About The Retreat

Welcome to the place where mountains, oceans, and a little mischief meet. The Riavvio 7-Day Cape Town Wellness Retreat is your invitation to reboot your body, revive your spirit, and revel in a week that blends luxe living with playful adventure – Cape Town style.

Based from our private 1 on Royal villa in Hout Bay, you’ll float between scenic hikes, coastal yoga, chef-crafted feasts, sunrise secrets, ocean dips, wine-soaked wanderings, and soul-stirring stillness. Expect penguins, picnics, world-class dining, surfboards, sunsets, and a whole lot of laughter.

This is wellness without the wheatgrass-pressure – movement that feels good, food that delights, nature that transforms, and moments that remind you what being alive actually feels like. Every detail is curated, every experience intentional, and every day designed to help you step back into yourself.

With only six guests per retreat, you’ll enjoy a deeply personalised journey – complete with nutrition guidance, tailored activities, and the kind of attention that makes you feel instantly at home.

Over seven unforgettable days, you’ll explore iconic mountains, hidden beaches, the Cape Winelands, local markets, and the vibrant heartbeat of Cape Town – all while resting, reconnecting, and rediscovering your glow. By the time you leave, you’ll be brighter, braver, saltier, softer, stronger- and fully re-booted, re-charged, and re-vived.

This isn’t a holiday. It’s your reset button. Your wake-up call. Your Riavvio.

2026 Retreat dates

16-22 February
16-22 and 23-29 March
13-19 and 20-26 April
11-17 and 18-24 May
12-18 and 19-25 October
16-22 and 23-29 November

Activities

The Riavvio Cape Town Wellness Retreat is a seven-day, soul-stretching escape designed for those who crave a blend of luxury, adventure, nourishment, and unapologetic pleasure.

Set in the coastal enclave of Hout Bay, your home base is the exclusive 1 on Royal villa – a sanctuary where ocean air, mountain views, and champagne on arrival set the tone for the week ahead.

With only six guests per retreat, every detail is purposefully curated, personalised, and infused with warmth.

Your journey unfolds with a gentle welcome: a villa tour, a light lunch, a celebratory toast, and a wander through your new neighbourhood – a charming mix of fishing village charm and boutique cool. From there, the days flow between movement, culture, nature, and indulgence.

You’ll wander the lush canopies of Kirstenbosch Gardens, climb the iconic Skeleton Gorge (with more photo ops than sweat), and glide down by cable car to explore the colourful culture of Bo Kaap, the Heritage Market, and the V&A Waterfront.

Evenings bring dinners under city lights, with farm-to-fork flavours that celebrate South Africa’s rich culinary soul.

Midweek, you’ll savour slow mornings, mindful movement, and a personal training session to spark your strength – before diving into Cape Town’s creative side at The Old Biscuit Mill and indulging in an unforgettable small-plates feast.

Afternoons are yours: nap, spa, explore, or simply float in the villa’s peaceful rhythm.

No wellness retreat in the Cape is complete without a pilgrimage to the Winelands. Expect architectural beauty, garden-to-table brunch, and a day full of Franschhoek and Stellenbosch’s finest vineyards – where wine tasting is celebratory, not serious, and every sip is paired with laughter.

Adventure continues with a coastal odyssey to meet the Cape’s beloved penguins, followed by a surf-yoga fusion class – equal parts exhilarating and hilarious.

Your post-ocean glow sets the stage for a culinary masterpiece at one of the most lauded dining experiences in the world in the Constantia winelands.

As the week draws to a close, a sunrise ceremony invites you to pause, breathe, and reconnect – followed by a blissful Camps Bay breakfast and free time to soak up your final hours in paradise.

Your farewell dinner is a celebration of transformation, shared stories, sparkling glasses, and the renewed version of the self you’ve become.

By the time you leave, you’ll have walked mountains, tasted vineyards, stretched on surfboards, and soaked up sunsets in secret spots known only to locals. You’ll take home not only personalised nutrition guidance and a wellbeing plan, but a lighter body, a clearer mind, and a heart that beats just a little closer to the rhythm of the ocean.

Teachers / instructors

Angela Houlis-Pastorino – as an accredited Level 4 RSPH Nutrition and Weight Management (endorsed by CIMSPA) nutrition coach and personal trainer, I’m not here to count your calories – I’m here to transform your mindset. Read more about me here.

Schedule / Typical day

Check-in: 1:00 PM | Check-out: 1:00 PM

Day 1: Wheels down

•Step off the plane, collect your bags, and prepare to be spoiled.
•Arrive at Riavvio 1 on Royal Villa – champagne in hand, shoes off, breathe in the sea air, toast to the adventure ahead.
•Swoon over the views, then enjoy a grand tour (just enough so you know where your swimsuit and the wine fridge are).
•Light lunch with scenic eye-candy everywhere you look.
•Hydration optional… if champagne counts (including non-alcoholic – and it does).
•Optional leg-stretching stroll around Hout Bay – sleepy fishing village meets boutique cool.
•Gentle chair yoga before dinner to recalibrate body and mind.
•Private chef prepares a South African feast.

Day 2: Coffee first, questions later
•Head to Kirstenbosch Gardens for a picnic breakfast.
•Hike Skeleton Gorge – more Instagram-able wander than boot camp death march.
•Float in the clouds at the top of Table Mountain; cable car down for the best kind of reward.
•Explore the city: Bo Kaap, Heritage Market, V&A Waterfront – shop, snack, sip, and stare at Table Mountain from every angle.
•Dinner on a rooftop restaurant renowned for modern classics, sustainable ingredients, twinkling city lights.

Day 3: Morning mood: nourish and move.
•Healthy breakfast.
•Light sweat session with a personal trainer (gentle reminder: your muscles exist).
•Trip to The Old Biscuit Mill – eclectic, vibey, flavour explosion territory.
•Afternoon freedom: nap, spa, shop, sip wine… choose your joy.
•Dinner back at home base.

Day 4: It’s early, but you’ll thank us later.
•Full day in the Cape Winelands – wine, wonder, and whispered “wows.”
•First stop: a dreamy wine estate combining architecture + garden-to-plate goodness.
•Brunch in a charming farm setting housed in an old cow shed (yes really – but it smells like bread and basil).
•Explore Franschhoek and Stellenbosch.
•Vineyard hopping + wine tasting from crisp whites to bold reds.
•Spitting is optional and judgment-free.

Day 5: Rise and shine – it’s an oceanic odyssey!
•Visit the meeting point of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.
•Meet actual penguins.
•Surf + yoga session – downward dog meets crashing waves.
•Flail fabulously or catch a wave – both are victories.
•Head to Constantia Winelands for a “Michelin-esque” dinner.
•Expect theatrical food and plates treated like canvases.

Day 6: If you thought you’d seen the best of Cape Town… think again.
•Start with a secret sunrise experience – music, movement, magic.
•Breakfast in Camps Bay.
•Free time: beach, spa, shopping, or blissful nothingness.
•Gather for one final celebration at a locals-only secret sunset spot.
•Final dinner – a joyous farewell to Cape Town and to the version of you who arrived days ago.

Day 7: Time to zip up the suitcase.
•Pack your goodies and your glow.
•This isn’t goodbye – it’s a “see you soon” to the re-booted, re-charged, re-vived you.
•Tag us in your glow-up stories as you live them.

Cuisine

The culinary journey on the Riavvio Cape Town Wellness Retreat is designed to feel both deeply nourishing and quietly luxurious, an experience where every plate supports your well-being while celebrating the vibrant flavours of the Cape.

Throughout the retreat, guests enjoy meals crafted from fresh, seasonal ingredients sourced directly from local farms, artisanal producers, and small coastal fisheries.

The result is a menu that feels alive, colourful, nutrient-dense, and intentionally curated to energise, restore, and inspire.

Each day begins with wholesome breakfasts that balance grounding nourishment with gentle uplift. Think bowls layered with fresh fruit, toasted seeds, and creamy yogurt; warm, slow-cooked oats infused with spices; and protein-rich options made to sustain morning activities, whether that’s a mindful movement session, a coastal walk, or a sunlight-soaked excursion.

Lunches and dinners draw from Cape Town’s rich culinary heritage and the retreat’s wellness ethos.

Expect vibrant salads bursting with local botanicals, sustainably sourced seafood prepared with simplicity, soul-warming vegetables roasted to caramelised perfection, and plant-forward dishes layered with herbs, textures, and coastal freshness.

Each meal is designed to keep you feeling light yet satisfied, supporting recovery, vitality, and digestive ease.

Across the itinerary, the food mirrors the landscape, whether it’s a serene lunch overlooking vineyards, a picnic featuring artisanal fare after an active outdoor experience, or an elegant evening meal created by chefs who specialise in balancing flavour with function.

Even moments of indulgence feel purposeful: handcrafted treats made with mindful ingredients, teas that soothe the nervous system, and refreshing juices that hydrate after time in the sun.

The Riavvio retreat table is never about restriction; it is about renewal. Guests leave feeling both nourished and enriched, having experienced a way of eating that is joyful, abundant, and deeply aligned with the rhythms of Cape Town’s natural bounty.

Location and how to get there

Hout Bay is a pocket of calm where mountains lean in close to the sea and the pace of life softens almost on cue. A working harbour hums gently below Chapman’s Peak, while long beach walks, salt air, and sweeping ocean views invite a deep exhale. It’s a place that feels both grounded and expansive, perfectly tuned for reflection, movement, and the kind of rest that lingers long after you leave.

Cape Town is a popular destination and has been voted the best place to visit by international visitors. Therefore, all major airlines have direct flights into Cape Town several times per day or at least per week.

Flights connecting the world with Johannesburg is also well serviced and it’s only a 2 hour flight between Johannesburg and Cape Town on local airlines.

Local airlines offer a range of prices and flight times, so you are well covered if connected via Johannesburg.

There are flights from other major South African centres like KwaZulu Natal, Eastern Cape and other areas.

Driving into Cape Town from other South African or African locations is also possible, although the drive may be several hours making airline travel more popular and feasible when time is limited.

Retreat Price

£3500 per person for a 7-day all inclusive experience

What’s included

• A week packed with wow, wellness, and things you’ve always wanted to try but haven’t
• Cape Town – the best city on earth!
• Welcome drink
• Luxury accommodation for 6 nights based at our private Riavvio 1 on Royal villa with a private en-suite room whether you’re sharing or single – take a sneak peek
• Wifi connection
• 3 Daily delicious and nutritious meals
• Water, tea, coffee, and other beverages served throughout the day
• Transportation to and from airport, excursions, and city drives
• Wellness activities and equipment
• Surf lessons with our instructors
• Personalised nutrition guidance and wellbeing plan to take home
• Pre and post retreat support from our team
• Luggage storage for departure day

Not included

• Flight or travel costs to Cape Town
• Visa fees
• Travel insurance
• Additional treatments not included in the programme
• Additional activities not included in the itinerary

How to book

The retreat is limited to six people only and retreats run between February and May, October and November.

To book for the Riavvio 7-Day Cape Town Wellness Retreat email us at hello@riavvio.co.uk or call us on +44 7399304668.

The cost of the retreat is £3500/person all inclusive (except flights/travel to Cape Town). 25% Deposit is required on booking and the balance payable within 20 days of your retreat start date. Early bird discount of £100 is offered if booked more than 60 days in advance.

Throughout the week, expect a stream of delightful surprises. You’ll also head home with a fully bespoke nutrition assessment, a detailed daily nutrient profile, and a tailor-made exercise plan, all yours as a complimentary gift worth £500.