the architecturally enchanting spa resort is the Speleotherapy salt room – a Greek respiratory therapy. The special room features a wall of partially translucent blocks of salt, which emit hues of amber and act as a natural disinfectant, providing a calm, detoxifying experience.

Daily holistic activités

Every day, you can immerse yourself in Euphoria's holistic daily activity schedule, which includes complimentary yoga, pilates on the mat, scenic hikes, sound healing sessions, and various other wellness activities. The sound healing was absolutely relaxing and became one of my favorites. These thoughtfully designed sessions aim to rejuvenate both your body and mind, fostering a deep sense of relaxation and well-being. Whether you're a fitness enthusiast or seeking tranquility, Euphoria's diverse offerings ensure a balanced and enriching experience, leaving you refreshed and revitalized.

Let food be the medicine

Hippocrates famously said, 'Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food'. Euphoria Retreat embraces this philosophy, highlighting locally sourced ingredients known for their anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, and immune-boosting properties. You have the option to choose between breakfast-only, half-board, or full-board stays, selecting meals from the menu. For those opting for a full-board wellbeing program, which includes a consultation with a nutritionist (such as detox or weight loss programs), three nutritious meals tailored to individual needs are provided daily, along with two personalized snacks. Vegan and vegetarian options are readily available, and meals are crafted based on each guest's initial consultation and assessments. At Restaurant Gaia, you have a choice to sit alone at a table or join a communal table, fostering connections with fellow guests.

Sleep like a baby

The 45 rooms and suites are elegantly designed with so much care and attention to detail, featuring walls adorned with gold relief and lamps shaped like natural objects inspired by the surrounding forest. Each room and suite offers exceptional comfort, (the mattress is phenomenal!), excellent showers, and lovely amenities such as a kettle and a Nespresso machine. The marble bathrooms are equipped with a bathtub or shower. Additionally, all rooms and suites feature a balcony or terrace with views of either the forest or the valley.

Interested to know more?

Wellness can be traced back to Ancient Greece, where Hippocrates is believed to be the first physician to focus on preventing illness rather than treating disease, making it one of the finest spa resorts in Europe. You’ll no doubt leave feeling refreshed and euphoric – after all, it’s in the name!

Our added values for all bookings:

Free spa gift voucher worth € 200 per person OR a Free room upgrade and a free spa gift voucher worth € 100 pp. (for all stays with a minimum of 5 nights and with spa programme).
Free spa gift voucher worth € 50 per person (for all stays with a minimum of 3 nights)

About Marleen

This blog is written by Marleen, the founder of PureandCure.com in 2005. She travels around the world in search of the best Health & Wellbeing Hotels, Spas and Retreats and shares her know-how, experiences and observations through her blogs.