Life in Movement | Pilates Retreat in Portugal

When & Where?

JOIN US April 18th - 22nd, 2025 AT Quinta Marugo in the heartland of the Alentejo region of central Portugal.

When we first came to visit Quinta Marugo in the search for the perfect Portuguese spring location, we instantly knew that we had found the right place. When we later sat in the Yoga Pagoda, doors wide open, smelling the breeze, watching the moon rise, we never wanted to leave again.

We can't wait to introduce you to Mary Ann and Ugo, who built their dream with Quinta Marugo: an eco-sustainable retreat and wellbeing center in Portugal with the vision of bringing a bit more peace, calm and connection to the world.

The tastefully designed Quinta with its pagoda, living spaces, library, massage room, swimming pond, sunset point, lakes, island and other landmarks all combine to provide the best experience for you to retreat, reconnect and regenerate.

Tucked into the heart of Portugal's Alentejo region, Quinta Marugo is 'off the beaten track' and perfect for a gentle awakening of our senses surrounded by endless horizons of oak trees and herbal meadows.

What’s Included?

Leave your stresses and worries at home and Let us indulge you:

INCLUDED IN THE PRICE:

4 nights accommodation in shared or single elegant bedrooms
daily healthy vegetarian breakfast, light lunch and dinner fresh from the farm
one-on-one session with home-practice plan / personalized private Pilates or Yoga class with Mareile or Dom
daily Mat Pilates and Yoga classes to bring movement and conscious breathing (back) into your life
daily Good Morning Energy Practice and nature walks
a magic tool box for daily self-care routines
playful dips into Journaling and other creative tools for inner peace
guided herb walk & farm tour
breathwork workshop with Dom
unlimited herbal teas picked straight from the garden
new connections and possibly some friendships for life
Your own "Learn it - Practice it - Keep it - Journal".

OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES:

additional private sessions with your teachers
visit to the village of Serpa
90-min massage

Not INCLUDED IN THE PRICE:

international flights & travel up to Quinta Marugo
travel insurance
alcoholic beverages

How to get there?

Find out below how to best reach our retreat venue

Quinta Marugo is located just outside of the small village of Serpa. Unless you arrive with your own car, we will arrange for a private group transfer on arrival day from Lisbon airport around 1pm. Make sure to book your flight to arrive before if you want to join the group taxi.

Group transportation to Quinta Marugo will be provided on April 18th from Lisbon airport at 1pm .

Other options:
BY CAR
By far the easiest is to arrive by car. Driving is safe in Portugal with good highways for most of the way from Lisbon (2 hrs) or Faro (2 hrs). Rental cars are generally cheap. We can help with car pooling options.

BY TRAIN
You can reach Beja from Lisbon Oriente by train - check the CP website for details. It's not the quickest way, but Portuguese trains are generally reliable and comfortable.

BY BUS
There is a direct bus from Lisbon all the way to Serpa with Rede Expresso, which takes about 4,5 hrs.

Accommodation & Price

Share a room with a friend or opt for a single room

Quinta Marugo feels like home, the moment you step in. Mary Ann and Ugo, the owners, will kindly invite you to leave your shoes and your worries at the door and to indulge in a few days of barefoot luxury. One can feel the attention to detail and deep connection to the venue's origins that went into the creation of this 35ha healing space. Quinta Marugo gives you all the reasons to 'just be'.

The only sound we heard at night was the chirping of the crickets and a gentle breeze rustling through the leaves of the trees.

Infused with a sense of fine luxury and a strong mission for regenerative and mindful living Quinta Marugo is a perfect fit for those who want to connect with nature in the most comfortable possible way.
We will snuggle up into soft pillows and lounge on inviting sofas. We will get lost in the Quinta's expansive library of stimulating reads and eat and laugh together around the large communal tables crafted from fallen olive trees. The outdoor pool is 100% natural, and while it might be early for some of you to jump in in April, if you do... you will find yourself gliding through the most delicious fresh water.

Shared Room

Of our 10 tastefully furnished rooms, 6 are available for sharing. Bring a friend or family member or we will match you with a room mate (subject to availability).

EUR 1,400*

Single Room

There is a limited availability of rooms available for single occupancy. Booking early will ensure you get the room type you prefer.

EUR 1,750*

only 4 available

* all prices are per person, and quoted in EUR. We will try our best to help you avoid bank and transfer charges, but if they do occur, all bank/PayPal charges must be carried by the participant.

Daily Schedule

Just enough time to deepen your practice. Just enough to time to just be. Every day builds up on the previous one, For you to truly connect with yourself, with others, with nature.

Day One - Arrive

all day Arrival of participants
from 15h Welcome snack
18h Introduction & Welcome
19h Welcome Dinner
‍20h Magic Toolbox - preparing the ground

Day Two - Earth

8h Morning Pilates with Mareile
9h30 Breakfast Brunch
11h Guided Tour of the Quinta & Nature Walk / Intro to our Magic Toolbox
13h Private Pilates or Yoga Class
14h Light Lunch
17h Grounding Yoga Practice with Dom
19h Farm-to-Table Dinner

Day Three - Water

7h30 Morning dip in the Natural Pool
8h Pilates Flow with Mareile
9h30 Breakfast Brunch
11h Magic Toolbox - nurture
13h Private Class or Massage
14h Light Lunch
17h Guided Breathwork with Dom
19h Farm-to-Table Dinner

Day Four - Fire

8h Theraband Pilates with Mareile
9h30 Breakfast Brunch
11h Magic Toolbox - dream big
14h Light Lunch
17h Yoga Flow with Dom
19h Farm-to-Table Dinner

Day Five - Air

8h Morning Movement Session
9h30 Breakfast Brunch
11h Check Out & Good Bye Hugs
until next time Take it all home

Every Day

And if the choice is to simply do nothing? Yes, your retreat will allow for that as well. Take a book and read. Enjoy the sun setting over the oak trees. Lie by the pool on a sun chair for hours. Always remember that we curate these retreats for you... it's your choice how to best honour yourself and take what you need.

Not sure if this retreat is for you?

LET US HELP YOU DECIDE HERE...

This retreat is for you if...

you expect an exceptionally high level of Pilates instruction and are interested in learning more about the classical Pilates method.
you are new to Pilates and are interested in getting a thorough and meaningful introduction to classical Pilates.
you are an experienced practitioner or teacher who believes that we never stop learning
you are looking for an advanced understanding of Pilates, including not only the 'how', but also the 'why' of the practice.
you like to find out how Pilates can touch and influence your life on multiple levels.
you would like to bring your Pilates practise to the next level and learn from some of the world's best teachers.
you are looking for a retreat that goes deep and beyond 'great food / great location / fantastic teachers'
you are looking for a retreat that connects movement, learning, excursions and the location into a meaningful package
you are ready to unlock a part of your brain to channel a more direct pathway to your body.
you want to leave with an understanding of the full classical mat sequence in mind and body for continued self-practice.

This retreat is not for you if...

being on a holiday in Portugal is more important to you than the Pilates classes. In that case, we'd recommend you book a private retreat with us, so we can tailor the Pilates program to your needs and add in more bespoke experiences.
you are an experienced practitioner or teacher who sees no point in sharing a class with a beginner
you like to be in a big group of people and prefer to keep social interactions light
your main attraction to this retreat was the wine tasting and and vineyard tour. We will do this as well, but as we only have 6 days, our focus will be on Pilates and your mind and body.
you are not ready to step out of your comfort zone to learn and possibly be surprised.
you see the retreat as light entertainment with Pilates being just another point on the program.
you are looking for a retreat that comes close to a teacher training with more than 3-4 hours on the mat. We are also here to have fun, to enjoy some R&R and mostly to explore how Pilates can play a role in all moments of your life.

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STILL UNSURE? MAKE A FREE APPOINTMENT TO CHAT WITH ONE OF OUR TEAM,

here

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NEED MORE TIME TO DECIDE? LEAVE US AN EMAIL AND WE WILL FOLLOW UP WHEN SPACES BECOME LIMITED.

Your Teachers & Host

YOU COULD NOT BE IN BETTER HANDS! This retreat is hosted by our Founder Mareile Paley and the Ever Joyful DOM Vieira

Mareile Paley

OWNER OF LIFE IN MOVEMENT, RETREAT HOST, PILATES & WELLNESS GUIDE

If a retreat is a beautiful piece of art, Mareile is the glue that holds all the pieces together. Having started in 2010 leading her own Pilates retreats, she soon found her true calling and strength in connecting people, in crafting and curating truly exceptional retreat experiences and in finding the best teachers. The personal attention you will receive before, during and after the retreat can all be attributed to Mareile’s deep desire to make people happy and to make you feel valued and special.
This retreat will take place on Mareile's 'home turf' - Portugal. Passionate as she is, she will share with you all her local insight and best-kept secrets. Mareile will also teach your daily dose of Pilates, so you are in for a treat from our founder herself.

Dominique (Dom) Vieira

YOGA TEACHER, STUDIO OWNER, TEACHER TRAINER

Dom teaches Vinyasa & Restorative Yoga, as well as a meditation and breathwork. She firmly believes that yoga is for everybody and every body and carries that ethos throughout her teachings. Her classes focus on intelligent sequencing and making the practice as accessible as possible. She places a lot of value on the connection to breath and cultivating that beautiful feeling of presence and connection through breath, movement and stillness. For her, the yoga practice is really a practice of coming back home to oneself with loving-kindness. She can’t wait to guide you through your own practice.

QUESTIONS ABOUT THE RETREAT? MAKE A FREE APPOINTMENT TO CHAT WITH MAREILE,

here

Sign Up & Deposit

We would do the same! WELCOME TO OUR Portugal Spring Awakening RETREAT, 2025

Yay! That’s exciting. We are very happy to have you on board. We will be in touch with the next steps.

Below, you can pay your deposit to make sure you get a spot.

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Secure your Spot

In order to secure your spot on the retreat, we need to receive a non refundable EUR 500 deposit from you. We accept Credit Cards, PayPal or direct bank transfer. Please note that we won’t pay for any bank or transfer charges, including PayPal fees.

PAY DEPOSIT NOW:

Pay with Credit Card

OUR CANCELLATION POLICY:

Travel Insurance

We highly encourage you to purchase travel insurance in case you need to cancel your trip. We have found during our travels that it is well worth having the coverage, as it covers many unforeseen circumstances that may arise while on vacation.

Cancellation up to 90 days before retreat start:

If we are able to fill your cancelled spot by three months before the retreat start, we will return all money paid to us, except your deposit. If we are unable to fill your spot, we will only return 50% of all money paid to us after deduction of the deposit.

Cancellation after three months before retreat start:

Sorry, but no refund possible after this date.If you are not able to attend the retreat but have a friend or family member that would like to attend, we are happy to transfer 100% of the money that you have paid toward your friend or family member. Both parties must notify us in writing in order to transfer names.

If we cancel the retreat:

All money paid to us by you will be returned, excluding bank chargers. Unfortunately we cannot compensate you for any plane tickets/transportation arrangements you have already made.

Payment general:

EUR 500 non-refundable deposit is required in order to secure your spot. We accept Credit Card (PayPal) and / or direct bank transfer. Please note that we won’t pay for any bank or transfer charges, including PayPal fees.

Awaken your true nature !

Why did we pick this location?

Mareile Paley

Mary Ann Voli

the bonds forged in a short time were precious, and a true reflection of the authentic desire by both Mareile and Dom to bring a wonderful community together amidst busy lives.

All you need to know about our Portugal Spring retreat

When & Where?

What’s Included?

How to get there?