Rosmarino Retreat in Tuscany: A Restorative Wellness Retreat for Midlife Women Seeking Deep Rest
A small, restorative yoga retreat in northern Tuscany — welcoming solo travellers and women seeking calm, nature, and space to reset
slow living, peace and deep restoration…
When was the last time you truly slowed down?
Real rest.
Rosmarino in northern Tuscany offers exactly that.
Rosmarino is a small wellness retreat in northern Tuscany offering a calm, nature-immersed environment for midlife women seeking rest and reconnection.
With gentle yoga, nourishing plant-based food, and a maximum of eight guests, the retreat prioritises slow living and nervous-system recovery.
Many guests arrive during periods of recovery, life transition, or while navigating chronic health conditions, drawn by the promise of quiet, space, and deep restoration.
For solo travellers especially, the atmosphere is welcoming, safe, and unhurried.
This is a feature provided by: Jules (Founder of Rosmarino Retreats)
What Makes Rosmarino a Supportive Wellbeing Place?
Energy Levels & Pace
Does Rosmarino allow for slow mornings and early nights?
Yes. Mornings begin gently — perhaps with optional yoga or simply coffee in the shade. Nothing demands urgency. Early nights are natural here; the countryside grows quiet and dark, inviting deep rest.
Can you enjoy being here without a packed schedule?
Absolutely. Our offerings — gentle yoga, breathwork, guided walks, cold water immersion — are invitations, not obligations. You can participate fully, partially, or not at all.
Is it still satisfying on a low-energy day?
Very much so. Some of the most restorative days here are the simplest: reading under the olive trees, floating in the pool, journaling, watching the swallows skim the water.
A wellbeing retreat should meet you where you are — not ask you to perform wellness. Rosmarino honours that.
Nervous System Friendly Environment
Is the environment calm, quiet, or gently paced?
Yes. The atmosphere is unhurried and grounded. The loudest sounds are birdsong, the breeze in the trees, and occasionally a distant tractor or church bell.
Are there natural elements?
You are immersed in them. Olive groves. Open skies. Hidden waterfalls and swim spots. Medieval hilltop villages reached on foot. Nature is not a backdrop — it is the setting.
Is there space to be alone without feeling conspicuous?
There are many quiet corners — shaded terraces, garden nooks, poolside loungers — where solitude feels natural, not noticeable.
True rest happens when the nervous system feels safe. Rosmarino’s pace and setting are designed to support exactly that.
Safety for Solo Midlife Women
Would I feel comfortable arriving alone?
Yes. The majority of our guests are women and arrive solo. I personally collect from the local station.
We have had a couple of cases where someone has requested a taxi from a more distant pick up point and we have engaged the services of our local taxi driver, Maria who speaks English. Our guests have commented on how reassuring it was to be collected by a female taxi driver.
Is the area walkable and well-lit?
Rosmarino is set in peaceful countryside. Our land rolls into the national park so there’s no sense of containment.
There’s a track from the villa which goes for miles in one direction – the ground can be uneven. There are tarmac walking options through the village and beyond. Other than the few lights immediately infront of the houses no it’s not well lit. We are remote!
Is staff presence reassuring rather than intrusive?
Care is attentive but respectful. You are supported — not supervised.
At Rosmarino, safety is felt in the tone, the environment, and the community of women who gather here.
Comfort & Accessibility
Are rooms quiet and comfortable enough to stay in for long stretches?
Yes. The villa is rustic and characterful, but every comfort has been considered: deeply comfortable beds, top-quality linens, soft towels, and quiet rooms that invite afternoon naps.
If needed, are there supportive features?
The house retains its authentic charm, which means natural stone steps and countryside terrain. There are a lot of uneven steps – inside and around the villa! Also steps to the side of the vineyard to the pool area is uneven.
How easy is it to walk around the area?
This is gentle countryside rather than rugged hiking terrain. Walks are guided and optional, and always offered with sensitivity to differing energy levels.
Nourishing Food & Flexible Dining
Are meals nourishing?
Deeply. Fully catered by our onsite chef, every meal is plant-based, seasonal, and abundant with Italian flavour. Ingredients are local, flavours vibrant, and portions generous. We tend to serve meals as a communal setting.
Is there flexibility for dietary needs without fuss?
Yes. Needs are accommodated thoughtfully and without drama. Our chef is fully conversant with gluten free, lactose intolerance, nut allergies, vegan etc etc
Is eating here calming rather than anxiety-inducing?
Meals are relaxed, communal, and unhurried. You don’t cook, plan, or clean. You simply arrive and are nourished.
Food here supports healing. We have put as much focus on the food provision as anything else and is often the first thing people comment on. I would add we have a drinks and snacks ‘station’ throughout the day so guests can choose their own timing.
Permission to Rest
Is it socially acceptable to do very little?
Completely. Resting is not only acceptable — it is honoured.
Are there quiet spaces without expectations?
Yes. The olive groves, terraces, poolside, and your own room all offer refuge.
Can you opt out without explanation?
Always. No justification required.
A true wellbeing space offers permission, not pressure. Rosmarino embodies that philosophy.
Who Rosmarino Is Best Suited For
Rosmarino is especially well-suited to:
- Midlife women and beyond
- Women navigating change, recovery, or post-treatment rebuilding
- Those living with or beyond significant illness
- Solo travellers seeking calm and community
- Anyone longing for deep rest in nature
You will not find a party scene or performance-driven wellness here.
Where Rosmarino Is Located
Rosmarino Retreat sits in the hills of northern Tuscany, surrounded by olive groves and forest within reach of the Alpi Apuane Natural Park.
Despite its peaceful, off-grid feeling, it is within easy distance of Pisa and the coastal villages of Cinque Terre, making it both secluded and accessible.
The Story Behind Rosmarino
A story of olive trees, instinct, and creating life’s next chapter.
A Moment That Changed Everything
In 2019, at the age of 50, I was diagnosed with breast cancer.
At the time, I was a mother of four and a full-time carer for my father following his stroke. Life was already full — beautifully so — but stretched. The diagnosis forced everything into sharp focus. There is nothing like illness to ask you, very directly: Is this how you want to live?
Recovery wasn’t just physical. It became a complete life overhaul.
I sold my London property management business and we left the city for the Oxfordshire countryside. I imagined a quieter chapter — perhaps simply resting for a while and letting life slow down.
Then Covid arrived.
In the stillness of lockdown, I realised something important. I didn’t want to return to the old pace of life — but I did need purpose. Something that felt aligned with who I had become.
So I asked myself a simple question: what brings me joy (aside from family)?
The answer came quickly.
Yoga.
Travel.
Property.
What could bring those together?
A retreat in Italy.
Finding the House in the Hills
I knew what I was looking for.
Nature.
A place to walk.
A pool for family time.
Space to breathe.
We contacted a local agent in northern Tuscany and flew out to explore. Over a few days she showed us six properties. On day two we were tearing through the countryside in our hire car, desperately trying to keep up with her tiny Fiat 500 as it darted around blind bends.
Then she turned off the main road.
We began climbing what we now fondly call the “Spaghetti Road” — a ribbon of switchbacks twisting up the mountainside. If you look at it on sat nav, you’ll understand the name.
We parked on a narrow verge and walked up a track towards a 200-year-old Tuscan stone house.
The moment I stepped through the door, I knew.
There was an energy. A feeling. Something settled in me instantly.
We crossed terracotta floors, walked through the reception space, and stepped out onto the balcony. The valley opened up before us, stretching towards the peaks of Pizzo d’Uccello and the wild landscape of Parco naturale regionale delle Alpi Apuane.
Nothing but trees.
And birdsong.
Seeing What It Could Become
As we wandered around the grounds, ideas began to form.
Terraces for long, lazy lunches.
An olive grove tumbling down the slope.
A small vineyard between the track and the pool.
A hammock swaying in the shade.
Today, that same space holds our yoga deck beneath the trees.
The house intrigued us even more when we learned its history. We were buying it from the Bellamy family — the late David Bellamy had purchased it as a summer retreat for his family.
They spent years exploring the surrounding hills, documenting previously unknown wild orchids in spring and foraging for mushrooms in autumn. He had been drawn here by the same thing that captured us: extraordinary, unspoilt nature.
A little piece of paradise.
Off-grid in feeling — yet only an hour from the bustle of Pisa or the colourful coastal villages of Cinque Terre.
From Family Home to Sanctuary
It felt natural to evolve the house into a place of sanctuary and rest.
We created a yoga studio on the top floor, built a shala beside the pool, and added an outdoor kitchen and generous terraces for shared meals and quiet evenings.
By 2024, we were ready to welcome guests.
Since then, we haven’t looked back.
Every arrival is the same. Guests step out of their car, look up at the valley view — and stop in their tracks before they’ve even reached the front door.
Each year we explore the region further, discovering beautiful walks and hidden swimming spots. Local markets overflow with produce that excites our onsite chef — sun-ripened tomatoes, wild greens, fragrant herbs, stone fruits still warm from the tree.
Love is poured into every detail.
And then Rosmarino does the rest.
A New Chapter, Grown Slowly
Rosmarino was born from illness — but it is not about illness.
It is about what happens after.
About choosing differently.
About creating a place where midlife women — especially those who have carried a lot — can rest without apology.
When I stood on that balcony for the first time, looking towards the peaks and listening to nothing but birds, it felt like coming home.
I knew this was where a new chapter would begin.
What a Retreat at Rosmarino Feels Like
Each retreat at Rosmarino follows a similar gentle rhythm. September, with its warm light and slower pace, offers a particularly beautiful example.
Rosmarino in September: A Gentle Return to Yourself
There is a particular kind of quiet you only find in the countryside.
At Rosmarino, it settles softly around you. September brings warm golden light, the scent of sun-warmed herbs, and long afternoons where the only sounds are birdsong, the hum of insects, or a distant church bell marking the hour.
This is not an escape in the dramatic sense.
It’s a return.
To breath.
To rest.
To the steady rhythm of your own body.
A Place Where Time Slows
Rosmarino is immersed in nature. Olive groves ripple silver-green in the breeze, and swallows skim the pool in the late afternoon light. There is always a shady spot beneath the trees where you can read, journal, or simply sit and watch the day unfold.
Guided walks lead to hidden waterfalls and quiet swimming spots tucked into the folds of the hills. On other days, we wander to medieval hilltop villages where life still centres around the town square — pausing for a gelato or a quiet coffee before meandering home again.
Simple. Honest. Unhurried.
Space to Recharge — Whatever You’ve Been Carrying
This September retreat is especially welcoming to midlife women who feel ready — or in need of — deep replenishment.
Perhaps life has been full.
Perhaps you’ve been carrying a lot.
Perhaps your body is simply asking for gentleness.
Many women join us while navigating life transitions or rebuilding their strength after illness, but you don’t need a reason beyond feeling tired.
There is no pressure to be anything here.
No expectation to perform wellness.
Just an invitation to rest.
Gentle Practices, Deep Nourishment
Our days are shaped with care:
- Gentle yoga to ease the body open
- Breathwork to calm the nervous system
- Cold water immersion to awaken resilience and vitality
- Time in nature to ground and steady
Everything is offered as an invitation. You are always free to listen to your body.
And then there is the food….
Fully catered by our onsite chef, every meal is plant-based, abundant, and deeply nourishing. Seasonal ingredients, local produce, vibrant colours, and thoughtful preparation mean that you are cared for in every possible way.
Comfort Without Pretence
The villa is rustic and characterful, with textured stone walls and warm, welcoming spaces. Yet every comfort has been carefully considered: deeply comfortable beds, beautiful linens, soft towels, and quiet corners for both solitude and connection.
It isn’t polished or showy.
It feels grounded. Real.
Like stepping into a slower era — without giving up modern comfort.
The Gift of Disconnection
In a world that constantly asks for more — more speed, more noise, more output — Rosmarino offers something quietly radical:
Less urgency.
Less scrolling.
Less pressure.
More sky.
More breath.
More being.
September is a beautiful time to visit. The summer heat softens, the light turns honeyed, and the countryside feels full and generous.
If you are longing for a pause — a space to reset through gentleness rather than intensity — Rosmarino is waiting.
Guest Reviews of Rosmarino Retreats:
Post-Surgery, Rebuilding Strength
“I came to Rosmarino just eight weeks after breast cancer surgery. My body felt fragile and unfamiliar, and I wasn’t sure what I could manage.
Knowing the yoga teacher had specific training in supporting women affected by breast cancer gave me enormous confidence. I felt safe in every movement. The lymphatic flow workshop was especially empowering — for the first time since surgery, I felt I was actively doing something positive for my recovery.
Surrounded by olive trees, nourishing food, and women who simply understood, my whole being softened. I rested deeply. Rosmarino didn’t feel like an escape from cancer — but it did give me space to stop thinking about it all the time. it felt like it’s been a gentle step forward into my post-cancer wellness journey which I’m so grateful for.”
Sandra, age 62
From a lady who signed up last minute:
“I arrived exhausted, in constant joint pain, and still without a diagnosis. I was cold all the time and unsure of my own body.
There was no pressure here to keep up. I could join in or rest without explanation. That alone was healing.
For me the standout of the trip was the walk to the waterfalls. I was nervous about the cold water, but afterwards I felt sheer joy — awake instead of inflamed, alive instead of limited. There’s a photo of me afterwards, wrapped in a towel and grinning. It captures exactly what Rosmarino gave me: a moment of genuine lightness when I needed it most. Thank you to Jules and her team for making it a very magical few days in the mountains”
Sarah, age 43
From a lady who works for the UN who came solo:
“I arrived late at night, exhausted. The team had organised a female, English-speaking driver to collect me — such a thoughtful detail that immediately helped me feel safe.
For the first two days, I simply slept, ate beautiful plant-based food, and sat in the shade. The gentle yoga and breathwork helped me decompress.
By the final day, tears flowed — not from stress, but from relief. Rosmarino allowed me to set everything down for a while and return to myself.”
Anon, Age 56
Upcoming Rosmarino Retreat Detail
Dates: 18-22 September 2026
Pricing: From £995 for a twin sharing – £1250 king ensuite single occupancy
Group size: Max 8 guests.
Activities included: yoga, breathwork, guided walks, cold water immersion (also optional)
Food: Plant based, all dietary requirements catered for.
Closest airport: Pisa. We will help with transfers / easy connect via train to our local station where we pick up
Hosted by: Jules Matthews & Lorna Sparks.
Chef: Kirsten Heursch
Find out more about Rosmarino Retreats:
Website: www.rosmarinoretreats.com
Email: jules@rosmarinoretreats.com
Connect with Jules on:
A Final Orchids to Olives Reflection
Midlife often brings a quiet shift in what we need from travel.
Less intensity, more gentleness.
Rosmarino feels beautifully aligned with that change.
Thank you Jules!
About the Orchids to Olives Wellbeing Collection
Wellbeing Places on Orchids to Olives highlights destinations and retreats that feel particularly supportive for midlife women — especially those seeking calm, nature, and space to rest.
Many readers are navigating chronic health conditions, recovery, or life transitions, so these places are chosen for their gentle pace, safety for solo travellers, and environments that allow the nervous system to soften.
Blogs in the making
Coming soon: more wellbeing places for midlife women & solo travels with a chronic health condition
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Orchids to Olives
Journeys of self-discovery, wisdom, healing and friendship
