Flex Time: 3 Pilates-Friendly Getaways

There's a Pilates-themed vacation for every budget.

We believe in reformers — Pilates reformers, that is. (And cadillacs, too; not the kind you drive, the ones you find in a Pilates studio.) Years ago, we discovered our first Pilates-friendly vacation spot when we visited the The Royal Playa del Carmen, a beachfront resort south of Cancún, Mexico. The all-inclusive price for our sumptuous junior suite (early booking from $280; double occupancy) included meals at any of the resort’s seven restaurants, room service, in-room cocktail bar and a fitness center offering cycling classes, weights and as many group Pilates reformer classes our muscles could stomach. Taught by certified instructors, the classes are offered four times each weekday, three times on Saturday and twice on Sunday. Oh, and did we mention the complimentary tequila bar?

Since Italy happens to be one of our favorite places on the planet, we’re keen to check out Agriturismo Cascina Papaveri, where guests can indulge their passion for pasta and Pilates. Located in the town of Asti in the Piemonte region of Northwest Italy, the Poppy Farmhouse is a working farm with an organic vineyard, a vegetable garden and a five-room luxury lodge. Visiting Pilates instructors from the U.K. and the U.S., along with the resident instructor, teach beginners to experts in the fully equipped, spacious studio overlooking the terrace and vineyards. Prices (starting at $1,288 for three nights) include all meals, wine and other beverages, Pilates and/or cooking classes, visits to restaurants, markets and festivals and all local taxes. This coupling of feasting and fitness is known as la dolce vita, of course.

Looking for a splurge? From Nov. 8–14, Parrot Cay, the ultraluxury, celebrity-studded private resort in the Turks & Caicos, is hosting its first dedicated Pilates retreat. Included in the six-night sojourn: daily group sessions combining lectures, discussions, mat classes plus one private evaluation session with Pilates guru and retreat leader Lynda Lippin. The hefty price tag ($6,026, single occupancy) covers meals — excluding drinks — round-trip airport transfers, tax and service charges and bragging rights. The enclave’s elite visitors include Demi Moore, Eva Longoria and Jennifer Garner.

What’s your favorite Pilates-friendly haven?

Photo credit: Vicki Reid

Tags: Asti, Cancún, Demi Moore, Eva Longoria, exercise, guru and retreat leader, Health club, Hospitality/Recreation, Italy, Jennifer Garner, Lynda Lippin, Mexico, Pilates, Pilates retreat, Stott Pilates, United Kingdom, United States, USD, Vicki Reid