A NURTURING WEEK OF YOGA, NATURE AND RELAXATION
You are warmly invited to join this restful yoga retreat in the forested hills of Central Portugal. Our peaceful retreat centre sits just below the hilltop village of Amieira, surrounded by olive groves, terraces and quiet forest trails, far from busy resorts.
This promises to be a restorative, nurturing week, an opportunity to unwind, reconnect and enjoy the natural beauty of rural Portugal in a tranquil and supportive setting.
The Yoga
The yoga on this retreat will follow a journey through the week, with a thread of self-inquiry running from the first session to the last. Each day, the yogic practices we explore will reflect this inquiry, and we’ll work with it through movement, breath, meditation and deep relaxation.
Each gentle yoga session will be accessible for all, combining asana (postures), flowing exercises, and meditation with the breath. The sessions will include postures and exercises that can be modified for each individual, depending on ability and familiarity with yoga.
The morning yoga sessions will be a gentle Hatha Yoga, with a mindful, somatic flavour, including a mix of gentle dynamic exercises, longer-held postures, and deep relaxation. The afternoon or evening sessions will hold similar themes, but the practices we use may vary more, focusing on Yin Yoga, Restorative Yoga or Yoga Nidra (or a combination of all three). There will be time for journal reflections each day, so you can let the week’s inquiry settle and unfold in your own words. Joy’s teaching style is informed by mindfulness, somatic and therapeutic yoga and spiritual practices.
Classes take place in the centre’s purpose-built wooden shala, with mats, blocks, bolsters, blankets and straps all provided.
The Venue
Set in acres of forest at Vale do Bacelo, our retreat centre has been run by its resident teachers since 2008. It’s a quiet, rural place with ancient olive groves, terraces stepping down the hillside, and a stream running through natural slate rock pools.
Between sessions you can swim in the saltwater pool with its panoramic valley views, wander the forest trails, or settle into a hammock or day bed in the shade. In the Moroccan-style guest lounge you’ll find a library of thousands of books, a farmhouse kitchen for guests to use, and a cosy wood burner. Tea and coffee are always available. Wi-Fi is available in a designated area, so the rest of the time you can properly switch off.
The Area
The centre sits in the countryside of Central Portugal, surrounded by hills, valleys and forest, close to the River Zêzere. Expect slow, unhurried days, with forest walks, river swims (weather permitting) and wide valley views from almost everywhere you sit.
The Food
Three nourishing meals a day, plus a healthy sweet, are prepared fresh in the centre’s rustic kitchen. The cooking is vegan, drawing on Ayurveda, macrobiotics, wholefoods and raw and live foods, with ingredients chosen to be calming to the mind and balancing to the body. At breakfast, cheese, yoghurt and eggs are offered on the side. The kitchen has an open-door policy, so you’re welcome to pop in for a chat about nutrition or help prepare the next meal. Please let us know about any allergies or intolerances when you book.
Your Investment
Accomodation
I want you to feel at home from the moment you arrive. That’s why there are a few different ways to stay: a single room of your own, a room to share with your partner, a twin room to share with a friend, or one of the eco-caravans if you’d like to be a little closer to nature. You’ll find all the details on the booking page, so you can choose the space that suits you best. Most of the rooms are single occupancy.
Couple
occupancy
(per person)
£ 800-850
Shared
(twin)
(per person)
£ 700
Single
occupancy
(per person)
£ 800-950
Eco-caravans
(per person)
£ 700
All rooms include bedding and towels, and every guest has access to the pool, guest lounge and kitchen.
Includes: Includes: 6 nights’ accommodation, all food, tea and coffee, 2 yoga sessions each day, transfers from Oleiros or Serta, £25 donation to Navdanya.
Extra costs: Flights to/from Portugal (travel to Oleiros/Serta), travel insurance, optional extras (below).
The Activities
The week is deliberately spacious, with plenty of free time to shape in whatever way feels right for you. You might:
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Book a massage with the centre’s experienced therapists (€50 per hour)
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Join a guided herbal nature walk, a 2½-hour wander along the forest paths around Amieira, learning about local plants and simple herbal remedies (€20)
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Try an olive oil soap-making (€20 each)
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Book a tarot reading (€20 each)
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Trip out to a local river beach
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Go for a walk on your own, or join the owners when they walk their dogs
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Swim in the pool, read in a hammock, or simply rest
The Schedule
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7:30 – 9:30am: Morning Yoga
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10:00am: Breakfast
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Free time to relax, explore or join an activity
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1.30pm: Lunch
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Free time to relax, explore or join an activity
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5.00 – 6:30pm: Afternoon Yoga
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7:00pm: Dinner
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Free time
Your Yoga Teacher
Hi, I’m Joy, and I’ll be your teacher on this yoga retreat in beautiful Portugal.
Each session on this retreat will offer gentle, accessible yoga that welcomes everyone, whether you’re completely new or an experienced practitioner looking for a more nurturing approach. My teaching style leans towards gentle Hatha Yoga, infused with somatic awareness and elements of Yin and Restorative Yoga.
Over the week, the yoga will follow a journey of self-inquiry, with yogic practices that reflect it. Morning classes will include mindful movement, flowing sequences, longer-held postures, breathwork, and deep relaxation. In the afternoons or evenings, we’ll slow down even further, holding similar themes but exploring a wider variety of restful practices, such as Yin Yoga, Restorative Yoga, and Yoga Nidra. All sessions are designed to be adaptable to your needs, with plenty of options and space to listen to your own body, and there will be time each day for journal reflections.
I trained with the Devon School of Yoga, completing both the Teacher Training and Postgraduate Yoga Therapy course, and I’m also qualified in Pregnancy and Mother & Baby Yoga. I trained with the Devon School of Yoga, completing both the Teacher Training and Postgraduate Yoga Therapy course, and I’m also qualified in Pregnancy and Mother & Baby Yoga. My main focus now is my online course, Reconnect with Joy, and my YouTube channel, Yoga with Joy, which also hosts my podcast of the same name as my online course. I also work with people one-to-one, offering yoga therapy or life coaching. At home in Devon, I run The Angel Hall, a beautiful studio and community space where I teach regularly and host a wide range of inspiring workshops and events.
Joy Prater
I’m really looking forward to welcoming you on this retreat and sharing a restful, heart-opening week of yoga, nature and connection.
Kind Words
About Joy's yoga holidays and retreats
My yoga retreat with Joy was a really special experience. Joy is a very clear teacher - I really understood her instructions, and I liked the pace of her gentle Hatha Yoga sessions. They were soft and steady, but I still felt like my whole body had been worked. I also really enjoyed the breathwork and the chanting, and I always felt peaceful, calm, and uplifted afterwards. Joy held a very safe space. I felt truly listened to and observed, and when I needed some extra help, she explained things very clearly. I especially loved the Yin Yoga - it left me feeling so deeply relaxed. Joy was very welcoming and joyful, just like her name, and it was clear she’s knowledgeable and that the sessions were thoughtfully planned. The retreat itself was beautiful. The food was delicious, the place was lovely, and I especially liked relaxing by the pool. The house was comfortable, and the group of people there were all really interesting. I liked that we had time to relax, go walking, and take a trip to the sea. I enjoyed it so much that I’m going again this year. Eve L
Ready to Book?
There is a key information sheet for this retreat, which contains more detailed information about travel to the venue, arrival and departure times, currency, the local area etc. You can download it by clicking the button below. Please also read the retreat booking terms and conditions.
If you have any other questions before booking, please get in touch and I will be happy to answer them.
£200 non-refundable deposit payable on booking to secure your place | Balance payment due by 3rd August 2026
Giving Back
It is always a joy to hold these holidays in beautiful, warm locations but I am very aware of the environmental impact of the air travel that's involved in reaching them.
As a small gesture of gratitude, I’m donating £25 from each booking to support grassroots, Earth-centred solutions. I’ve chosen a well-established organisation in India, the birthplace of yoga and a land deeply in need of regenerative agriculture, to honour the roots of our practice and help nurture its future.
Navdanya is an Indian non-profit founded by Dr. Vandana Shiva that protects seed sovereignty, promotes organic, regenerative farming, and supports women farmers. It works to preserve biodiversity, empower rural communities, and resist industrial agriculture.