The Fit Retreat — Hotel in La Oliva

What a holiday! A perfect mix of fitness, fantastic food, wonderful people, breathtaking scenery, great weather (even in November) and lots of relaxation - all in a blissful (and immaculately clean) setting. I arrived with high expectations, and hosts Lianne and James well and truly smashed them out of the park! Their care and attention to every detail was faultless, and shows just how much they believe in what they are doing at The Fit Retreat. I left a wintery UK feeling tired, stressed and generally worn-out, and by the end of the holiday felt fitter and healthier in both body and mind, definitely much more relaxed and - icing on (Lianne's super-tasty-but-extremely-healthy banana) cake - having met some fantastic people.

The Fit Retreat villa is immaculately clean, spacious and well-equipped. Everything is new and well-maintained. All three bedrooms are a good size and have extremely comfortable beds, soft bedding and towels, and private bathrooms. The common areas (kitchen, living room, swimming pool, hot tub, barbecue area and terrace) are perfectly appointed, offering enough space for socialising as well as quieter corners for those who want it. Lianne and James leave a few essentials in the kitchen for guests to use (cooking oils, herbs and spices, milk, tea, etc.) and the extremely cheap and well-stocked supermarket is just down the road, so it's easy to self-cater on any evenings that you choose to stay in. There are good restaurant options in the local village (or further afield), too, which are inexpensive (even with the current poor exchange rate!).

Each day starts (not at the crack of dawn, thank goodness!) with a deliciously healthy pre-workout snack, then circuit training at a different - but always beautiful - location. Group sizes are small, so you always feel like you're getting personal attention and motivation. It also means that Lianne and James are able to pay close attention to any current or former injuries that you're carrying (as I was). I felt completely safe in their hands, even when they were encouraging me to push myself - always in their fun and enthusiastic non-bootcamp style! They design circuits to cater for every level of fitness and strength, and you work as hard as you can/want, so anyone could participate and feel like they'd had a positive and healthy experience. You certainly don't need to be a regular gym bunny/guy to enjoy this holiday - but you'll certainly still be catered for if you're training for iron man, too!

Next stop: brunch. A delicious spread of fresh, healthy food - and lots of it. Certainly no enforced portion control (although I think that is an option you can request if it's important to you). Always a relaxed affair with great conversation.

Activities in the afternoon usually involve hiking/running/walking in the breathtaking terrain of Fuerteventura - Lianne and James are as passionate about showing you around the island as they are about everything else at the retreat. We also had a super-speedy speedboat ride out to Isla de Lobos and did some stand up paddle boarding (complete with squats and sit-ups on the board - expect to fall in!!).

There is one rest day built into the programme in the middle of the week which gives you a bit of time to re-set and have some free time. Kit is always available at the villa if you want to train on your own, but there are plenty of other options if you want to explore the area - e.g. beautiful beaches, surfing, spa, golf, dune-buggy tours. The typically lovely weather makes it very had to choose, but Lianne and James have lots of recommendations to help you to plan your day.

All in all a fantastic holiday! The Fit Retreat is not a bootcamp or foody fad; it's a holiday that focuses on long-term fitness and a health. It will help to motivate those who are embarking on a healthier lifestyle just as much as those who already enjoy being active - and everyone in between. I can't...

I have been back from the fit retreat for over a week now and am still feeling the benefit! What a wonderful week away, if you are reading this and are apprehensive about going alone or whether you are fit enough, do not hesitate, just go for it!

This is not a boot camp but a holiday where fitness is central but done in a fun and relaxed way. From initial contact it was obvious that James and Lianne are caring, passionate, efficient and committed to what they do. As the group is small they can accommodate all levels of fitness and that is why it is so unique. You will always feel so welcome and at home in their villa.

The accommodation is fabulous and immaculately clean, a real oasis. I had the Lava room which was ensuite with a sofa and super comfortable bed. Outside a lovely pool with loungers and of course the hot tub which was perfect in the cooler February evenings. In the kitchen there is a fridge for guests and we cooked in the villa one night. There are a few really nice restaurants in Lajares which we also sampled!

So to the food at the villa which was cooked by the amazing Leo and was a combination of Lianne and Leo's recipes. The breakfasts were light energy food for our beach workouts and really filled us up. The brunches afterwards were a real highlight. Super healthy food but done so wonderfully, my favourites were the oatmeal pancakes, chickpea fritters, the varied salads and smoothies. There was always more than we could eat despite going for seconds! The evening meals were also of the same delicious calibre and served outside under the stars, wonderful evenings.

The workouts were done on a variety of beautiful sandy beaches, they were varied and James, Lianne and Marisa were always super encouraging. We were also joined on the retreat by Marisa another amazing personal trainer/yoga teacher and generally inspirational person, she really made everything fun and pushed us to try new things at yoga!.

We really got to see a lots of different parts of the islands on our afternoon hikes which were fun and lots of nice views/scenery. Yoga with Jiggy was great for stretching our tired arms/legs at the end of the day. The full body massage at the villa midweek was amazing and just perfect timing for winding down for our free day.We were four females solo travellers in a similar age range (sorry Emma!) which was perfect, we had some great times and laughs together. On the last night James and Lianne took us out to Corralejo for dinner which was a lovely way to end the trip.

Overall there is not one negative thing to say about the retreat, James and Lianne thank you for everything and I hope you can keep doing this for a long time, I for one can't...

If you are looking for an active holiday, on a stunning island, an immaculate villa and great food then look no further than The Fit Retreat!!

When we reached the villa, which is around 40 mins from the airport, we were completely BLOWN AWAY by how clean, modern and luxurious it was! Lianne and James, the owners of the retreat were there to welcome us officially with two massive smiles, orange juice, home made dark chocolate truffles and strawberries. These lovely little touches were maintained throughout our stay! They filled us in on Lajares, the surrounding areas and what our weeks' itinerary would look like.

Our room was just stunning. Large and spacious with a double bed, en suite bathroom and a separate private sun terrace that was bigger than my flat back in London! There is also a communal kitchen, living space which is so beautiful, large pool and HOT TUB.

We were given the first day to sunbathe, get settled into the villa and then we were taken for a welcome dinner by the beach. Beautiful views and a great way to get to know the rest of the guests at the retreat (of which there were 4 others).

Now to the activities -- for me, there was a fabulous balance between high- intensity circuit workouts at the beach vs. Volcano hiking which would usually take a few hours per trip. Lianne and James are so passionate about exercise and how it can be incorporated into a healthy lifestyle.. their motivation and positivity really was infectious!

Food is a big, BIG part of any holiday for me... I love my fresh, healthy food and like to fuel my body right. I could not find one fault with the selection of food that they provided at The Fit Retreat. Every morning we would be given a Pre-workout snack e.g. Coconut & Date energy balls, Chia Seed Pudding or Peanut Butter Blondies and then once we arrived back at the villa for lunch - the spread was just amazing. Everything from avocado, toast, eggs, meats, salmon, cheeses, fruit, oats, hummus, roasted sweet potato and so much more! I also have a dairy intolerance and am Pescatarian and they accommodated my dietary requirements from Day 1.

You definitely get a great balance between activity and relaxation, and you get one full rest day to plan any outside activities, beach days etc. that you would like to.

All in all - I am beyond delighted that I spent a week at The Fit Retreat - I could have stayed another three! Thank you to Lianne and James for the most fabulous week!!...