Why I’ll keep coming back to this Byron Bay wellness retreat

The next morning began at the resort’s oceanfront Heart of the Bay deck – a sunrise yoga class as the sky blushed above the horizon. There was a quiet reverence in the group as we moved through breath-led postures with the sound of the waves as our soundtrack. It was gentle, grounding and impossibly beautiful. After yoga, still wrapped in calm, I wandered back through the paperbarks for breakfast at Azure Bar & Grill. The menu is seasonal and vibrant – local produce, thoughtful flavour pairings and the kind of dishes that make you feel both nourished and indulged. The breakfast buffet is the buffet of your dreams – a glorious spread of nourishing and indulgent options that somehow makes every craving feel catered for.

What I loved most about Elements was how everything was there if I wanted it – but nothing was ever pushed. One afternoon I joined a guided nature walk, learning about the land’s ecosystem, flora and the resort’s incredible sustainability practices. Another I floated aimlessly in the adults-only pool, letting the hours dissolve. I saw couples riding horses along the beach at sunset and families gathering for shared meals in the evening light and it all just... worked.

But the highlight, for me, was Osprey Spa – their signature Byron day spa experience. Having experienced my share of health retreats around Australia, I’m the first to admit I have high standards. And this spa? It exceeded them. Tucked in a quiet corner of the resort, this Osprey Spa is a hushed, sensory haven. My treatment – a grounding full-body hot stones massage – was as healing as it was luxurious. Every detail, from the welcome tea to the warmth of the treatment room, had been designed to comfort, soothe and restore. When it ended, I didn’t want to speak. I just wanted to lie there, in that delicious cocoon of stillness, where time felt soft and suspended.

Back in my villa, I scribbled a few notes into my journal: This place reminds you how to be soft with yourself. To walk slower. To listen more. To feel the wind shift and know it matters. That, I think, is the magic of Elements of Byron. As Amy Back, the Manager at Osprey Spa, shared with me, “Wellbeing here isn’t something you check into for an hour at the spa – it’s the way you begin your morning with yoga, the way you wander barefoot through the rainforest, and the way you slow down to watch the sun set.”

Wellness isn’t boxed into a timetable here at Elements of Byron. It’s not just in the offerings – it’s in the ethos. Woven into the rhythm of the place itself. So, if you’re craving more than a weekend away – if you’re seeking a wellness retreat in Byron Bay or a luxury stay that soothes your nervous system and stirs your soul – Elements of Byron might just be your place.