The Big Six: Luxury wellness retreats

E'Terra, Canada

Surrounded by magnificent cedar trees, E' Terra is a luxury lodge at the tip of the Bruce Peninsula in Ontario. The four-day winter wellness package includes Snow Tai Chi, aromatherapy cooking classes, moon lit snow-shoe walks and star-gazing and at the end of the day you can relax in a marine sea salt bath. The lodge has won numerous environmental awards and is set in Ontario's Niagara Escarpment UNESCO World Biosphere reserve, next to Georgian Bay.

E'Terra, Ontario, Canada (001 519 596 8300; eterra.ca ). The three-night Women's Winter Wellness package starts at C$2,175 (£1,268) per person, excluding flights and transfers.

Camp Biche, France

The idea of this luxury boot camp is that you can eat gourmet food and drink red wine, do a bit of yoga – and still lose weight. What's more your accommodation is in a gorgeous old 13th-century chateau in the medieval hilltop village of Lauzerte in the Tarn et Garonne. However, don't be fooled, there's an unremitting exercise schedule that starts with 'abs' at 6am, followed by a daily 16km, four-hour hike and ends with a spot of circuit training.

Camp Biche, Lauzerte, Tarn et Garonne, France (020-7617 7253; campbiche.com ). The one-week Kick Start programme costs €3,500 per person, full board.

Parkhotel Igls, Austria

New Year, new you? The big daddy of medical retreats is Mayr and the new Mayr Health Retreat Parkhotel Igls in a little village in the Tyrolean Alps is the perfect place for a January detox. The Slimming and Detox package (which includes exercise under medical supervision) has been devised to remedy the excesses of the festive season. Along with detox baths and massages you can enjoy hiking – or a gentle stroll - in the mountains.

Parkhotel Igls, Igls, Tyrol, Austria (00 43 512 37 73 05; parkhotel-igls.at ). The one-week Slimming and Detox package costs €1,290, including a Basic Programme, massages and a detox bath. Accommodation costs an additional €840 (£747) per person sharing, full board.

The Grove, Hertfordshire

Life coach Nina Grunfield has created a "Best Life Retreats" series of weekends for the new year. Workshops aim to help guests figure out what their 'best life' would be and how to achieve it. And while you're reflecting on your future you can enjoy all the facilities at this luxury country estate and spa.

The Grove, Chandler's Cross, Hertfordshire (01923 294 288; thegrove.co.uk ). The two-night retreat costs £480 per person sharing full board, including a spa treatment, workshops and a copy of The Life Book. Dates are 22-24 January, 5-7 February, 19-21 February, 5-7 March and 21-23 March.

Loch Ness Boot Camp, Scotland

Fancy an early morning dip in Loch Ness? This boot camp does what it says on the label. The rigorous five-day itinerary of adrenalin-fuelled activities makes the most of its Highland location. There's circuit training and mountain biking along the Great Glen Way and trekking in the Scottish mountains as well as pilates and yoga sessions and workshops on nutrition, teamwork and motivation.

Loch Ness Boot Camp, Inch Hotel, Fort Augustus (01456 450900; inchhotel.com/bootcamp ). The five-day boot camp costs £850 per person, full board. Dates are 24-29 January, 15-20 February, 22-26 March, 19-23 April and 9-15 May.

The Life Change Retreat, Lanzarote

Stuart Forster and Lynn Oliver have been running holistic holidays at Villa Isis on Lanzarote for the past decade. Guests can enjoy pampering spa treatments, tailor-made yoga and breathing classes, lounge by the pool – or re-evaluate their lives. Course leaders help guests assess what they want from life and how to achieve their aims.

The Life Change Retreat, Lanzarote, Canaries (020-8123 9250; lifechangeretreat.com ). One-week courses start at €799 per person, including breakfast. Dates are 7 and 21 January.