Sunday, May 27, 2018
Easter Yoga and Pilates retreat in Andalusia
Easter Pilates and Yoga retreat in Andalusia
27th March - 2nd April 2018
After early morning departure from London my friend and I ended up in Malaga. After freezing cold winter in London we finally were welcomed by the wonderful sun of southern Spain. After our arrival we had a few spare hours to wonder around. We hired the car and went to the beach. It took us 10min drive to get to the sea side. It was such a good idea to walk for 3 hours along the coast. We jumped into the ice-cold water of the turquoise sea. The feeling of double speed of blood circulation was such an experience. After we got out of the water the world seemed to stop and we were super quite and relaxed. Such an amazing feeling for the body which feels and looks 10 years younger and for the mind which feels calmer and relieved.
We’ve managed to get sunburn before we arrived to the airport. 3 of us headed to the supermarket to buy lots of food for 7 people to feed during 7 day stay in the countryside of Fuente del Conde in Casa Ana.
We arrived at the property in the evening. Casa Ana is immersed in the nature surrounded by the mountains and the olive trees.
It was freezing cold and we didn’t have any heating in the house. By this time of the year in South Spain the temperature is quite hight around 25 cel degrees. But considering the global warming and all the snow in Europe at the end of March we couldn’t expect warm nights. We lighted the fire at the chimney and have some warm dinner. The first night sleep was super cold but we’ve got used to the chilled nights. The day was a beautiful surprise.
After a nice and relaxed breakfast by the terrace I took a car and went to pick up the other participants. We were 7 in total. It takes 1h drive from the house to the airport. The GPS doesn’t seem to know the new roads so it took us to the old countryside one. We’ve got a stunning view but we also extended the ride for half an hour. We weren’t in rush therefore it was ok to do a bit of scene sightseeing.
The property inside and outside is very inviting. It’s an old Spanish house which has been refurbished but maintained the old countryside style. It’s cool inside and has 3 terraces outside where everyone can find space for themselves to enjoy the solar heat.
We had pilates/yoga/yogalates practice every morning and evening followed by brunch and dinner. We combined practice with sightseeing.
We went to Seville on Great Friday to see the Wholly procession. It took us 4 hours drive both way, 400km. It was nice experience but a little bit far. The next day we went to Córdoba - the oldest Spanish city build by Arabs with Muslims influence. Córdoba is definitely the highlight, It was worth of spending time on driving. Actually it was much quicker to get there. Only 3 h drive both ways, 300km. We wondered around the mosque/ church even I had some siesta over there.
The staff didn’t seem to be very polite, it was difficult to get an ice cream without having and argument. The bridge and view from the other side of the river of this post Arabic town was remarkable We also visited a stunning lake by Iznajar - only 15 min drive from where we stayed. We practiced yoga by the lake by sunsat. It was really unique experience. We practiced also by the church on the top of the mountain above the the house - Casa Ana. The time we walked in the mountains near by the property, sighting in Seville, Córdoba and Iznájar, practice by the lake, by the church with a stunning mountains view of Andalusia, the practice by the pool at the property and aerial yoga trail, all vegan and vegetarian meals outdoor and indoor by the fire, fantastic company of splendid people made the whole week of Easter holiday unique and worth to organise. Thank you all for keeping up the positive spirit inspire of any discomfort you might have experienced. I hope you’ve enjoyed this trip as much as I did. Hope to see you in a near future maybe on another trip. Namaste🙏
