Words by Avishag Elkayam
This October, Eha Retreat welcomes its first guests to Hiiumaa, a remote Estonian island surrounded by the Baltic Sea, forests and wetlands. Founded by Eva Maran and Sonny Aswani, the new retreat draws on Estonian traditions and the rhythms of its natural surroundings to offer an alternative to the increasingly busy world of modern wellness.
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Rather than operating simply as a hotel with a spa, Eha is built around multi-day retreat programmes that change throughout the year. Movement, meditation and breathwork are combined with forest therapy, sauna rituals, body treatments, creative workshops and time outdoors, with plenty of space deliberately left for rest. Each programme responds to the season, from Autumn Inner Balance, focused on grounding and reflection, to Winter Sleep & Stillness, centred on deep rest and healthier sleep rhythms.
That connection to the island extends to the kitchen. Michelin Green Star-awarded Estonian chef Peeter Pihel leads a predominantly plant-based and pescatarian menu shaped by what is available locally and seasonally. Ingredients come from Eha’s own kitchen garden and nearby growers, fishermen, fermenters and foragers, bringing wild herbs, berries, mushrooms and seaweed into the experience.
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The retreat itself follows the same understated philosophy. Designed by Estonian architect Tiit Trummal, with interiors by UNT+CO and Studio Argus, the spaces reinterpret local building traditions through natural materials, reed-thatched roofs and a restrained Nordic sensibility. The architecture is designed to sit quietly within the landscape rather than distract from it.
At Eha, wellness is less about optimisation and more about returning to basic rhythms: moving, eating well, sleeping deeply and spending time outside. Opening this month on one of Estonia’s most secluded islands, it offers a compelling reminder that sometimes the most restorative thing to do is simply slow down.
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