Top Health Retreats on the Gold Coast

Turn off and tune into your body with a stay at a game-changing health retreat on the Gold Coast.

A steady wave of outdoor activities and indulgent, world-class dining can catch up with the best of us. The mightiest remedy? A few days, or one long one, spent under the guidance of a health retreat on the Gold Coast. Combining dazzling hinterland surroundings with a program of fine organic whole foods, healing therapies and all-important rest, these nourishing stays provide a lifetime of wisdom.

1. Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat

Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat pool — Find Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat in the gorgeous Tallebudgera Valley. (Image: Destination Gold Coast)

An endlessly adored health retreat on the Gold Coast catering to granola crunchers right around the world, Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat is a soul-soothing 202-hectare sanctuary within the gorgeous Tallebudgera Valley, perched upon a plateau and boasting extraordinary views all the way up and down the region.

The focus at Gwinganna, an Aboriginal term which translates to ‘lookout’, is to switch off and wind down– a mantra that guests will helplessly succumb to once they get a taste of what’s on offer. Sunrise Qigong (an ancient Chinese form of moving meditation) will set the tone of a morning before heading into an itinerary of wellness practices you can choose to fully embrace or take at your own pace.

Leading you deeper into the realms of tranquillity, a wide range – more than any other health retreat in Australia – of all-inclusive wellness packages spanning two to seven days and encompassing spa treatments, wellness seminars, cooking demonstrations, organic meals and snacks, wellness therapy specifically tailored to individual needs, plus accommodation, is on offer.

There are plenty of lodgings to choose from but each one is utterly delicious, with some offering their own private plunge pool, huge open deck, private golf buggy, deep-set soak tub, private steam room, infrared sauna and massage chair.

To make the most of your visit, book the popular seven-night ‘Gwinganna Detox’, priced from $4,340, which promises more inclusions than any other package, and if you’re keen for a quickie, there’s a two-night ‘Gwinganna Wellness Weekend’ priced from $1,285.

Address: 192 Syndicate Road, Tallebudgera Valley

2. Eden Health Retreat

Calming earthy tones fill the space inside the rooms at Eden health retreat — Calming earthy tones fill the space inside the rooms at Eden.

Driving up through the misty roads of the Currumbin Valley, surrounded by fairy tale farmland and the meandering Currumbin Creek, a dramatic stone wall pops up out of nowhere. Roll down its driveway and you’ll land at Eden Health Retreat , an ethereal 400-acre space that works to reconnect you with nature and everything else your body’s craving through holistic health care.

Arguably the most sophisticated health retreat on the Gold Coast, this hinterland hideaway features a range of contemporary cabins and lodges, each immaculately furnished against an earthy colour palette.

The Premier range, the newer of the two accommodation builds, is creamy, with minimalistic glam inside but bold and moody outside. The Deluxe lodges, meanwhile, swing country chic, however deep-set bathtubs, spacious living areas and sweeping views out across the valley come with both.

Daily wellness classes spanning breathwork, water fitness, sound healing, health forum sessions and more, access to a beautiful spa, gym, tennis courts, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a sauna and a steam room, plus outdoor activities including mud therapy, a flying fox, glow worm spotting and rainforest meditations, are all at your fingertips. And don’t miss a stroll through Eden’s rock labyrinth too, an exercise in mindfulness that will lead you into the centre of a circle, intended to mirror one’s own core self.

Then there’s the food, glorious food. A customised program that’s tailored to your specific needs, feeds you five times each day via exquisite dishes made from locally sourced produce and fuelled with all the nutrients under the sun. This is self-care in the most extraordinary of forms. Stays including everything mentioned above start from $3,200 for four nights.

Address: 1815 Currumbin Creek Road, Currumbin Valley

3. Nirvana Wellbeing Retreat

Nirvana Wellbeing Retreat Gold Coast — Verdant landscapes surround the wellness retreat.

Homing in on the ancient Indian art of Ayurveda medicine, Nirvana Wellbeing Retreat is a mountain refuge located 50 minutes by car from Surfers Paradise. Offering 14 individual rooms inside a character-filled old Queenslander, this place may be less luxurious than other local wellness escapes, but what it lacks in opulence it makes up for in restorative health expertise.

Decorated with Hindu-inspired artworks and bright patterned bedding, and fitted out like a family home, this health retreat on the Gold Coast offers four packages that run from two to 10 days; the ‘Ayurveda and Yoga Retreat’, priced from $2,450 for seven nights, the ‘Mindfulness Meditation & Healing Retreat’, priced from $1,400 for four nights, the ‘Ayurvedic Education and Vegetarian Cooking Retreat’, priced from $695 for two nights, and the ‘Weekend Retreat’, also priced from $695 for two nights.

Homemade, plant-based meals crafted from local produce and served within the home’s dining room, Ayurvedic treatments including an array of heavenly massages, yoga classes and relaxation therapy are all included in most packages, but that’s if you can peel yourself away from its lush grounds, simply begging to be basked in.

Address: 87 Binna Burra Road, Beechmont

4. Numala Forest Retreat

Keen to recharge but can’t stomach a restrictive diet? Numala Forest Retreat is less than a 20-minute drive from Burleigh Heads and offers a pared-back health retreat on the Gold Coast filled with varied wellness therapies and a gorgeous place to spend the night.

Surrounded by lush bushland and multiple calming creeks, the eight-acre Numala is home to a weekly roster of natural therapy classes, including yoga, meditation, sensory energy healing, Bowen and Reiki, but its trump card is a private guesthouse that can be booked for a solo or couples’ getaway, complete with private classes.

The retreat’s owner strives to help guests find their inner peace through a healthy dose of fresh air, natural wonders, and those deeply restorative classes, so you can expect plenty of picturesque downtime amid your learnings.

Inside the guesthouse, built to encourage relaxation, a warm, inviting space features a queen-sized bed, electric blankets, and a fully equipped kitchen. And if you can’t stay the night, full-day Numala packages, including the ‘Breathe, Move and Connect Within’ which explores several forms of yoga, are also an option. Guesthouse prices start from $449 per night.

Address: 120 Davenport Drive, Bonogin

5. On Eagle Wings Mountain Retreat & Spa

If you can spare just one full day, On Eagle Wings Mountain Retreat & Spa is a little slice of heaven in the historical town of Mudgeeraba, situated about 20 minutes from Surfers Paradise. Offering extensive hinterland views from one sensational swimming pool decorated with cushioned lounges and pillows, the Gold Coast health retreat is worth visiting for the pool alone – but the full-day packages are wonderful too.

Both the ‘Restoration Day Spa Package’ and the ‘Cleopatra Spa Package’ provide sustenance for the soul from 9.30am to 5.30pm, crafting itineraries spilling over with detoxifying treatments like an infrared sauna, hydrotherapy mineral spa and mud wraps, plus a vegetarian lunch and raw dessert, varied spa treatments and glasses of sparkling wine to wash it all down. Prices start from $579 per person, per package.

Address: 59 Lowry Court, Mudgeeraba

6. Greenhouse The Bathhouse

Sauna at Greenhouse The Bathhouse — Steam the stress away inside the saunas at Greenhouse The Bathhouse.

A luxe, Instagram-friendly day spa frequented by the chicest of Gold Coast locals, Greenhouse The Bathouse is a stunning contemporary space dressed with Palm Springs-inspired cacti and further desert blooms.

A palette of white, greenand rattan creates a haven dedicated to self-care where 90-minute ‘Soak Sessions’ see guests rotate through hydrotherapy spas, a steam room, a red cedar sauna, a magnesium plunge pool, and an incredibly inviting outdoor lounge area.

They also offer a range of specialised health retreats such as the three-hour ‘Full Moon Alchemy Retreat’ which invites wellness seekers to wholly awaken themselves and “unlock inner guidance" through their signature soaking as well as crystal healing, guided meditation, Reiki, soothing sound and more.

Plus, you’re always well-nourished during a Greenhouse The Bathhouse retreat as beautiful tea and treats are presented. Prices start from $88, and new retreats are added to its evolving, ongoing program regularly.

Address: 7/37 Tallebudgera Creek Road, Burleigh Heads

City buzz, gourmet trails, surf breaks and art scenes are all at your fingertips.

When it comes to planning a trip, picking a holiday destination is the easy part. The real dilemma is where to set yourself up for the night. Do you go coastal, city, or countryside? Somewhere remote and rugged, or right in the action? Luckily, the Sunshine Coast, and huge number of amazing Sunshine Coast day trips, have kindly made the choice for you.

Ditch the hotel-hopping and suitcase-lugging. Instead, base yourself at Novotel Sunshine Coast or Mantra Mooloolaba , where big-city culture, vine-covered valleys, and theme parks are all within a two-hour drive.

1. Sunshine Coast to Brisbane

Drive time: 1 hour 20 minutes (105km)

Shake off the sand from your sandals and swap the beach for the throb of the Queensland capital. Ease in gently with a bougainvillea-filled stroll through South Bank, iced latte in hand, before cooling off at Streets Beach lagoon – Brisbane’s answer to the coast (but without the waves).

Once firmly in big-city mode, hit up the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) , home to Australia’s largest collection of modern and contemporary artworks. Dive into the past at the Queensland Museum, where prehistoric fossils of Australian dinosaurs and megafauna collide with First Nations cultural collections and interactive science exhibits.

All this learning got you hungry? Howard Smith Wharves calls. Here, riverside dining delivers breweries with meat-forward menus, Japanese fine dining and overwater bars. If you’ve got room for more, Fortitude Valley’s shopping boutiques await you and your wallet.

woman walking around Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) — Wander the Gallery of Modern Art. (Image: TEQ)

2. Sunshine Coast to the Scenic Rim

Drive time: 2 hours 15 minutes (170km)

Make your way inland to the Scenic Rim for the state’s best vineyards and age-old volcanic slopes. Start your day early (like, sparrow’s breakfast early) at O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat in Lamington National Park . Here, take a treetop walk through the canopy and hand-feed the wild birds who flock here.

Next, it’s your turn to eat. Here, the food scene operates where locally sourced produce is an expectation, not an exception. Order a picnic basket crammed with regional wine and cheese to devour next to the creek at Canungra Valley Vineyards . Or perhaps a grazing platter of vegan and non-vegan cheeses at Witches Falls Winery .

Feeling bold? Tackle the Twin Falls circuit in Springbrook National Park. Or keep the gourmet life going with a Scenic Rim Brewery tasting paddle, best enjoyed while taking in the rise of the Great Dividing Range.

woman with cheese and wine at Witches Falls Winery — Enjoy a cheese platter at Witches Falls Winery. (Image: TEQ)

3. Sunshine Coast to the Gold Coast

Drive time: 2 hours (180km)

Surf, sand and sparkling skylines might be the Gold Coast’s MO, but there’s more to Surfers Paradise and beyond. Kick things off with a beachfront coffee at Burleigh Heads, then hike through Burleigh Head National Park to look over the ocean and whale sightings (dependent on the season, of course).

Cool off in the calm waters of Tallebudgera Creek before chowing down on the famously buttery Moreton Bay bug rolls at Rick Shores . Travelling with the kids? Then you can’t miss Australia’s theme park capital, with Dreamworld ’s big rides and Warner Bros. Movie World ’s Hollywood treatment at hand to keep the family entertained.

aerial view of Tallebudgera Creek — Dive into Tallebudgera Creek. (Image: TEQ)

4. Sunshine Coast to Tweed Heads

Drive time: 2 hours 15 minutes (200km)

Dare to cross enemy lines? Then welcome to New South Wales. Tweed Heads blends the laid-back attitude of the Northern Rivers with high-quality dining, experimental art, and farm-fresh indulgence – a combo worth the drive.

Start strong with a long, lazy brunch at Tweed River House , then swing by Tropical Fruit World for exotic finds like red dragon fruit, handfuls of lychees and black sapote. Next, hit M|Arts Precinct – an art deco hub of micro galleries, artist workshops and one-off boutiques.

Round off the day with sunset drinks at Husk Distillers among the glowing cane fields, and order one with their famous Ink Gin. You’ll thank us later.

exterior of Husk Distillers — Taste the famous Ink Gin at Husk Distillers. (Image: Destination NSW)

5. Sunshine Coast Hinterland

Drive time: 1 hour (70km)

Strap on those hiking boots and make tracks inland, where volcanic peaks, misty rainforest and hinterland townships beckon. Ease in with the Glass House Mountains Lookout Walk, or, if you have energy to burn, tackle the Mount Ngungun Summit Walk for a 360-degree sight of the surrounding summits.

Next: Montville. This township delivers European-style architecture and old-world appeal. Nearby, settle in at Flame Hill Vineyard, where a large pour of estate-grown wine comes with encompassing views of the countryside.

Not ready to leave the hinterland villages just yet? Of course not. Meander past art galleries and indie shops at Maleny. Nab some fudge from Sweets on Maple for a sweet fix. Or go salty at Maleny Dairies with a farm tour and a chunky wedge of their deliciously creamy cheese.

End the day among the eucalypts and rainforests of Kondalilla National Park. Here, the Kondalilla Falls Circuit winds down through trees humming with life to a rock pool beneath a waterfall – as if designed for soaking tired feet before heading back to the coast.

view of Mount Ngungun on the scenic rim queensland — Take on the Mount Ngungun Summit Walk (Image: TEQ)

Start planning your Sunshine home base at all.com.

Hit refresh at these top health retreats on the Gold Coast