Nestled in Andalucias spectacular national park, Sierra de Grazalema, lies a collection of charming Spanish Villas.
Surrounded by lush mountains in the middle of the nature reserve the Andalucian sunlight illuminates the panoramic views. This unique retreat center has 5 swimming pools, a tennis court, gardens, terraces and an array of hiking trails in what BBC Travel considers the best place to hike in all of Andalucia. The collection of villas has a total of 17 rooms, each with A/C and heat, wifi, and can be single or double occupancy. Each villa does have it’s own full kitchen, but we will have a full staff of talented chefs who will be preparing 3 tasty vegetarian meals daily, served in the main house, buffet style. Wine will be available for purchase, and dietary restrictions (not preferences) can be accommodated.
Sierra de Grazalema is situated in Southern central Spain, approximately an hour from Malaga and Marbella and 1.5 hours from Seville, with Ronda being the nearest town.
Malaga and Seville are the best airports to plan on arriving at and from there I can arrange ground transportation via our hosts. The hiking is one of the many draws to this part of Spain, with several trails within Sierra de Grazalema, and there will be at least 1 guided hike (hopefully more) scheduled during our week for those who would like to explore.
I will also organize a visit to Zahara de la Sierra, a small whitewashed village with an olive oil producer where we can walk around and take a guided tour of the olive oil factory and experience a tasting of their olive oil, regional cheeses and sherry (for those who would like).
Additionally there’ll be a day/evening trip to Ronda to explore and then attend a Flamenco performance (of course!) and a wine tasting before the show. I am also hoping to add a day trip to Seville! As always you can join as many of these day trips or none – it’s your retreat and travel experience to craft EXACTLY how you want it.
One of the villas, El Rancho, has one single bedroom and one double bedroom with a shared bath, as well as it’s own private swimming pool, terraces and gardens. This could be a perfect villa for a small family or a few friends to share.
Additionally, there is the private villa, La Romantica, that has one double bedroom, full bath, kitchen, private pool, terraces and gardens for a couple or friends who don’t mind sharing a bed.
There is also a very special Junior Suite in the main Villa, El Cortijo, with an arab bathtub, and it’s own private tower (!). Other than these unique accommodations all rooms have private bathroom and can be double or single occupancy.
We will practice yoga every morning, and 3 or 4 afternoons (excursion schedule depending) in the spacious, light and airy yoga shala in the main house. The yoga shala is fully stocked with mats and props (blankets, bolsters, blocks, straps, meditation cushions). Classes will be accessible to all with an emphasis on modifying as needed and scaling it up or down to suit your needs. There is always a wide variety of practitioners with different physical challenges, agility abilities and every other imaginable permutation and Claire is all about yoga being an inclusive, available-to-all practice. Please see below a sample schedule of a typical day:
A Sample Day
7:00a ~ Coffee, tea
8:00a ~ Morning Yoga
9:30a ~ Breakfast
10:00 a ~ Free time! Hike/massage/lounge by the pool/reading/napping!!
12/1p ~ Lunch
Afternoons ~ Excursions/Hiking with a guide
5.30p ~ Afternoon Yoga
7:30p ~ Dinner
Your Investment:
Shared room, en-suite bathroom based on 2 people sharing – $2700 per person
Private room, en-suite bathroom – $4000
Junior Suite, en-suite bathroom, based on 2 people sharing 1 bed – $3800 per person
Junior Suite, Private (1 person), en-suite bathroom – $5500
What’s Included:
• 7 nights accommodation
• 3 delicious, freshly-prepared vegetarian meals daily
• Yoga daily, twice daily 3/4 days
• Exclusive use of the entire retreat property located in the Parque Sierra de Grazalema with gorgeous panoramic views and gardens
• A variety of swimming pools, tennis court, massages available (for additional fee), hiking trails in the park, beautiful terraces and gardens to explore, hair-dryers in accommodations, heaters/air conditioning in accommodations
• So much more!
What’s NOT included:
• Your Flights!
• Excursions
• Wine/alcohol both on and off the retreat property
• Any Lunches/meals off-property
Deposit of $750 reserves your spot. DEPOSITS ARE NON-REFUNDABLE. Cancellations prior to February 1st 2025 will receive a refund less the $750 deposit. Cancellations after February 1st 2025 are non-refundable with any outstanding monies owed fully payable. From January 1st 2025 onward full amount is required upon registration and any remaining balances are due. PARTICIPANTS ARE RESPONSIBLE TO BE ADEQUATELY INSURED, THEREFORE TRAVELER’S INSURANCE IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED. We highly recommend that all our participants secure quality travel insurance. AIG offers Travel Guard, and Sqauremouth is an online platform that aggregates between insurers to provide competitive rates. By submitting payment toward your retreat you agree to these terms. PLEASE PURCHASE TRAVEL INSURANCE – Unforeseen circumstances do occasionally happen and you must take responsiblity for your own circumstances.
