Longevity may well remain a buzzword in the wellness world, but at Finnish Lapland’s Octola Private Wilderness, something new hints at the idea of it being taken rather seriously indeed: air so clean it can add time to your lifespan. And as the company prepares to launch Octola II in December 2025, it now has the data to back up that claim.
Longevity-focused luxury wellness travel experiences have surged in popularity in recent years, as the health-conscious seek out Blue Zones or head to high-end spas for biohacking treatments. These types of experiences also go hand in hand with another emerging trend: fresh air tourism. As people around the globe – particularly urban dwellers – face worsening air quality, breathing clean air becomes a greater luxury, and a highly sought-after one at that. This means that travel can be not only a much-needed break from the mundane but also an opportunity to undo some of the havoc smog has wreaked on the body.
It helps to explain why there’s an uptick in travellers seeking out fresh-air destinations, whether that means remote mountain retreats, oxygenating spa treatments, or stays at hotels and resorts that distinguish themselves by the quality of their air. Cue Octola, an ultra-luxurious carbon-negative retreat in Finland (which OutThere has had the pleasure of visiting), that’s the world’s first destination to measure and monitor air, providing academic-grade data on air quality both for the benefit of guests and researchers.
This adds even greater weight to the research-backed claim that spending just a week in Finnish Lapland can increase lifespan by several hours, or even more for those who live in areas with poor air quality. What’s more luxurious than gaining extra time in life, especially if it can be done naturally while unwinding in a beautiful Arctic retreat?
That a retreat to a destination with pure air is only accessible to the select few who can afford it, while countless people on earth deal with an air quality crisis, brings to light the absurdity of global inequalities – shouldn’t we all be entitled to clean air? But Octola’s initiative on air quality research is about more than providing a luxurious experience or backing up longevity claims. Hard data from Octola’s property will be available to scientists, which means the program has the potential to improve the understanding of air quality, something that impacts every single one of us. In 2025, one of the responsibilities of luxury travel is not only to offer unique, high-quality, lavish experiences, but also to add value more broadly and contribute to the betterment of lives everywhere in the process.
Considering the approximate locations of Octola’s properties (the actual addresses are not disclosed), it makes sense that the air quality is excellent. Each site is located in its own quiet pocket of wilderness in the Arctic Circle, surrounded by forests, snowfields, and far-reaching views. The first Octola was opened by local Janne Honkanen and business partner Formula 1 world champion Mika Häkkinen in 2018, and has been a hit among guests, who come for immersion in this otherworldly landscape and fascinating local culture. Octola II, which is scheduled to launch in December, is situated on 1,730 acres of pristine Lapland wilderness.
The new property’s alpine chic hardwood lodge includes five bedrooms, an on-site spa, and multiple saunas. In a place where the Northern Lights are visible over 200 nights a year, a glass viewing area is a key and thoughtful addition. There’s also the new Octola II Supersuite Villa, with two large ensuite bedrooms that have their own saunas, baths, and outdoor tubs, plus a shared glass living room for comfortable aurora viewing.
While staying on the property, guests can participate in Respiro Octola, a set of health and wellness experiences infused with Arctic and Sámi traditions, further complementing the natural longevity-enhancing properties of the air. The fully customisable programme may include experiences that range from guided breathwork and sauna time to yoga, ice swimming, and more, all aligned with the surrounding culture and nature. This is in addition to curated activities like guided hikes, forest bathing, fishing, reindeer feeding, and interactions with local communities. Here seems another opportunity for the Octola experience to make a real contribution, provided these activities empower local people and pay homage to their heritage.
Unfortunately, staying at Octola is not as simple as booking a rental online. Just short of being invite-only (which the teaser for Octola III says it will be), the company accepts guests from a private waiting list. So until the data collected as part of this new initiative contributes to real change in air quality that can be felt around the world, the life-extending benefits of Finnish Lapland will remain the ultimate luxury: those who manage to make it to this off-grid private wilderness are guaranteed to breathe a deep, life-extending sigh of relief.
Photography courtesy of Octola Private Wilderness and Octola II
