Make it a Mediterranean Summer: Summer Tips Inspired by the Blue Zones
- Steph
- Jul 5
- 3 min read
Ever a source of inspiration for us and our retreats, and yet surprisingly simple and intuitive, the Blue Zone principles are a way of moving through the day that Greece has practised for generations, long before anyone put a label on it.
This summer, we're borrowing five of those everyday habits - nothing complicated, and nothing you need to buy. Just some inspiration for a slower, saltier, more sun-drenched way to live for the next couple of months.
1. Put the stove away
Blue Zone kitchens in summer barely use heat. Why stand over a hot pan when the season hands you everything you need raw, ripe, and ready? Think tomatoes still warm from the sun, freshly plucked oregano, cucumbers, crumbled feta, a fistful of olives, a good glug of olive oil — done. No recipe required, though we happen to have plenty on the blog if you want one.
And then there's the fruit. Peaches, apricots, figs, watermelon by the slice, grapes eaten straight off the bunch with your feet in the sea. Let your kitchen rest this summer. Let the fruit bowl do the work instead.
2. Make time for veggera
What is veggera, you might ask? Well, have you ever seen those pictures of village locals sitting outside their homes - on stoops, stools, or whatever's at hand - more often than not, not even consuming anything but a long-forgotten Greek coffee that's been sitting for hours? Just being together, in conversation (and yes, a lot of neighbourhood gossip too) that goes on into the wee hours of the night: that’s what veggera is all about.
Forget the dinner-party pressure. This is just about people, present, with nowhere else they'd rather be.
Blue Zone researchers have found that strong social ties and daily, low-stakes connections are as protective as anything on a dinner plate. So pull up a chair. Call the people you keep meaning to call. Let the evening run long.
3. Treat the sunset like an event.
When you’re on a summer holiday in Greece, your day is basically divided into: breakfast, beach, lunch, post-lunch nap, sunset, and whatever it is you decide to do next. You’ll notice people around you treating it like an event, so follow suit: find a rooftop, a rock, a beach bar, and just watch.
It's ten minutes of built-in mindfulness as the light changes and a feeling, like a long exhale, of the heat slowly lifting that nobody had to call "mindfulness" for it to work. Try it tonight, even if the view is just your balcony. Watch the whole thing, start to finish, before you go back to your evening.
4. Be near water, as much as you can.
Sun, sea and the salt drying stiff in your hair by the time you sit down for lunch: a quintessential Greek experience, and one that we would be remiss not to include.
Being near water lowers the whole tempo of a day. It cools you, it slows you, it gives you somewhere to go that isn't indoors. So swim if you can, and if you have access to a beach, let your hair dry salty. Skip the shower rinse for a few hours and just enjoy smelling like the sea.
5. Protect your siesta
The midday heat in Greece is met with quiet surrender. Tradition says shops close, shutters come down, and the whole country agrees to rest for a couple of hours. Although modern-day living -as with so many other things- has unfortunately come for this Mediterranean staple as well, its benefits stand. A midday pause, even a short one, is linked to lower stress and better long-term health across every Blue Zone studied.
You don't need a full nap. Twenty minutes horizontal in a dark, cool room does the job. Let the sun do its worst outside while you disappear for a while. You'll come back to the evening a different person.
None of these tips require a plan, a budget, or a retreat booking (and we don’t do these in the summer for a reason) - though if you'd like to practice all five in one place, during a more forgiving season, surrounded by Greek nature and with someone else doing the cooking, you know where to find us.
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