Blue Zones are geographic areas where residents live longer and healthier lives than the average person, and are home to many centenarians. Using a science-based research method, experts measure how people in these destinations, with different cultures, genders, and financial means, can happily and healthily live longer. “It shows that living longer, better, is for everyone, everywhere, and it can be simple,” Céline Vadam, Blue Zones retreats and hospitality expert, tells VML Intelligence. Now luxury resorts are introducing Blue Zones to their retreat programs—Vadam has facilitated Blue Zones retreats in Mexico and Costa Rica, with further events scheduled in Okinawa, Santa Fe, and Koh Samui.
Wellness resorts propel the longevity revolution with programs based on Blue Zone living.
Okinawa Halekulani resort will be hosting a Blue Zones retreat from October 20-26
From October 20-26, the five-star Halekulani Okinawa resort in Japan will be hosting a Blue Zones retreat as part of its three-year partnership with Blue Zones, offering guests evidence-based integrated wellness habits for longevity. The program includes plant-based cooking classes with an Okinawan vegetable sommelier, sunrise boat sailing and meditation, and ceramics classes. In the United States, the Santa Fe retreat will take place from October 28 to November 2 at the regenerative Rising Circle Ranch. The already-sold-out event revolves around optimizing longevity, with prices starting from $4,000 per person.
Following a successful first Blue Zones retreat, Andaz Costa Rica Resort at Peninsula Papagayo will be hosting its second retreat in February 2025. The three nights’ stay will unveil longevity secrets of centenarians from the world’s Blue Zones as well as introducing the nine principles to improve lifestyles. In May 2025, a Blue Zones retreat will be held in Thailand, at the five-star Kamalaya Koh Samui. Activities include herbal walks, temple tours, nutritional guidance, and cooking classes.
Blue Zones retreat at Andaz Costa Rica Resort led by Céline Vadam. Images courtesy of Andaz Costa Rica Resort at Peninsula Papagayo
The purpose of Blue Zones retreats is to offer long-term lifestyle solutions for attendees, which they learn through exercise, games, discussions, and group dynamics during their stay. “When people come to Blue Zones retreats, they go home with concrete, actionable tools that they can implement straight away into their lives,” Vadam explains. “The Blue Zones principles can be applied at every level of our environments—personal, work, community—with many opportunities and touchpoints to make shifts that will enhance everybody’s lives.” In addition, there are local experiences and activities integrated to make each retreat unique to the destination.
Last year, The Future 100: 2024 identified “longevity resorts,” which, much like Blue Zones retreats, bolstered programs prolonging lifespan. In 2022, we identified the popularization of Blue Zone diets, where people adopted food from these specific areas. And in 2021, travel to Blue Zones rose in popularity for people seeking clues to longevity as mentioned in Blue Zones living. Vadam believes Blue Zones principles must go beyond retreats to ensure health spans juxtapose lifespans. She says Blue Zones projects “are constantly expanding and thinking outside the box to see how we can reach more people and help everyone in the world live better, longer.”
A “longevity revolution” is underway in all countries, according to the United Nations, as the number of people living to 100 years old is expected to increase eightfold to 3.7 million by 2050. To address the health span of an ageing population, wellness destinations are looking to Blue Zones for inspiration.
Main image: Okinawa Halekulani resort
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