Italy Is The Ultimate Wellness Destination: Here’s Why

Italians are known for their appreciation of beauty. Immersed in a rich history and cultural heritage, they have a magnificent ability to turn everyday moments into memorable affairs. Italy is a country that makes people feel good and once you’ve visited, you can’t wait to return. If wellness can be defined as “the state of being in good health, especially as an actively pursued goal” then Italy, I think, is the ultimate wellness destination.

It may seem like a modern phenomenon but the concept of traveling for wellness has been around since antiquity. Greeks and Romans frequently traveled to thermal springs and ancient baths, known for their rejuvenating properties. They enjoyed plant-based medicine and indulged in retreats. They lived in accordance with the seasons and rhythms of daily life long before these rituals became seen as a luxury.

Wellness: A State of Being

In the travel industry, the word wellness has become synonymous with travel which involves spa days, yoga, meditation, healthy food, and other detoxifying elements. Its increase in popularity can be seen across the world. Travelers seek out experiences that allow them to return feeling rejuvenated and refreshed, to indulge in aerial yoga, meditation journeys, and green juices at vegetarian cafes.

But wellness, especially in the context of Italy, is so much more than that. Wellness is a state of mind, a connection of body and spirit. A blissful state where you find yourself completely full of joy. A state where the experience of wholeness makes you feel like you might burst with happiness. And if wellness is a state of being, then Italians have mastered the art of living a holistic lifestyle. This, for me, is the true dolce vita.

Slow Food, Travel & Living

Italians have effortlessly cracked the code on what wellness is, and they have done so without depriving themselves of a single thing. And all with a glass of wine in hand. They even practice wellness when they walk to the market and buy their fresh local produce for the day. Not because it’s trendy, but because it’s what they’ve always done. Italians take their time over meals and don’t spend too much energy checking their phones while they’re surrounded by friends. They go to the beach for the entire day when they are on vacation and take long luxurious passeggiate along the promenades of whatever beach they’re visiting.

Italians believe in slow food, slow travel, and slow living. They believe that even in August (the height of ‘beach season’) it’s absolutely necessary to eat that salty slice of pizza bianca with creamy burrata dripping out of the seams and plump juicy figs nestled between the cheese. Italians believe in a plate of spaghetti alle vongole at lunchtime, and that it would be a bit of a deprivation if you didn’t accompany it with a glass of crisp cold white wine as well. They believe in serving food while you have aperitivo, in order to absorb the alcohol. It also adds to the social element of sitting with friends around a table. Prolific smokers with late-night dining habits, Italians may not be the healthiest population by modern standards. But they are a population that teaches the rest of us how to live.

Indulge in Pleasure

My interest in the intersection between Italian travel and wellness began seven years into my time as an ex-pat in Italy. Incidentally, it was right around the time I started eating pasta a little more regularly. I had always enjoyed an occasional bowl of pasta (after all, it’s difficult to avoid). However, I couldn’t quiet the nagging North American voice in the back of my head that reminded me of the calories, gluten, and all the other things in that plate of food. While I always encouraged visitors to try cacio e pepe or amatriciana in Rome, I was personally wary of them for years.

Embracing Italian culture helped me gain perspective on what ‘wellness’ truly is. Most importantly, it gave me the permission I needed to indulge in pleasure. Because in Italy, wellness and well-being are embodied as cultural norms. Especially in the way the Italians eat, the way they travel, and the way they live. To some, wellness might be a green juice—and to others, it might be an extra glass of wine.