MARBELLA, SPAIN
Shanti Som Wellbeing Retreat
Adults-Only Yoga, Pilates, Detox and Holistic Wellness
About Shanti Som Wellbeing Retreat
Shanti-Som Wellbeing Retreat is an adults-only wellness retreat tucked into the hills above Marbella, on Spain's Costa del Sol. Established in 2011, with just 15 rooms, the atmosphere is quiet and deliberately calm from arrival. Set within the Sierra de las Nieves Nature Park, the retreat combines Balinese-inspired design with holistic therapies drawn from both Eastern and Western traditions. The name says it all: Shanti means peace, Som means body.
Most guests come for a proper reset — whether that's recovering from burnout, addressing long-term stress, shifting stubborn health habits, or simply stepping away from the noise for a week. The atmosphere is calm and quiet, with a clear daily rhythm and the aim of leaving feeling different, not just temporarily relaxed.
Book This Hotel
Speak to a specialist for availability, pricing and a tailored itinerary.
40 mins
FROM MALAGA AIRPORT
15
ROOMS
18+
ADULTS-ONLY
6
WELLNESS PROGRAMMES
Wellness Programmes
Relaxation Retreat
3 nights
from £710pp
Designed to reduce stress and restore calm through yoga and meditation practices
Yoga Retreat
5 nights
from £1,395pp
Daily yoga and meditation practices supporting balance, flexibility and inner calm
Pilates Retreat
5 nights
from £1,600pp
Improve strength, posture and body awareness through guided Pilates practice
Healing Retreat
5 nights
from £1,850pp
A restorative retreat supporting emotional balance, reflection and inner calm
Detox Retreat
5 nights
from £1,850pp
Supports gentle cleansing and renewed energy through detox nutrition and therapies
Weight Loss Retreat
5 nights
from £1,950pp
Supports healthy weight balance through fitness, nutrition and lifestyle guidance
Who It's For
Shanti-Som suits guests looking for a small, adults-only holistic retreat near Marbella with a genuine focus on rest, emotional recovery and personal wellbeing. With just 15 rooms and a calm, unhurried atmosphere, it works particularly well for those who want to slow down properly rather than fill every hour. Programmes cover yoga, Pilates, detox, stress recovery, sleep and emotional balance, supported by a team of experienced practitioners. It's particularly suited to:
01
People recovering from burnout or long-term stress
A daily rhythm gentle enough to properly rest, with a clear programme to follow and experienced practitioners throughout.
02
Solo travellers
Many guests arrive alone and find the small scale — just 15 rooms — makes it easy to feel comfortable quickly. There's a communal dining table if you want company, private spaces if you don't.
03
First-time retreat guests
If you've never done anything like this before, Shanti-Som's approachable teaching, small class sizes and absence of pressure make it a good place to start.
04
Yoga and Pilates practitioners
Those wanting to deepen their practice in a focused, distraction-free environment with skilled teachers and small group sessions.
Hotel Facilities
Set within the protected Sierra de las Nieves Nature Park, Shanti-Som feels like a world away from everything — yet it's remarkably easy to reach. The air is scented with pine and eucalyptus, and the retreat's design reflects the same calm the surroundings invite: whitewashed walls, natural wood, flowing fabrics and open-air spaces throughout.
The heated outdoor pool sits at the heart of the grounds with mountain views, open year-round. A meditation garden provides quiet outdoor space for reflection, and a relaxation room indoors offers somewhere to read or rest between sessions. Hiking trails into the Sierra de las Nieves foothills start from the property, with guided hikes available.
Wellness Facilities
The yoga pavilion has an indoor studio and outdoor deck for Hatha, Vinyasa, Yin and Restorative classes. A separate Pilates studio offers daily mat classes, with private Reformer sessions available at an additional cost. The gym covers cardio and strength equipment, and a sauna and Turkish steam bath are available for independent use.
Treatments include massages, facials, detox therapies and body rituals — including Biologique Recherche facials and Alqvimia signature rituals — alongside Shiatsu, Harmonyum Healing, sound healing and breathwork with ice bath. A Health Check is available as an optional add-on, covering body composition, blood pressure, urinalysis and blood test with a personal consultation on the results.
Dining
Food at Shanti-Som is healthy, flavoursome and inspired by Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine. Nothing is fried or processed — everything is prepared fresh daily using seasonal ingredients. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and lactose-free requirements are all accommodated at no extra cost.
Breakfast and lunch are served buffet-style, with a warm cooked dish at breakfast and a rotating selection of salads, soups and warm sides at lunch. Dinner is a three-course à la carte menu that changes daily, eaten together in the restaurant or on the alfresco terrace. Between meals, fresh juices, smoothies, herbal teas, açaí bowls and homemade protein bars are available through the day. Beer and wine are available on request, though the focus is firmly on healthy beverages.
For those on detox programmes, specific meal plans and juice protocols are provided to support cleansing and digestive health
Good to Know
Accommodation
Accommodation at Shanti-Som is intentionally limited to just 15 rooms and suites — a scale that keeps the atmosphere genuinely calm and personal. Each room reflects the retreat's East-meets-West aesthetic, with natural materials, calming colours and a focus on comfort over excess.
All rooms have private terraces or balconies with views across the surrounding pine forests or mountain landscape.
Location
Shanti-Som sits in the hills above Marbella, about 40 minutes from Málaga Airport. The setting is peaceful — pine forests, mountain views and open Andalusian countryside — but you're not completely isolated. Marbella is 20 minutes away if you want it, the Costa del Sol beaches are easily reachable, and the traditional Andalusian villages of Monda and Ojén are close enough for a quiet wander.
The retreat is set within the Sierra de las Nieves Nature Park, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. It feels genuinely secluded without requiring hours of difficult travel to reach it — one of the reasons people choose it as a European wellness retreat that doesn't demand long-haul flights or complicated transfers.
Most guests stay on the property for their entire visit, but the option to explore is there if you want it. The retreat arranges private airport transfers, or you can hire a car if you'd rather have the freedom to come and go.
Offers
We don't have any offers at the moment but watch this space!
Book through The Wellness Holiday Boutique and receive:
1 x Complimentary group class (choose from Pilates, Yoga, Hike, Sound Healing or Fitness)
10% discount on spa treatments
Complimentary room upgrade (subject to availability on arrival)
Early check-in (subject to availability on arrival)
Returning guests receive complimentary one-way airport transfer or 60-minute spa treatment per room
*valid for stays 5+ nights*
Enquire About a Stay
Reviews
OUR VISIT
My three nights at Shanti Som delivered exactly what I needed - and revealed things I didn't realise I was missing. The combination of mountain views, genuine warmth from staff, nourishing food, and empowering movement classes added up to one of those rare experiences that actually changes how you feel.
Watch: Inside Shanti Som Wellbeing Retreat
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Shanti Som Wellbeing Retreat and what makes it special?
Shanti-Som Wellbeing Retreat is an adults-only wellness retreat near Marbella, set within the Sierra de las Nieves Nature Park, 40 minutes from Málaga Airport. With just 15 rooms and a clear daily rhythm of yoga, treatments, nourishing food and time outdoors, it offers a genuinely small-scale retreat experience in the hills above the Costa del Sol — adults-only throughout, minimum age 18. Most guests come for a proper reset — burnout recovery, stress, emotional balance, detox or to deepen a yoga or Pilates practice in a calm, distraction-free environment.
Is Shanti Som suitable as a mental health or emotional wellbeing retreat?
Shanti-Som is well suited to guests going through difficult periods — the Healing Retreat combines therapeutic treatments, guided meditation, sound healing, breathwork and life coaching in an intimate setting with experienced practitioners. The small scale, the quiet of the Sierra de las Nieves and the personal attention from the team create an environment where guests dealing with anxiety, low mood or emotional exhaustion consistently find something shifts. As a mental health and healing retreat in Spain, 40 minutes from Málaga, it remains one of the more straightforward to reach in Europe without long-haul travel.
What wellness programmes are available?
Six programmes run from 3 to 5 nights — Relaxation, Yoga, Pilates, Healing, Detox and Weight Loss. Every stay includes daily group classes, spa treatments based on length of stay and a daily schedule tailored to the chosen programme. The Detox programme combines a tailored meal plan, juice protocols, yoga or movement, lymphatic drainage and detox wraps. The Healing programme focuses on emotional balance through therapeutic treatments, guided meditation, sound healing and breathwork.
What is the food like at Shanti Som?
Food is healthy and flavoursome — inspired by Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine, prepared fresh daily using seasonal ingredients, with nothing fried or processed. Breakfast and lunch are served buffet-style and dinner is a three-course à la carte menu that changes daily. Fresh juices, smoothies, herbal teas, açaí bowls and homemade protein bars are available through the day. Beer and wine are available on request. Detox programme guests follow tailored meal plans and juice protocols.
When is the best time to visit Shanti Som?
Shanti-Som is open year-round and the Sierra de las Nieves location suits every season. Spring and autumn bring mild temperatures and the most settled conditions for hiking from the property. Summer is warm and long with long evenings. Winter visits are mild and quiet — the nature park setting has a distinctive character in the cooler months that many guests find suits deeper programme work particularly well.
