10 original places to sleep in your next yoga retreat in Spain
There are as many retreats out there as yogis in the world.
If you’ve never been on a yoga retreat before, the first thing that may come to your mind when I say “yoga retreat” might be a luxury resort with plenty of pampering options for your senses. Or perhaps you’re thinking of an eco-lodge with simpler facilities and surrounded by nature…
On the other hand, if you’ve attended a couple of yoga retreats before, you know there’s quite a variety out there, and you know what your ideal yoga retreat looks like.
Well, I’d like to surprise you today with some places you’d never imagine you’d be attending (or hosting) your next yoga retreat! We have all of these in Spain. 😉
Take a look:
1. A Gipsy caravan
If you’re a wild soul, and you’d like to enjoy your retreat as if you were Esmeralda from The Hunchback of Notre Dame, there’s a hidden place on the Costa Brava where your dreams can come true. The yoga shala, made of wood and bright colours, will blow your mind!
2. A luxury villa
There are plenty of exclusive destinations in Spain, but none like the Costa del Sol and the island of Ibiza. The Mediterranean breeze and the palm trees are a great inspiration for architects who create luxurious villas that combine all the glamour with a yogic atmosphere.
3. A Modernist house
In the early 20th century, Art Nouveau geniuses in Catalonia created mind-blowing mansions and apartments for the upper class. Today, you can host or attend a retreat in one of them! Cement tiles, high ornamental ceilings, cozy patios and an amazing rooftop with views of Barcelona.
4. A tent
Camping has gone one step further with “glamping“. Nowadays, several retreat centers in Spain offer the possibility for you to be in touch with mother nature while enjoying all the comfort of a hotel. With our mild weather year round, you can sleep in a tent from early Spring to late Fall, and practise yoga outside too!
5. An old farmhouse
There are many traditional farmhouses throughout Spain that have been recently renovated as rural hotels or rural retreat centers. It is the case of old masías in Catalonia, or old cortijos in Andalucía. They are surrounded by peace, calm, and endless fields!
6. A kitsch hotel
Who said yoga retreats need to be all white and boring? Colour is fun! If you agree with me on this one, you will love this venue on the Costa Brava: each room is decorated with different themes, the kitchen, living room and terrace are colourful and sassy, and the outdoor meditating circle is a real treat for all yogis out there!
7. An urban hotel
We yogis have all probably attended a long weekend workshop in our city, but… taking a retreat in a city? Why not? With the right facilities (amazing yoga room, relaxing rooftop pool, and vegetarian restaurant!) who can say no to a few days of culture, tapas, sightseeing and yoga?
8. A tree house
Maybe you’re a wild soul, but don’t feel like Esmeralda. You’re more like Tarzan! In this case, a retreat on top of a tree will definitely suit you best!! Don’t expect a full-running shower up there -but rest assured that both the views and the sounds of the forest at night will be worth it!
9. A yurt
Yurts are portable tents traditionally used by nomads, especially in Turkey and Mongolia. Their large and quite solid structure makes for a very comfortable and atypical place to sleep! Oh, as a plus -in this venue in Andalucía, you will also find one of the biggest yoga shalas in Europe…!!
10. A mountain cottage
And for all altitude-junkies… a yoga retreat in a cottage, of course! All complete with wooden furniture, a fireplace, good food, indoor swimming pool, beautiful shala… and a lawn with impressive views towards a National Park!! Spain might be best known for its beaches, but the Pyrenees are just as awesome as the Alps!