Breathe. Move. Surf. Be.
Yoga + Surf Retreat
April 14th to 23rd | São Luís, PortugalWhat to ExpectCome and join us for 10 days under the spring sun in Portugal — a deeply restorative experience of yoga, breathwork, surf, and connection. Our retreat center, Pachawa, is tucked away in the wild beauty of the Alentejo, surrounded by ancient oak trees, birdsong, and a lovingly tended permaculture garden.
This is no ordinary retreat — it’s a living, breathing container for genuine connection, creative exploration, and soulful rest. Here, you can find: clarity, calm, and vitality.
❋ Daily yoga practices
Each morning, we’ll practice Vinyasa Flow, pranayama, and meditation. In the evenings, we’ll return to the mat for gentle Yin Yoga and grounding meditation to help you let go.
❋ YOU Time!
After brunch, the time is yours — take a walk, surf the Atlantic waves, soak up the sun, dive into silence, or connect in conversation.
❋ Healing support
Throughout the week, we’ll offer Thai-Yoga massages, Reiki, and intentional breathwork. There will also be small, reflective self-awareness sessions.
❋ Surf's Up!
In partnership with a local surf school, you can join surf sessions in the Atlantic.
❋ Community connection
Every evening we’ll come together to share nourishing meals and unwind with quiet conversations, maybe some music or games, or dancing, or star-gazing. We believe life and all of its elements are experiences to be shared.
The Setting
Our retreat is set on the Atlantic coast of Portugal, where the spring sun warms your skin and the ocean breeze clears your mind.
The Pachawa retreat center is a sanctuary in nature — simple yet soulful. It's more about authenticity than luxury, offering space to slow down and feel alive. This place is a playground for creative souls, a retreat for visionaries, and a home for those who long to return to themselves.
The Food
Meals are vegetarian, seasonal, and largely sourced locally — 80% of the food comes from within 20 km, thanks to the permaculture garden, food forest, and herb spiral.
You’ll enjoy a healthy brunch each morning and a nourishing buffet-style dinner in the evening. Snacks and fruit are also available throughout the day.
The Accommodation
Choose your stay from four unique options:
Apartment with a private bathroom
Tiny House (shared “outdoor” bathroom)
Converted Fire-Truck (shared “outdoor” bathroom)
Dome (a large, round tent) with shared “outdoor” facilities
There are three shared outdoor toilets and showers on the property.
“Breathe. Move. Surf. Be.”
———it’s not just our motto, it’s our way of life for these ten days.
“I think it is essential sometimes to go into retreat, to stop everthing that you have been doing, to stop your beliefs and experiences completely and look at them anew, not keep on repeating like machines whether you believe or don’t believe. You would let fresh air into your minds.” —Jiddu Krishnamurti
Day OneArrive & Meet
As everyone arrives, we take time to settle in, get comfortable, take a breath and smell the Atlantic air, and begin connecting with those around us. The journey really starts here.
Check-In3:00pmWelcoming drinks + snacksstarting at 3:45pmMovement practice5:15pm to 6:30pmDinner7:00pmEvening meditation/Yoga Nidra8:30pm to 9:00pm
Day Two thru Day NineBreathe. Move. Surf. Be.
Our plan over the main retreat days will be inviting you to practice, enjoy your free time at our retreat home and/or find your way to the beach for sunrays, yoga play and surf, or in nature for some meditative walks, or make time for a wellness treatment offered by your facilitators. Everything is optional. your time = your choice = your freedom
Silent Group Meditation8:00am to 8:20amMorning practice8:30am to 10amBrunch10:30am-11:30amFree time… enjoy…Evening practice6:00pm to 7:15pmDinner7:30pm
Day TenLook Forward & Wrap Up
We explore the possibilities beyond this moment, making space for growth, action, and forward momentum. As we end our time together, we honor the experience, the growth, and the connections made along the way.
Morning Group Meditation8:00am to breakfastBreakfast9:00amCheck-out/Goodbyes10:30amMoving ahead...maybe you continue your travel journey and explore Portugal, maybe a final group surf lesson before the evening falls, or you make your way home with a refreshed feeling… not matter what, we will stay connected. <3The Retreat Facilitators
Danielle DeGrandis
Yoga Teacher + Massage Therapist (bodywork) + Reiki Master (energy work)
37 years old, warm-hearted, self-employed, curious about life and has a deep love for nature.
Danielle is drawn to yoga as a living practice of presence—one that weaves together body, breath, and inner listening. She values presence over perfection, guiding herself and others to move with curiosity rather than expectation. Through the expansion and contraction of breath and movement, and the quiet awareness found in stillness, yoga becomes a space of continual return—cultivating clarity, resilience, and a deep connection to life as it unfolds.
Ralf Zimmermann
Yoga Teacher + Thai Yoga Massage Practitioner and Trainer44 years old, adventurous and grounded, Dad of two, passionate about kite-surfing, yoga, and breath.
For Ralf, yoga is the state of arriving in the moment. A feeling of dancing lightness. Like a flow in which you end up when you completely drown in the music at a concert and understand the moment as it is in the here and now.
At the same time, yoga is the way to bring mindfulness and presence into the moment and to simply be with everything as it is right now.
The final details…
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Prices per person (incl. VAT):
Apartment (private bathroom): €1,800
Tiny House (shared bath): €1,750
Fire-Truck (shared bath): from €1,650
Dome (shared bath): €1,600
Most accommodations are double occupancy.
Apartments can host up to 3 people; the other options are for shared occupancy (single occupancy is possible at an extra cost).
Spots are limited.
To book or reserve: send us an email with "Retreat Portugal 2026" and we will email you with booking information ASAP.
After you sign up, we ask for a 40% deposit, then the remainder 3 months before the retreat
Cancellation policy:
Until 12 weeks before: 50% fee
Until 8 weeks before: 75% fee
After 4 weeks / no-show: full price
You can transfer your spot to someone else, and we can support you in finding a replacement. We also recommend getting travel cancellation insurance.
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Airport transfers (from Lisbon or Faro) can be booked. Please contact Danielle or Ralf for more details.
We’ll create a WhatsApp group before the retreat, so people can coordinate shared transport or carpooling.
Mats, bolsters, blocks, blankets are supplied — but feel free to bring your own yoga mat
Bed linen & towels are provided; you might want to bring a larger beach towel
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Welcome gift
Yoga program (daily 2-3 sessions)
10 nights in shared double accommodation
Vegetarian/vegan full board (breakfast, brunch, snacks, teas/coffee, dinner)
Not included: travel to Portugal, transfers, and personal activities like surfing, treatments by Ralf and/or Danielle, local tours or adventures, etc.
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A gentle, grounded start to spring 2026
Time by the sea with sun, surf, and soulful company
Daily yoga, breathwork practices & restorative movement
Space to rest, reflect, and simply be
Healing touches: massage & energetic work
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For questions, please reach out to Danielle or Ralf.
Danielle via Whole Bodhi Wellness info@wholebodhiwellness.com
Ralf via be YOGA info@be-yoga.org
Pachawa Retreat Center https://pachawa.com
Surf Milfontes Surf School https://surfmilfontes.pt/en/