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While a relaxing spa retreat is exactly what we all need from time to time, there’s nothing that brings back the joie de vivre faster than a week away full of stimulating pursuits for body and mind. That goes double when it also means a perfect opportunity to bond with your besties, ensuring inside joke material to reference for years to come. If your mantra is to work hard and play harder, here are some idyllic options where you can let loose with your squad.
Gotta Dance At The Ranch, Canyon Ranch (Tucson, Arizona)
Grab your girlfriends and dance like nobody's watching at this Canyon Ranch staple that has guests coming back year after year. Whether your footwork is at the “Dancing With The Stars” pro level or if it hasn’t progressed past preschool, the real goal is unleashing the pure joy of movement at this uplifting five-day retreat. Guest choreographers provide stimulating classes and workshops ranging from hip-hop and ballet to jazz and Bollywood. Set in the center of serenity in the Sonoran Desert and surrounded by the Santa Catalina Mountains, you are guaranteed an inspirational, exhilarating and all-around fun experience at this O.G. wellness resort, where you can round out your experience with hiking, biking and pickleball, not to mention a spa that is frequently described as “life-changing.”
Tuscan Culinary School, Toscana Saporita (Massarosa, Italy)
If you and your friends love bringing more to the kitchen table than just juicy gossip, spend a week living out your “Under the Tuscan Sun” fantasies while upping your culinary skills at this renowned cooking school. No matter your current abilities in the kitchen, you’ll soon be rolling out homemade gnocchi, pasta and pastries like a pro under the masterful guidance of founder and famed Italian chef Sandra Rosy Lotti and her impressive team. It doesn’t hurt that students get to cook and stay in a charming lakeside country house right in the heart of the Tuscan hills that iconic opera composer Giacomo Puccini once called home. Chef Sandra is also well known for spilling tea about how the French ripped off Italian cooking during the Renaissance, which is sure to impress anyone lucky enough to chat with you over a plate of your soon-to-be-famous ravioli.
Surf And Spanish, School Of The World (Jaco, Costa Rica)
Embrace the spirit of “Pura Vida” in Costa Rica and channel your inner surfers while also honing your Spanish. The Pacific coast of this Central American paradise is well known for stunning, sandy beaches, superior surf and vast nature. School of the World, located in picturesque Jaco, will give you the kind of immersive vacation you’ve been dreaming of since that junior year study abroad program. While there are lush private lodging accommodations available, those who really want to dive into Tico (aka Costa Rican) culture can choose a homestay with a local family, taking the novelty of this excursion to a new crest. In addition to surfing and Spanish, the school offers package bundles with classes in yoga, photography and videography, so you can all pick different course combos and swap notes when you reconvene at night.
EmpowHer Pickleball Retreat, Club Med (Turks and Caicos)
White sandy beaches, turquoise waters, fruity cocktails, lush, tropical surroundings and a whole lot of pickleball. What could be better? This women-only retreat, held at Turks and Caicos Club Med, features over nine hours of instruction during the week, including workshops, classes with the pros and meetups with players of the same skill level. After a satisfying day of play, relax in the crystalline waters of Turks and Caicos, or take advantage of the exquisite amenities this all-inclusive, adults-only resort has to offer. No matter what, your local pickleball club is in trouble — your squad is about to be a force to be reckoned with.