Join Sandra for this first villa getaway in Europe. She is teaming up with the wonderful Aanika of Yogamasti to bring you this amazing holiday in her newly converted villas, near the coast and overlooking the mountains in the south of Spain.
You will reconnect your body and mind. After a week's retreat, you will be energized and far more passionate about your own practice. It will leave you wanting more and give you the inner strength to discipline your practice. You will leave invigorated, motivated, and restored. If you are at an intermediate level in your practice, the retreat will offer you an enhanced practice that goes to a deeper level, as teachers go past the asana and connect you to your soul.
This is the key to a wonderful continuing practice, working on opening your crown chakras. If you are an advanced yogi, you will be simply enthralled by the whole experience. Many times during your asana practice, you forget to incorporate good pranayama and proper relaxation which is needed to connect you to yourself. Ceremonies and varied styles will pour love into your hearts and perhaps open your eyes to new truths, as your connection to your practice will definitely go deeper.
Day 1 - Tuesday, Travel to Morocco - Arrival at Marrakesh Menara Airport (RAK) - Riad
Majoub, your wonderful tour guide, will pick you up from the airport and bring you to your first riad. You will be welcomed with Moroccan mint tea and shown your gorgeous rooms. This afternoon will be slow, allowing you to truly land and rest before the adventure starts. You will share an opening ceremony and circle to begin to connect as a group and enjoy your first Moroccan meal in the riad itself. Ending the day with a guided meditation relaxation and sound bath to ground you and leave you ready for bed. You will stay overnight in Marrakech.
Day 2 - Wednesday, Marrakech
Wake up to the first sunrise yoga sharing on a gorgeous terrace, followed by your first of many tasty traditional Moroccan breakfasts. This day holds lots of interesting places and attractions to take in with a guided city tour of Marrakesh, exploring its craft areas, souks, histories, stunning architecture, and beyond. Included in the tour are entrance and guided talks on the Bahia Palace, the Ben Youssef Madrasa, and the Saadian Tombs. Ending the tour in a terraced bar to enjoy lunch in this colorful city.
You will then travel to the Majorelle - Yves Saint Lauren Botanical Gardens, a relaxed and colorful tropical space of beauty to enjoy at a leisurely pace. It also holds an art area and a history museum within its walls. There will be some free time in the afternoon for you to do as you wish - perhaps explore the souks more, rest and relax, drink tea in a cute cafe, and more. Enjoy dinner overlooking the famous Marrakesh square taking in its energy. Before returning to the riad for a relaxation session under the stars. You will stay overnight in Marrakech.
Day 3 - Thursday, Marrakech - Atlas mountains - Ait Ben Hadou
Enjoy terrace yoga in the sun, before breakfast. Depart from Marrakech to start the adventure traveling this land's spectacular roads and terrains. Passing the stunning Tiz’n Tichka - the highest road pass in the Atlas mountains in Morocco with panoramic scenery of mountains, valleys, Berber villages, and an ever-changing landscape. The driving will continue to treat your eyes and senses to an array of terrains and views as you travel.
Including a lunch or refreshment stop. Continuing the travel until you reach Fint Oasis, tucked away between and amongst palm groves, streams, and volcanic mountains in time for a gorgeous sunset. Arriving with some free time to swim, walk, or simply relax. Ending the day with dinner and a restful relaxation session.
Day 4 - Friday, Ait Ben Hadou to Mhamid - Mahjoub's serene desert camp
Start the day with a spectacular sunrise overlooking a breathtaking view of the ancient village that will be all a glow, followed by yoga and breakfast. Continue the yoga venture in a four-by-four for M’Hamid - the gateway to the Sahara, through the Draa Valley and its thousand and one Kasbahs, along 200 kilometers of palm groves. Stopping for lunch in Zagora before getting back on the road.
The next stop will be in Tamgroute to visit a pottery and cooperative town to see how and where such craft is made. Continuing to M’Hamid, the last Draa oasis and village before the Sahara desert. Just on from there, you will enter the sandy lands and stay at Majoub's peaceful and family-ran desert camp, arriving to mint tea and traditional nibbles in a beautiful beduin tent. Time to walk around the camp and up some small dunes to enjoy the sunset among dunes and palms.
After dinner, you will get to enjoy a Saharawi evening of ambiance and live music around the campfire. Followed by a soothing session of starlight meditation and sound bath. Option to sleep under the stars. Watch out for shooting stars this eve. You will sleep in a Majoub's family-ran desert camp in your own nomadic mud huts (fully equipped and with electricity).
Day 5 - Saturday, Mhamid - Mahjoub's serene desert camp
Wake up to sunrise yoga in the camp's center, surrounded by palm trees and nomadic huts, followed by breakfast. You have this beautiful space to yourself and it is run by Mahjoub and his family. The feeling of peace and spaciousness here is palpable. Enjoy the slowness this land shares. There are a few shared shaded spaces to enjoy within. Today, you will visit the local village of Mhamid, the last town before the desert. Get a feel for the real-life locals lead exploring the streets and mazes of this place and visit a few small shops, where there are lots of crafts and well prices shopping to be done.
You will return back to the camp for some more free time and welcome the warmth of the sunset before a delicious dinner. Followed by a soothing session of starlight meditation and sound bath. Option to sleep under the stars. Watch out for shooting stars this eve. You will sleep in a Majoub's family-ran desert camp in your own nomadic mud huts (fully equipped and with electricity).
Day 6 - Sunday, Mhamid Mahjoub's camp - Hotel Azalay
Wake up to sunrise yoga in the camp's center, surrounded by palm trees and nomadic huts, followed by breakfast. From there, land in a beautiful traditional hotel with an amazing indoor pool within an arched domed building. Free afternoon to relax, swim, enjoy, and sunbathe before dinner. Ending the day with a soothing sound bath to send you drifting dreamily to bed. You will sleep overnight in a beautiful traditional hotel on the outskirts of M'hamid village - Hotel Azalay.
Day 7 - Monday, Mhamid Hotel Azalay - Erg Chegaga dunes in the Sahara
Connect to the amazing surroundings with a walking meditation followed by yoga and breakfast. Free morning to relax, swim, and sunbathe. Your lunch will be in the hotel. In the afternoon, you travel to a big desert camp further into the land of endless dunes to an area known as Erg Chegaga where you will receive a warm welcome with Moroccan mint tea and dates. Once the evening draws in, you will venture via a camel ride up towards higher dunes, ready to enjoy the big sandy peaks in time to watch a magical and unforgettable sunset.
You can walk if you do not want to go by camel. Followed by a traditional dinner in an amazing Beduin-style tent. The day will end under the vastest of skies, for a mystical relaxation session. Watch out for shooting stars this eve. Option to sleep under the stars. You will sleep overnight in an amazing typical desert camp - Erg Chegaga camp (fully equipped and with electricity, etc.)
Above represents the daily schedule for 7 Day Yogaventure Holiday In Alicante In A Beautiful Retreat Villa Overlooking The Mountains Sandra & Sofia's Yoga Venture's it is subject to change with notice from the yoga school.
Join Sandra for daily yoga, sound journeys, relaxation sessions, and more. Journey to the sunny Costa Blanca on the Southeastern coast of Spain, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, named after its white sandy beaches and known for its rugged wild landscapes and mountainous views. Start each day with an awakening yoga flow in a shala overlooking the surrounding mountains. Each day ends with a bedtime session of relaxation under the star-filled moonlit skies.
Sharing guided meditations, yoga Nidras, sound baths, gentle stretches, sometimes massage, and more. You will be surrounded by magical views from all directions, with the mountains so close that you will feel you could reach out and touch them. Take a dip in private pools and drink freshly squeezed juices in the poolside cabana. Your body will be nourished with a vegan and vegetarian menu, created to be nutritious and delicious.
Dreamed up and brought to you between Sandra & Sofia's Yoga Venture and their long-time friend Aanika who has been converting these two beautiful villas especially to hold yoga retreats and is inspired by her Indian heritage. This trip offers you time to come home to your sacred body, gifting your nervous system space to recalibrate and heal through practices and sharings that help you embody your true nature.
All yoga abilities are welcome. Sandra & Sofia's Yoga Venture offers different options or levels and safe adjustments to suit everyone. Everything they share is simply an invitation and guidance, where they welcome you to do whatever feels right for you. Experienced teachers, especially Sandra, have taught yoga to all ages and walks of life. The teachers will offer different adaptations to suit your individual body, energy, and ability. If you are a beginner, you will gain in-depth experience in how to move your body in an asana and how to control your breath.
You will be served daily breakfast, lunch, and dinner (except for bar one evening meal where you will explore the local cuisine on a day out) included in the price. Organic, vegan-friendly cuisine that supports a restorative retreat is all included. Every meal is catered throughout your stay so you can experience chef-made delicious meals every single day. The Yogaventure also caters to gluten-free and other dietary requirements and allergies. You will state your needs when you book.
There will be an array of dishes and flavour / food themes, all selected by the in-house chef. The goal is to give your body the perfect nourishment it needs to restore your mind and body. Food plays a huge part in how you feel. Most meals will be enjoyed al fresco, serving your meals in the beautiful villa courtyard.
Sample Indian Thali, curries, and fresh baked bread and cookies. Seasonal fruits, homemade granola, and tasty chia puddings will start your day right. Enjoy options from around the world, with sit-down dinners each evening and a special live-service barbecue night with the chef. Sip freshly squeezed juices from fruit trees (nature allowing) in the Spanish sun and know that you do not have to worry about cooking a single meal for a week.
The following meals are included:
The following drinks are included:
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and catered for:
Other dietary requirements on request
