“Read And Recharge” In Wales’ Top Bookcation Destinations

Travellers are swapping bucket lists for book stacks as reading retreats become the wellness break of 2025. “Bookcations” are booming across the UK and Europe as burnt out professionals seek digital detox and mental restoration through escapes designed for rest, reading, and cosy literary immersion.

• Pinterest searches for ‘book retreats’ soar by 103% in the last year while Google searches for ‘reading retreats’ are also up by 14% to 6,000 searches per month 
• Book lovers are looking for ‘book club retreat ideas’ more than ever, with Pinterest searches up 265%
• Travel expert shares top bookcation destinations for literary lovers including, Hay-on-Wye in Wales, Margate on the Kent coast, and up on Shetland Island

Dimitris Floros, CCO at Welcome Pickups says: “Bookcations blend the nostalgia of old‑school reading with modern desires for digital detox, wellness, and slow travel. Rather than ticking off tourist hotspots, more people are seeking a different form of R&R – they want to Read & Recharge, and there’s no better way to do that than by getting lost in a good book for some meaningful downtime.”

Whether you’re looking for a solo Bookcation or a reading retreat with the whole book club, Dimitris reveals some less obvious bookish destinations that are perfect for literary lovers.

Hay-on-Wye, Wales

Arguably the ultimate Bookcation destination in the UK, Hay-on-Wye is full of year-round bookish charm. World famous for having over 20 bookshops in a town of just 1,500 people, the small town is also the world’s first official “Book Town”.

Bookish highlights include “honesty bookshops” set among castle ruins, where visitors can browse and pay via donation, and also the internationally acclaimed Hay Festival, which draws thousands of readers and authors every year for talks, readings, and workshops. Nestled near the River Wye and Brecon Beacons, Hay offers reading enthusiasts quaint café nooks, market-town charm, and a deep literary spirit welcoming any book lover.

Margate, Kent 

With sandy beaches, big skies, and restorative sea air, Margate invites slow travel and quiet reading, perfect for Bookcations. The Kentish coastal town has a vibrant arts and indie culture, with vintage bookshops, literary cafés, and creative hubs that foster the reading (and writing) life.

Margate and its neighbouring towns have inspired generations of writers, and the area’s Georgian and Victorian resorts, chalk cliffs, and smugglers’ bays have featured in the works of writers like T.S. Eliot and Charles Dickens. There are a number of self-guided walks that will introduce visitors to the bookish highlights of this quintessential seaside town, including one of the unlikeliest Grade II listed buildings in the country: Nayland Rock promenade shelter. It is here where Eliot is said to have written the poem The Waste Land.

Shetland, Scotland

The rugged island of Shetland is a quietly powerful bookish destination thanks to its unique blend of landscape, literary output, and cultural depth. With its windswept coasts, moorlands, and isolation, Shetland offers the perfect backdrop for a Bookcation. 

The island’s pace of life encourages slow, immersive reading. Whether in a croft house, by a peat fire, or on a quiet cliffside walk. Shetland has inspired a growing body of both fiction and non-fiction. From crime novels (like Ann Cleeves’ Shetland series) to poetic meditations on land and sea, its literary scene is grounded in a deep sense of place. In short, Shetland is ideal for readers seeking solitude, scenery, and stories.

Óbidos, Portugal

A short drive from Lisbon is a UNESCO Creative City of Literature, where the walled town’s cultural identity revolves around books, reading and storytelling. Here, you’ll find bookshops in the most unlikely places, where the town has transformed old spaces into bookish havens – with bookstores in churches, wine cellars and even fire stations.

Óbidos is a town that simply breathes books. Beyond tourism, the town has made books part of daily life, even hosting the annual Fólio – International Literary Festival, bringing writers and readers together in open-air venues and historic halls. With cobbled streets, whitewashed houses, and medieval walls, Óbidos is a great Bookcation destination thanks to its unique fusion of medieval charm and literary culture. 

Stuttgart, Germany

Dubbed Europe’s most bookish city thanks to its libraries and book-loving culture, Stuttgart is another excellent Bookcation destination for literature lovers who appreciate architecture, culture, and a modern twist on the reading experience.

With a vibrant literary culture of its own, there are literary and art-themed walking tours on offer that let visitors explore local stories, landmarks, and creative spaces, including the Stadtbibliothek Stuttgart, one of the most beautiful and futuristic libraries in the world. Stuttgart also hosts the Stuttgart Book Fair every November, one of Germany’s largest regional literary events, with readings, exhibitions, and publishers from across Europe – a great time to visit the city for a book-centric escape.

Reykjavík, Iceland

Another UNESCO City of Literature, Reykjavík holds this title for its high literary output, thriving publishing industry, and reverence for storytelling. The Icelandic capital is another ideal Bookcation destination thanks to the rugged scenery and reader-friendly lifestyle.

Iceland publishes more books per capita than anywhere else in the world, and giving books at Christmas is a national tradition, making reading central to everyday life. Additionally, the capital city features literature walks, poetry slams, and even a roving bookmobile that brings books to locals and tourists alike. Reykjavík’s small size, colourful architecture, and natural beauty encourage a pace perfect for book lovers while natural wonders like the Blue Lagoon offer a uniquely Icelandic reading spot for getting lost in a book.

Dimitris adds: “The increasing demand for relaxed and uncurated holidays reflects a broader shift towards travel that nourishes the mind and soul rather than just seeing new sights. Bookcations and loosely planned reading retreats fulfil this demand beautifully. From a travel services standpoint, this trend means tailoring not just the accommodation or transport, but also the environment. Quiet reading nooks, local bookshop tours, literary dinner events, mindfulness spaces will create a seamless experience for guests.”

Welcome Pickups offers ground transfers to each of these Bookcation destinations, as well as 350 other inspiring locations around the world. Find out more at welcomepickups.com