Trying something a bit different in Almeria, Southern Spain

Five years ago, Jerry Cope travelled around Spain and discovered Almeria . There were no package holidays, it was unknown, unspoilt and a pretty attractive proposition at a time he was looking to buy.

He spoke the language and, though he never considered actually living there, it was somewhere nice to go on holiday. But this notion soon developed into an idea for a business.

A former PR man, Jerry considers his old life as “a complete fake load of rubbish”. Bored, he took a new and calmer route. Anatomy, physiology and reflexology qualifications later, the idea for a luxury holiday centre with workshops came from talking with friends and clients.

Many aspired to learn new skills, but only had time in their holidays. If only you could relax in the sun, but instead of the inevitable monotony lying around creates, you could also learn something new in an informal setting.

Renovation and preparation for the business came into effect: Now, a group of experts teach courses including yoga, travel journalism, regional food, DJing and you can even “learn to drag in a week” Faking It -style, in an idyllic location, where guests can be pampered, but still have free run of the house.

The original slogan was “a health farm with a gin and tonic”. You get the picture. Enjoy a healthy dose of nutrition and fresh air, but, if one day you fancy chips and a bit of a booze-up, you can. And with no chastisement the next day – you'll get a massage instead.