What is a retreat?
Look up ‘retreat’ in the dictionary, and you will find: ‘an act of moving back or withdrawing’
...which could be true of a retreat - pulling back and away from the everyday in order to sustain and
to, perhaps, try something new; an immersion of sorts.
And truly, retreats ought to be that and more... they should be replenishing and inspiring - they
should turn our heads and hearts in the right direction, towards something we seek.
What makes Welcome Home Retreats different?
When I first went on the circuit of trying to promote my retreats, there was some resistance.
Welcome Home Retreats have been accused of being too expensive and ergo, not very ‘yogic’.
But who says to be truly ‘yogic’ we can’t choose comfort and beauty and elegance?
If you are looking for an Ashram, then WHR Retreats are definitely NOt for you.
If however, you feel you are worth some indulgence and you are worth looking after, then read on...
Welcome Home Retreats promise guests a singular retreat and a very different retreat experience.
Grace is something I hold dear. In all of my practices, be they asana, breath work, meditation...the very idea of Grace is what holds and transports me. Grace is beauty, kindness, gentleness, love, openness, gratitude and so many other attributes. And in seeking this out in my own practices and in my own life, this is extended to my Welcome Home Retreats offerings.
With this spurring me on, I seek out spaces that reflect and encapsulate this.
I seek out harmony
I seek out elegance.
I seek out serenity.
I seek out peace.
I seek out light.
For the Welcome Home Retreats Portugal Edition, I have uncovered a remarkable property.
Our Ireland Edition takes place in the magnificent Barrow House in Kerry and it is difficult to match
the elegance and grace of that space and its surroundings. I knew if I wanted to offer a space to Irish clients in another country it would have to be somewhere that could hold its own against Barrow House.
I am delighted to introduce you then to Casa Terra.
Casa Terra is set in its own bio-topic landscape. Much in the garden is edible, so as you meander your way around it, guests are welcome to pick and eat from delicious fruit trees. There is a beautiful pool, but there is also an incredible pond. Both are there to enjoy - swim in either or both! The pond is full of life and nutrients, so swimming there is a very unique and wonderful experience. It
has a deck beside it with loungers so that guests can fully immerse in the surroundings in comfort
and ease. Listen to birds, watch the wildlife and feel a deep connectivity to nature.
The pool is elevated with a view across the area. It too has loungers and a shower, so again, comfort and relaxation are key here.
Unlike other hotels or guest houses where all rooms are in one building, the main house has some bedrooms, but the others are scattered nearby and each room has its own unique outdoor area which is secluded and private. This allows guests to retreat within the retreat if they so wish.
The main house is bright and airy and infused with light. There are, as you would expect, outdoor eating areas and this leads us nicely to the wizardry of Salomé, our in-house chef. Her food is exquisite - really do expect the very best of healthy eating here. All meals are carefully planned and balanced to bring you an awareness of healthy eating and how essential that is to our overall well being. Finally science has accepted and acknowledged that we do not have 1 brain but 3 - the brain itself, the heart and the gut. All three feed us information; in order to live to our fullest potential it is important to learn how to listen and respond to that information. Gut health and heart health are
crucial.
Casa Terra is ours alone for 6 nights and 7 days. It is our own space to enjoy and to come together to celebrate all that we are and our place on this beautiful planet.
It is important for us to also have our own Yoga Shala. Recently extended this year, the Shala is large and airy with floor to ceiling windows which fully open to allow the breeze in and sheer curtains to filter the heat out. We will start our days here and welcome in the evening from this space too.
All WHR retreats are all-inclusive and Portugal is no exception.
What can guests expect?
Through the pillars of yoga, meditation, breath work, the outdoors, water immersion and luxury, we have designed a different experience - it is a carefully curated, bespoke retreat experience.
Through our practices we support guests to ‘come home’ to their deepest self. This is a voyage of self discovery and wonder. This journey is exciting and it is liberating. Imagine if you could ask and
answer fundamental questions for yourself...imagine all the new roads that would stretch before you, imagine the infinite possibilities...
When we take this time to journey within, we begin to find our FLOW. When this happens,
everything becomes easy. Through our practices and our immersion in nature we begin to connect in a very deep way, moving towards our purpose and our life’s goal with ease and with grace.
This retreat experience fundamentally offers guests an opportunity to draw closer to their true self.
Sometimes we need a new dynamic to shift things for us; this retreat will give guests that shift. And then, suddenly and almost miraculously, that illumination allows us to hear and see our flow. Like a beautiful yoga asana, our life comes into our control and our realm opens up.
Taking time, going slow, relaxing and working in union all go towards an experience that really can be transformative.
If we all began to live in this way, life, and the world, would be so much calmer and easier. Changing the world one heart at a time. So, give it a try. Be open. Be curious. Be excited.
So, what can guests expect each day? Presumably you are reading this because you have an interest - and even more so if you have gotten this far in the read!
Each day opens and closes with our practices. The space in between is scheduled to allow you time to relax, but also to specifically connect into the planet.
Casa Terra is close to the beautiful town of Tavira. From here we can take boats to a variety of beaches, but we will also be making the most of our position along the Ria da Formosa, a natural system that runs along the coast for 60 km and has one of the richest and and most interesting geologies, floras and faunas in the whole of Europe.
We will take a private boat along this area stopping at white sandy beaches, spotting all kinds of wildlife and marine life and deeply connecting with this singular environment.
Olive harvesting in this area takes place whilst we are there, so an Olive Trail is a must.
WHR likes to give back to the local economy and so we will be eating out in Tavira on evenings when Salomé isn’t cooking for us. We have sought out the best dining experiences, so expect incredible food.
We want to have fun too, we want to embrace life....so expect to sample Tavira by night at least once...
What does a retreat like this cost?
As with all our Retreat offerings, our Portugal Edition is all-inclusive.
The Retreat includes 6 nights accommodation in Casa Terra - which we have sole and exclusive use of, all meals and drinks, all activities, all practices, all transport costs on retreat and group transfers to/from Faro airport.
Flights are NOT included.
We offer a 2-Tier pricing system to allow for flexibility - we have a Premium Rate which gives you a room and space to yourself and a Shared Rate which allows for you to share your room and space with a friend. We offer payment plans that allow you to spread the cost over June, July and August and we have a 10% discount offer if 4 or more guests book together.
So lots to choose from.
Find our rates on the website.
What's next? Get in touch...
I have set up Welcome Home Retreats to do precisely as the name implies. At Welcome Home I want to look after you, to welcome you, to offer you experiences that will nurture and nourish you...
BUT I also want you to have strong ‘take aways’. Our Retreats will allow you to leave with tools you can draw upon, and experiences which can be replicated in your own home, wherever that may be. I want to help you uncover who you are and to reach your own, unique potential. I want to provide an opportunity for that dynamic shift.
All of our practices have a take away element - it isn’t just about these 6 nights, it is only the beginning. Post retreat you will have supports to allow you to sustain this new dynamic way of being.
So, reach out...get in touch...email, call, text, DM...whatever way you want to connect...but lets’s chat, lets see how we can make this work for you.
Looking forward to hearing from you and really looking forward to Welcoming You to our Portugal Edition, Casa Terra!
Details
Welcome Home Retreat
Portugal Edition
06 - 12 September 2025
catherine.welcomehome@gmail.com
00 353 85 184 5960
https://www.welcomehomesretreats.com/
https://instagram.com/welcomehomeretreats?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
Welcome Home Retreats
A Sense of Homecoming
