Remote wilderness environments are becoming travel’s ultimate wellness trend according to the Global Wellness Institute’s 2026 Wellness Tourism Initiative Trends report. Travellers, it says, are increasingly seeking “low-density environments, limited-access settings, and experiences that don’t feel crowded or overexposed.” In other words, the new luxury is not exclusivity but space, authenticity and silence.
Specialized operators are creating itineraries around wild, untouched landscapes. From remote yoga sessions at sunrise and wild swimming in crystal-clear lakes and fjords, to natural hot springs hidden in the mountains and wolf-tracking excursions through vast forests.
Italy offers many sanctuaries for those seeking true disconnection, and few places are better than Alicudi, the westernmost and least populated of the Aeolian Islands. Visitors must first travel to Sicily and then board a ferry or hydrofoil; the quickest taking three hours from Milazzo.
Once there, the sense of remoteness is immediate. There are no cars, few roads, just steep volcanic slopes, ancient stone paths, mule tracks and eye-wateringly beautiful seascapes. The little port has just one bar and one shop - which of course closes for a long lunch - but Alicudi reminds us that more and more the greatest luxury is simply being far away from everything.
Pamela McCourt Francescone
Executive Editor
