Rooting ourselves in timeless nature on a Nefeli Nine hiking and yoga retreat in Greece

Nirpal Dhaliwal reviews a remarkable wellbeing break in the sleepy village of Agio Georgio Nilios in the centre of Pelion, and finds a magical mix of activity, culture, gourmet meals and rustic Greek life

I hadn’t been out of London for several months when I landed in Athens in late October, so was eager to head north for a week of hiking in the Greek mountain region of Pelion. Having been frustratingly stuck in London throughout the summer, I was looking forward to those things the metropolis can’t offer: space, nature, fresh air and an authentic, rooted and timeless culture.

I wasn’t disappointed. After a five-hour drive north, I arrived in the picturesque and charmingly sleepy village of Agio Georgio Nilios, in the centre of Pelion. Set in wooded hillside, full of oak and chestnut trees, the village overlooks the exquisite shimmering blue of the Aegean in the near distance: a magical combination of mountains, forest and sea. It is also a place, I would learn over my week there, steeped in history, myth, culture and cuisine.

The location had been chosen by Stephanie Contomichalos, founder of Nefeli Nine Retreats, as a perfect place to sample the unpretentious richness of rustic Greek life, as well as its extraordinary natural beauty, well away from the tourist hubbub of the islands: somewhere to connect with the land, eat the food and drink the wine drawn forth from it, and savour the ambience, humour and local way of life.

In ancient Greek mythology, Nefeli was a cloud nymph, the goddess of hospitality, generosity, peace and loyalty – and also shyness! And Stephanie’s artfully curated week of yoga, hiking and canoeing manifested all of these qualities. Be it the tranquility of gazing over the ocean each morning with my coffee, the banquet-style feasts laid on at lunch and dinner, the constant, helpful and always unobtrusive presence of Stephanie and her team, the spirit of the goddess was adhered to throughout. I’m sure she gazed down from above with great pride.

We were a group of six women and two men of varying ages, from Australia, America and across the UK. Our base was Archontiko Stathopoulou, a late 19th-century villa, an exemplar of the Neoclassical mansions built in Pelion by the Greek trading elite of that era and now a luxury boutique hotel, whose original marble stonework, hand-painted murals, and antique furniture transport one to a simpler and more graceful time.

The view from the courtyard over the hillside and onto the sea is mesmerising any hour of the day, but never more so than during our pre-breakfast yoga sessions with Panos Kontis, an advanced practitioner who guided us through a variety of styles, from gentle yin-like recovery sessions to energising flow routines, depending on the exertions of the previous day and requirements of the one ahead. His evening sessions focused on relaxation and release, much needed after a day spent hiking the mountain or canoeing on the Aegean, and contributed – along with the hearty wine-accompanied dinner – to sending me to bed by 10pm each night, never waking before 7am. I had not slept that well in years.

“In ancient Greek mythology, Nefeli was a cloud nymph, the goddess of hospitality, generosity, peace and loyalty – and Stephanie’s artfully curated week manifests all of these qualities”

Panos joined us on the hiking trips – he was also my attentive skipper when the group split into pairs for our day out canoeing. A large and lively character, with a cheeky sense of humour, I couldn’t help but call him Zorba; but, millennial that he is, the literary reference passed him by. Stephanie also joined the hikes, as we were led through the woodland and villages of the area by our guide Elias Mavroeidakos. I’m not a regular hiker and wasn’t prepared for the intensity of 10 and 15 km hikes, much of it uphill. While it was definitely taxing, it never felt impossible.

 The exertion was definitely worth it for the mystical beauty of the Greek forests steeped in mist at the higher altitudes, with the trees dappled with autumnal orange and red. On our longest uphill hike – encountering vividly coloured salamanders and tortoises on the way, hawks watching us overhead – the fog limited our vision to maybe 20 metres at its height. Sweaty and breathless as I was, this moment of feeling enclosed in nature and its magical silence, sensing the sprites hiding behind the trees and mist, was as touching and trippy as any I’ve had.

My highlight of this very pleasurable week was the magnificent food and delicious wine. The daily breakfasts and dinners at the villa were all made by Stephanie, who likes to keep to a ‘Blue Zones’ diet – largely plant-based and in keeping with the geographic areas of the world with the longest living populations – with locally sourced ingredients. Her home-made granolas, served with fluffy dollops of yoghurts, were the perfect replenishment after morning yoga sessions, while her offerings of sfakiani pita – light, crispy flatbreads baked through with soft cheese and served with honey – were painfully moreish. Dinners at home were wonderful salads, served with roasted herb-crusted salmon, lentils and local breads and cheeses.

We also ate out every day for lunch and sometimes supper, soaking in the atmosphere of local taverns. While it was very easy to be a vegan or vegetarian everywhere we went, for a guilty carnivore like me, the slow-cooked locally reared goat and beef were irresistible, while the wild boar – caught in the surrounding hills, prepared with damsons and chestnuts, and falling succulently off the bone - was irresistible. All of this came with a variety of distinctive local wines – rich but not overwhelming reds, airy and refreshing whites – that, along with enjoyable company, made this week of activity feel like a holiday and not at all like a boot-camp.

It was heavenly to set aside my busy mind for a week and submit to Stephanie’s beautifully curated week of hiking, eating, drinking and stretching: the perfect week away for any stressed-out city-dweller.