Stressed? These 10 blissfully serene places offer the perfect escape

Emails. Phone calls. Appointments. Passwords. Protein. Water. Eight hours of sleep. Our lives have become a relentless pursuit of doing – and doing everything better. Even travelling can become a to-do list of bucket-list experiences, country counts and Instagrammable moments.

The antidote? The “stillcation”. Although laughably named, this new way of holidaying pushes back against our culture of constant productivity and self-improvement. It’s not necessarily yoga at sunrise or a silent meditation retreat, although it can be. More simply, it’s about the absence of agenda. Of stripping life back to its essentials: good food, beautiful views, fresh air and anchoring yourself in the present moment. Instead of seeking destinations that offer the most to do, it asks where offers the best conditions for doing less.

THE LOST ART OF DOING NOTHING

“Man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone” was, according to French philosopher Blaise Pascal, the source of all humanity’s problems. Four centuries later, his observation feels oddly prescient. We rarely sit still – even when on holiday.

The constant pressure to optimise our lives can put a strain on the nervous system, says Jamie Clements, a wellness retreat facilitator and author of The Next Breath. “Stress has become the baseline, and calm feels like the exception.”

Tour operators sense there is a growing market for more profound ways to unplug. In a recent study, British tour company Inghams ranked almost 100 European destinations according to their stillness, with criteria including walking trails per square kilometre, air quality, birdsong richness, stargazing quality, human density and forest cover (Scotland’s Wester Ross took the top spot).

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Luxury travel organiser Black Tomato designs itineraries around themes such as “The Gift of Boredom” and “Sonic Sanctuaries”, with quiet-hour museum slots and low-stimulation dining. There’s also been a proliferation of off-grid cabins through the likes of Unyoked, and Airbnbs that are Wi-Fi-free.

Slowing down switches our nervous system from a fight-or-flight sympathetic state to a rest-and-digest parasympathetic system that lowers our blood pressure and heart rate.

But don’t assume a stillcation will immediately evoke a state of Zen. Like any other holiday – where it can take a week to unwind – the first day or two can feel uncomfortable.

The point of a stillcation isn’t simply that sitting around feels nice. Removing the constant demand for attention – and replacing the thrum of traffic, screens and notifications with wind, water, birdsong and walking – may create the conditions in which both mind and body can begin to really recover.

And the benefits extend beyond our own wellbeing. The qualities that make a destination “still” – low population density, dark skies, forests, clean air, biodiversity and quiet trails – depend on healthy, protected environments.

Perhaps that is the real appeal of the stillcation. It doesn’t ask us to abandon movement, curiosity or adventure. It simply changes the objective. Travel becomes less about collecting experiences and more about noticing where we are; less about escaping life and more about inhabiting it. In a culture that has turned even rest into something to optimise, doing nothing might be the most radical itinerary of all.

KANGAROO ISLAND, SOUTH AUSTRALIA

It’s just 45 minutes on the ferry from Cape Jervis in mainland South Australia to Penneshaw on Kangaroo Island, and yet the world changes completely in that short space of time. Suddenly, it’s all lungfuls of salty Southern Ocean air, visits to wineries, long lunches, strolls along secluded beaches and encounters with kangaroos, koalas and sea lions. This island wilderness is an ideal place to slow down, to do nothing, or at least very little.

Kangaroo Island has famously had to recover from some deep wounds, in particular the bushfires of January 2020, which wiped out almost half the island, including its most famous resort, Southern Ocean Lodge. The slow recovery of the land and the wildlife, as well as the resort, has been heartening, and KI is once again an ideal destination for those seeking escape.

Make no plans for your stay here. Have no lofty goals. Simply trust that you will explore and discover and enjoy at a pace that suits.

How to do it Southern Ocean Lodge overlooks the wild coastline of Kangaroo Island, and costs $3400 a night; two-night minimum stay. Rates include all dining and drinks, signature experiences and island airport transfers. See southernoceanlodge.com.au

FLINDERS ISLAND, TASMANIA

Australia has more than its share of remote wilderness areas – the Red Centre, the Kimberley, Far North Queensland – but Flinders Island is a standout for its remarkable isolation. It is a rugged outcrop of land in the Bass Strait, about a 35-minute flight from Launceston or a seven-hour ferry trip from Bridport, an unspoilt landscape of granite mountains, windswept beaches and coastal heath land. Fewer than 1000 people live there.

Plenty of wombats, however, call the island home, as do wallabies and abundant birdlife while minimal light pollution creates star-rich skies. There are more than 120 beaches to explore, flawless stretches of sand on which to lose yourself in thought, wrapped up tight against the wind, for hours on end. Hiking tracks here are like meditation paths. There’s a whisky distillery, a vineyard and a couple of nice places to eat. Or simply curl up by a fire and read a book.

How to do it Australian Walking Holidays’ four-day Flinders Island Experience in Comfort features guided coastal walks and accommodation at a beachside eco-camp. It costs from $3275 a person, twin share. See australianwalkingholidays.com.au

ABISKO, SWEDEN

Most visitors come to this Swedish Lapland village to glimpse magic: the aurora borealis, or northern lights. This is one of the best places on Earth to see the phenomenon, from September to April, due to Abisko’s high latitude and its cloud-free “blue hole” microclimate, which keeps it as dry as the Gobi Desert.

The lights aren’t the only reason to visit this gathering of only 85 permanent residents, however. Abisko, 250 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle near the Norwegian border, is also home to an eponymous national park, one that was established more than 100 years ago to protect subarctic flora and native wildlife. Tornetrask, the sixth-largest lake in Sweden, is also nearby and it freezes in winter.

Whatever the seasonal phenomenon you’re visiting to experience – midnight sun or northern lights – the common thread is the area’s natural attractions, the chance to be completely immersed in a world of deep quiet and flawless blue skies. Hike rugged trails, go dog-sledding, snow-shoeing, fishing, bird-watching or stargazing. Lean into the isolation.

How to do it Nordic Travel offers a Winter in Swedish Lapland tour, including Abisko, northern lights viewing and accommodation. It costs from $4296 a person. See nordictravel.com.au

THE PYRENEES, FRANCE AND SPAIN

It’s difficult to believe that any sort of natural feature that separates France and Spain, two of the most popular tourist destinations on the planet, could be considered quiet, but the Pyrenees really is. This mountain range creates a wrinkled border between the two countries and offers wide-open spaces with myriad opportunities for mindful hiking, yoga, winter sports and thermal spas.

On the French side, take time to wander through Parc National des Pyrenees, a stunningly beautiful reserve known for its karst valleys and caves. Several more national parks can be found along the border, with soaring limestone cliffs and flower-strewn meadows. The Spanish side, too, is dotted with smaller though no less spectacular national parks, many of them secluded and peaceful, where visitors can walk for an entire day without seeing another soul.

And then, of course, there’s tiny Andorra, an entirely separate country and home to ski resorts and alpine national parks, with small villages in which to stay and relax and pretend the rest of the world doesn’t exist.

How to do it Australian operator UTracks offers a seven-day, self-guided Footsteps of Dali walking holiday through the Pyrenees towards the Mediterranean coast, from $2190 a person, excluding flights. See utracks.com

ENGADIN VALLEY, SWITZERLAND

You may know the name St. Moritz, but how about Zuoz, or Samedan, or Silvaplana? Switzerland’s Engadin Valley remains something of a secret, with one big-ticket destination and a host of much smaller, quieter spots in which to enjoy a holiday with nothing to do. This region in the country’s south-east, bordering Italy, is scattered with wooden cabins with books and reading benches, mindful running trails and forest bathing opportunities, including the Senda botanica – a narrow path through 30 species of trees.

If you don’t fancy any more walks, book a journey on the Bernina Express, a spectacular, panoramic train trip that runs through narrow gorges and over 196 bridges, including engineering landmarks such as the Landwasser viaduct. Or, take a cable car to high-altitude viewpoints at Diavolezza and Corvatsch. View storybook architecture in alpine villages such as Guarda and Bever. And relax in thermal, mineral baths in Samedan and Scuol.

How to do it Australian operator Auswalk offers a seven-day self-guided Via Engiadina walking holiday from St. Moritz to the Swiss National Park, from $2840 a person. See auswalk.com.au

YUKON, CANADA

If you’re chasing seclusion, Yukon is one of the last pristine wilderness areas left on Earth. This territory has about the same population as Ballina in northern NSW, spread across a landmass the size of Spain. Whitehorse, its capital, accounts for more than half of those residents.

It offers an extraordinary sense of space for gentle outdoor adventure, the likes of hiking, wildlife watching, paddling and simply being in nature. Whitehorse is a peaceful base, the perfect spot from which to explore Miles Canyon, Yukon Wildlife Preserve and the mineral-rich Eclipse Nordic Hot Springs. Further afield, hiking opportunities abound in Kluane National Park while Tombstone Territorial Park is the ideal place for a road trip into deep, spectacular wilderness.

Summer is the most popular time to visit but in winter you have a chance to see the aurora borealis and try activities such as dog-sledding and snow-shoeing.

How to do it World Journeys Australia’s 10-day Highlights of the Yukon Self-Drive holiday takes in Kluane National Park, Dawson City and spectacular wilderness. From $2935 a person. See worldjourneys.com.au

SOUTH ISLAND, NEW ZEALAND

New Zealand ranked second in the most recent Global Peace Index, behind Iceland. This is a gentle, enjoyable and often pristine destination with plenty to offer those seeking relaxation.

The South Island has vast mountains, sparse settlements and trails where the only itinerary is to walk, breathe and look. Try Fiordland, in the rugged south-west corner, home to an eponymous, heritage-listed national park, where steep fjords have been carved by ancient glaciers, and budding hikers have their pick from famous names such as the Routeburn Track, the Milford Track and Kepler Track. Glenorchy, 45 minutes from Queenstown along the shores of Lake Wakatipu, is a quiet spot to sit in front of the water with a book and while away the hours.

Alternatively, Lake Tekapo is an International Dark Sky Reserve where days can be spent ambling along the waterfront, waiting for night to fall. It’s one of the world’s premier locations for stargazing.

How to do it Pure Pods has off-grid glass cabins scattered across New Zealand from $NZ395 ($321) a night. See purepods.com

BHUTAN

Mountain trails, monasteries lit by butter lamps and a low-volume tourism model make Bhutan well-suited to a holiday centred on contemplation rather than consumption. This is a nation that famously measures gross national happiness, and also imposes a $US100-a-day ($143) Sustainable Development Fee on foreign visitors.

The nation’s most famous site is Paro Taktsang, or the Tiger’s Nest, a monastery clinging to a cliff face accessible via a long climb. It can get quite busy here so if you seek seclusion, go bird-watching in Phobjikha Valley, trek the epic 403-kilometre Trans Bhutan Trail (or small sections of it) or spend a few nights in a village homestay in high-altitude Ha, experiencing the deep traditions and quiet beauty of Bhutanese life.

How to do it Amankora’s recently refurbished Paro and Punakha lodges offer luxurious accommodation, yoga, spa rituals and personalised journeys through Bhutan’s valleys. From $US2650 ($3775) a night. See aman.com

PATAGONIA, CHILE

There’s nowhere like Torres del Paine National Park for remote stillness. A jostle of glacial lakes, mountains and clear air, it is ideal for forest bathing and restorative walking. Take the famed W Trek to experience all the park’s highlights, or slow things right down on the 130-kilometre O Circuit.

This well-known park is not, however, all that Patagonia has to offer those looking to wind down. Try the Carretera Austral, a 1200-kilometre road trip through Patagonia’s wild central reaches with rolling mountains and ice-clear lakes. There’s barely anyone else out here, with almost endless opportunities to walk, paddle or sit and contemplate along the way. Alternatively, take a boat trip from Punta Arenas to view penguin colonies, explore prehistoric caves outside Puerto Natales and fly-fish for wild salmon and trout at Futaleufu River.

How to do it Tierra Patagonia offers luxury accommodation overlooking Lake Sarmiento and the Paine Massif, with guided wilderness experiences and a spa. From $US2360 ($3753) a night, minimum three-night stay. See beckons.com

NAMIBIA

One of the world’s least densely populated countries – at 3.7 people per square kilometre, it’s about the same as Australia – Namibia in southern Africa is home to the oldest desert in the world, exceptionally dark skies and remarkable wildlife.

Don’t miss Sossusvlei, an incredible salt and clay pan surrounded by towering red dunes, some more than 300 metres high. Nearby Deadvlei is remarkable for the skeletal camelthorn trees poking up from the white salt pan. Damaraland, meanwhile, is rugged and rocky, and the home of Twyfelfontein, a UNESCO World Heritage site of San rock paintings. Desert elephants roam here, as well as rhinos, oryx and lions, a rare instance of these animals moving freely outside national parks.

The stark Skeleton Coast is named for the bleached bones of whales and sea lions and rusted shipwrecks that dot the sand on this notoriously foggy, desolate 500-kilometre stretch of coastline.

Explore all of these areas from Swakopmund, a surprisingly lively tourist town.

How to do it World Journeys Australia offers a 13-day Self-Drive Namibia holiday, taking in Sossusvlei, Damaraland and Etosha National Park. It costs from $15,685 a person, twin share, excluding international flights. See worldjourneys.com.au

The Telegraph, London