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Travellers are no longer treating exercise as something to pause while they are away.
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Across Europe, active holidays are moving further into the mainstream as more people book trips built around training, movement and recovery rather than just sightseeing or time by the pool.
Traditional beach breaks are facing growing competition from active holidays, while 2026 travel trends show a rise in sport-led trips, especially around padel and pickleball.
Within the fitness tourism boom, some travellers are seeking high-performance training hubs with dedicated pools, expert coaching and structured classes, while others are opting for more relaxed, active escapes built around swimming, stretching, hiking or a few hours of sport each day.
As the “travelling to train” trend picks up pace, here are some of Europe’s top sports resorts that are shaping the future of this style of fitness break.
Club La Santa, Lanzarote, Spain
Want a resort where you can train properly? Club La Santa is a place for you.
The resort offers more than 80 different sports and more than 500 weekly classes, and it has long been tied to Lanzarote’s reputation as a serious base for cycling and triathlon.
Travellers also have access to structured sessions, open roads, warm weather and an atmosphere where early starts and double training days feel completely normal.
For anyone looking for the most recognisable active-holiday resort in Europe, this is near the top of the list.
Quinta do Lago, Algarve, Portugal
Quinta do Lago, located just 15 minutes from Faro airport, is one of Europe’s leading destinations for sport and active holidays, combining elite training facilities with a relaxed Algarve lifestyle.
At its core is The Campus, a high-performance multi-sports hub which has a focus on training, recovery and rehabilitation. It offers various sporting facilities and activities, from state-of-the-art gym facilities to rejuvenating yoga classes, as well as sports camps for kids.
Other family-friendly activities include cycling through the Ria Formosa Natural Park, water sports on the lake, or playing 18 holes on a championship-standard golf course.
Playitas Resort, Fuerteventura, Spain
Playitas Resort has also become one of the best-known names in Europe’s active travel space, especially for travellers who want a sport hotel built around triathlon-style training.
Its facilities include an eight-lane 50-metre Olympic pool and a cycle centre with more than 250 bikes, making it an ideal base for fitness camps and repeat training stays in 2026.
The resort emphasises on fitness and routine. You can swim, ride, run and recover in one place, and the cool sunny weather in Fuerteventura really helps with that.
It suits serious athletes, but it also travellers who simply like the idea of waking up somewhere sunny and having good facilities ready before breakfast instead of trying to piece together a workout from whatever a normal hotel gym happens to offer.
Forte Village, Sardinia, Italy
On the luxury side of sports travel, Forte Village’s facilities are definitely worth a mention.
The resort describes itself as a recognised sports resort and promotes academies across padel, road biking, mountain biking and more, alongside a wider sports programme that includes tennis, triathlon, pickleball and fitness.
For racquet sports enthusiasts, and those who like a good view while running, Forte Village lies in the centre of such sport interests.
Its premium race experience, Challenge Forte Village Sardinia, will be held this year on 24-25 October.
SIRO Boka Place, Tivat, Montenegro
A newer resort is SIRO Boka Place in Montenegro, which opened its doors in 2025.
Rather than focusing on one sport, it is built around a broader performance-and-recovery model.
The hotel is designed to help guests train better, recover better and sleep better, with dedicated fitness and recovery labs at the centre of the concept.
Recent reports have marked it as one of the most interesting active and wellness-led stays in Europe right now.
So for travellers who care as much about mobility, recovery and performance as they do about logging miles or counting sessions, this is the place to be.
Marpunta Resort, Alonnisos, Greece
For travellers who want a softer version of an active holiday, Marpunta Resort in Greece is a place worth noting. It offers movement-led holidays, promotes hiking, paddleboarding, tennis, scuba diving, yoga, Pilates and fitness classes.
It is planning organised retreats for these activities in 2026.
Those include INEX yoga retreats in June and September, a YogAqua week with paddleboard yoga, guided hikes and massage, and a new Ocean Rope Flow retreat centred on mobility, strength and functional movement.
With a blend of yoga and recreational sports, Maprunta is definitely for those who want a less intense and more relaxing yet active holiday.
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