Age-Old Wisdom For Modern Holiday Homes
by azulomo | 7 min read
The restful secret
How Blue Zones Can Shape Your Holiday Home
A Little Secret from the World’s Happiest Corners…
What if the secret to wellbeing wasn’t hidden in a wellness app or at the bottom of a smoothie bowl—but gently humming in the rhythm of your everyday surroundings? Not just a home. A feeling. A deep breath. Welcome to the Blue Zones.
These five humble places—Okinawa (Japan), Sardinia (Italy), Ikaria (Greece), Nicoya (Costa Rica), and Loma Linda (California)—have quietly captured the attention of scientists and soul-seekers alike. Not because they hold the key to immortality, but because they model something far richer: a life well lived. Longer, yes. But also lighter. Softer. More human.
At azulomo, we believe these places offer something truly valuable for modern-day hosts. Because the very essence of Blue Zone living—their calm, their rituals, their quiet contentment—can be beautifully mirrored in how we design and shape our holiday homes.
Whether you own a breezy apartment by the sea or a sun-dappled cottage in the hills, Blue Zone wisdom can help you craft a space that offers more than just accommodation. It offers rest. Clarity. Presence.
From Ikaria to Okinawa, the secret to living well starts with spaces that slow you down in all the right ways.
When it comes to holiday hosting, we often default to what’s visible: fluffy towels, good Wi-Fi, and a neutral-toned sofa. But the stays that linger in memory? They’re never just about how things looked—they’re about how they felt.
That’s where the Blue Zones come in.
While these longevity hotspots are worlds apart, they share a quiet brilliance: people in these places live longer, with more joy and fewer chronic illnesses—not because they’re trying harder, but because their environment supports it. Their homes, communities, and daily rituals are beautifully aligned with wellbeing.
As hosts, we have the rare opportunity to create that same kind of atmosphere. A place that doesn’t just impress—it exhales. A space that doesn’t just look good—but feels good. Whether your home is by Portugal’s coast or nestled inland, the principles from these five regions can help you shape spaces that soothe, nourish, and gently restore your guests.
Let’s take a slow, thoughtful wander through each of the Blue Zones and discover what they can teach us about designing calm, soulful, guest-ready homes.
1. Okinawa, Japan
“Ikigai” isn’t just a concept—it’s a lifestyle.
In Okinawa, life moves with meaning. People live by ikigai—a reason to get up in the morning. Not ambition, but intention. Not pressure, but presence. The elders garden, stretch, and cook slowly. They laugh with friends under the shade of trees, sipping herbal tea. Their meals? Bright, plant-based, and nourishing—sweet potatoes, tofu, greens, seaweed.
What hosts can borrow:
Create small pockets of purpose. A sunlit window seat. A yoga mat with a view. A cushion on a quiet balcony.
Add quiet rituals. A tea station with loose leaves and handwritten brewing instructions. A welcome note that simply asks: “What’s your ikigai today?”
Use natural materials and uncluttered design. Choose textures and colours that calm the eye and slow the breath.
Design kitchens that encourage calm cooking. Open shelving, ceramic mugs, wooden chopping boards—and maybe a recipe for miso broth tucked into a drawer.
Okinawa teaches us: purpose doesn’t need to be loud—it needs space.
2. Sardinia, Italy
Laugh often. Walk everywhere. Sip wine slowly.
In the hills of Sardinia, movement is built into the land. People live in multigenerational homes, eat lentils and flatbreads, and meet daily at the table. Their lives are full of walking, storytelling, and second helpings. It’s not a place of isolation—it’s a place of belonging.
What hosts can borrow:
Design for natural movement. Add gentle elevation, outdoor steps, or garden paths. Let guests explore the space like a slow stroll.
Celebrate shared meals. A big rustic table, a bottle of wine, and ceramic jugs that look like they’ve been passed down.
Add items that bring people together. Board games. A guest journal. A deck of cards with a view.
Infuse your space with humour and warmth. A cheeky sign in the kitchen. A note that says: “Dinner tastes better barefoot.”
Sardinia reminds us: hospitality is about connection, not perfection.
3. Ikaria, Greece
Time is elastic. Naps are sacred. Life is savoured.
On Ikaria, people forget to die because they’re too busy living gently. They nap when tired, eat late, and spend evenings drinking wine under fig trees with their neighbours. Food is grown in the garden. Conversations stretch long. Clocks don’t hold much sway.
What hosts can borrow:
Offer nap-friendly zones. A shaded hammock. A soft daybed. A breeze and a blanket.
Curate space for timelessness. Remove clocks from bedrooms. Let curtains float in the wind.
Introduce herbs and rituals. Rosemary for tea. Sage for smudging. Thyme to press between the pages of a journal.
Include a slow living guide. A card that reads: “Today’s itinerary: nap, sip, repeat.”
Ikaria teaches us: time is a feeling—not a schedule.
4. Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica
Move with nature. Live with purpose. Eat with gratitude.
In Nicoya, people live in harmony with the land. Their diet is simple: beans, corn, fruit. Their homes are open, airy, and deeply embedded in natural rhythms. What sets them apart is their plan de vida—a reason to rise that’s woven into their day.
What hosts can borrow:
Let the sun dictate your design. A breakfast nook where morning light streams in. A terrace that invites barefoot coffee sipping.
Use earthy, sensory materials. Clay, linen, wood, jute. Things that breathe.
Make the outdoors feel like part of the home. Outdoor showers. Open kitchens. Hammocks that sway between trees.
Invite guests to reflect. A notebook left by the bed, asking: “What gave your day meaning?”
Nicoya teaches us: a home can hold purpose, not just people.
5. Loma Linda, California (USA)
Faith, community, and food that fuels.
In Loma Linda, a strong spiritual life shapes a strong physical one. Many residents are Seventh-day Adventists who honour a weekly Sabbath, a day of rest and reconnection. Their diets are plant-based, their relationships strong, and their routines intentional.
What hosts can borrow:
Design space for pause. A reading nook. A candle by the bed. A basket of spiritual or philosophical books.
Make slow eating a joy. Provide fresh, local produce. Encourage plant-forward meals with a recipe card or shopping list.
Celebrate tech-free time. Add a gentle reminder in your welcome note: “Your phone’s invited too—but it’s okay if it takes a nap.”
Let guests make the stay their own kind of retreat. Optional rituals. Flexible check-out. A note that says, “Stay in bed a little longer.”
Loma Linda teaches us: rest is sacred—and deeply needed.
What You’re Really Creating
Designing a holiday home isn’t just about aesthetics. It’s about emotion. Energy. Feeling. The Blue Zones don’t offer trends—they offer truths. Truths that remind us we’re not meant to rush. Or over-style. Or pack days with things.
They show us that people thrive in spaces that invite:
Soft movement
Still mornings
Simple meals
Deep connection
And the chance to just be
When you weave that into your home, your guests won’t just relax. They’ll return to themselves.
—
One Wave at a Time
When you host from a place of calm, you offer something extraordinary.
You offer pause. You offer peace. You offer that long, deep breath most people didn’t know they were holding. Whether it starts with a herb sprig by the sink or a linen curtain caught in the breeze, soulful hosting doesn’t need to be loud. It just needs to be real. That’s how you make a holiday home feel like a little slice of something timeless.
One wave at a time.
That’s azulomo.
“The Blue Zones offer more than lifestyle inspiration—they reveal how thoughtful environments can shape deeper wellbeing. By weaving their principles into your holiday home design, you create more than a space—you create a feeling your guests will carry long after checkout. Calm, connection, and slow joy by design.”
