Some people go on vacation to switch off and unwind.
Others go to train with ex-Olympians and voluntarily plunge into an ice bath afterwards. If you fall into the latter category, welcome to the world of elite active resorts. From trail running through the Swiss Alps to volleying on the same pitch as the Williams sisters, these destinations go miles beyond the standard hotel gym.
6 Elite fitness resorts to book
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Forte Village Resort
ItalyFounded in 1970 by Lord Charles Forte — the Italian-born Scottish hotel magnate behind the Forte Group — Forte Village Resort began life as a single hotel with a handful of bungalows. More than half a century later, it’s grown into something more akin to a small coastal town: eight hotels and 728 rooms, suites and villas, all spread across 120 acres. With this growth comes a strong offering of sports facilities. There are seven football pitches, 13 tennis courts and three padel courts, alongside a rotating cast of top-notch academies often led by ex-Olympians.
Each autumn, the Challenge Forte Village Sardinia triathlon comes to the area. The course is equal parts scenic and punishing: a 1.9km swim in the warm waters off the resort, a 90km bike route through Pula, Domus De Maria, Teulada, and Sant’Anna Arresi (the roads are fully closed for the event), and a 21km coastal run that finishes near the calm stretch of Cala d’Ostia beach. There’s also a sprint version — 750m swim, 20km bike, and a shorter run — plus adapted distances for juniors.
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Cervo Mountain Resort
SwitzerlandCervo Mountain Resort sits above Zermatt village with clear views of the Matterhorn and ski-in, ski-out access, so it’s usually associated with skiing. But from June 10, the resort will also begin catering more directly to trail runners through the launch of Alto Trail Club & Lab. The new program will offer weekly sessions focused on trail running, technique, and recovery, alongside longer three-day retreats at the two-Michelin-key resort.
The retreats will include guided runs around Zermatt, workshops on terrain strategy, strength and conditioning sessions, mobility work, contrast therapy, and meditation shaped around mental resilience. The initiative is being led by local mountaineer and trail runner Martin Anthamatten, a former member of the Swiss national ski mountaineering team. He rose to prominence after a record-setting win at the Zermatt–Rothorn race and has since earned several World and European Championship podium finishes, including sprint gold at the 2011 World Championships. A solid pacer if ever there was one.
See also: The World’s Most Scenic Marathons – From London’s Landmarks to the Gold Coast
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Quinta do Lago
Portugal Located in Portugal’s sublime Algarve, Quinta do Lago is a family-friendly resort where your morning workout might happen alongside a professional footballer. At its core is The Campus, the elite-level, multi-sports complex frequented by top athletes — Neymar was known to train here during his Paris Saint-Germain days.
Classes run from sunrise through to evening, spanning everything from power yoga to Tabata, with newly added Hyrox sessions. Led by certified coaches, the workouts mix sled pushes, endurance intervals, functional strength training, and race-style drills designed to get you a coveted PB. There are also tennis and padel courts, plus an 82-ft heated outdoor pool for low-impact sessions. But the real reward comes afterwards: recovery suites with hot and cold plunge pools, saunas, steam rooms, physiotherapy, massage treatments and, new this year, red light therapy to help reduce inflammation.
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Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa
California Any serious tennis fan is likely already familiar with Rancho Valencia in San Diego: The resort has been named the best tennis resort in Southern California every year for the past 28 years. Within its 45 acres of gardens and olive groves, there are 12 Plexipave championship courts and three European Red Clay courts. Opt for a tailored program to improve your game — all staff are USPTA- and USPTR-certified, and many have coached professional players during their career. There’s racquet clinics to develop skills and techniques, and pro/student match play, and the Rafa Nadal Academy holds multi-day tennis camps for adults and juniors. The spa goes beyond the typical treatments, too, and caters to those who are training hard. The Athletic Recovery consists of massage, joint compression, and stretching, and uses LED light therapy to sooth any muscle pain that might come after a particularly gruelling session.
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IMG Academy
FloridaFor teenagers with big ambitions (or parents prepared to build their vacation around training schedules) IMG Academy is as serious as youth sports camps get. The prestigious Florida boarding school runs weekly, multi-week and holiday programs for 10–18 year-olds, alongside a smaller selection of adult camps, and its alumni list is mighty impressive. Venus Williams and Serena Williams trained here, Maria Sharapova was a student, and Olympic gold medallist Nelly Korda still returns to train during breaks from the LPGA tour.
The academy specializes in everything from football, basketball and baseball to tennis, golf, volleyball, and track and field, with the facilities being best-in-class. There’s more than 60 tennis courts across hard and clay surfaces, sprawling grass and turf fields, a 5,000-seat stadium, and a 56,000-sq-ft performance center. Training schedules are suitably intense with two sport-specific sessions a day, performance conditioning, one-to-one coaching, and mental performance work. Post-session repair comes in the form of hydrotherapy and cryotherapy.
See also: The Best Padel, Tennis, and Pickleball Accessories to Buy This Summer
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Sani Resort
GreeceSet on a sheltered bay in Greece’s Kassandra peninsula, Sani Resort is a 1,000-acre estate made up of five properties. It’s very family-friendly, but don’t mistake that for low-intensity — it’s home to the Chelsea FC Football Academy where children aged 4-16 can channel their inner Lampard on a UEFA-approved soccer pitch. Sessions are more than just a friendly kick about and will dive into skill development and game tactics. The Rafa Nadal Tennis Center is another USP. In partnership with the man himself, young‘uns are coached using adapted versions of the 22-time Grand Slam champ’s training methods. Regular tournaments are held throughout the season so players can rise to the occasion and test out their new skills under match settings.
How we chose the most elite fitness resorts
Each resort featured is independently selected by Elite Traveler’s editors and contributors, informed by first-hand experience where possible and in-depth research where not. Our curation spans the world’s most luxurious brands, chosen for their uncompromising quality and exceptional craftsmanship.
