Portugal Frequently Asked Questions

• Airport transfers between Lisbon and our retreat venue (on both arrival and departure days).
• 7 nights at Quinta Camarena.
• Brunch and dinner each day, with plenty of snacks in between. Many people use this opportunity to eat lighter to complement the sit-down meals and wine tasting we enjoy.
• 1 massage on-site at Quinta Camarena.
• Daily yoga classes at our venue’s beautiful glass-walled studio nestled in the trees.
• 1 beach day and 2 guided hikes.
• 1 local winery tour + wine and tapas tasting.
• Housekeeping service every other day, fresh linens mid-week, and fresh towels as needed.
• Free wifi.
• Tons of pre-retreat assistance with travel planning, including suggestions for travel in the area on your own. *Please note that much of this is provided via our private Facebook group, see last question below.

• International airfare.
• Ground transportation to and from our pick up/drop off spot (Lisbon airport) on arrival and departure days.
• Wine and beer at dinner. There is an Honesty bar system, so you can charge any drinks to your room. Quinta Camarena has a well-curated wine list with affordable pricing; it’s important to them to create an in-depth Alentejo experience and to support the local wine providers. All the drinks they serve are sourced from small local producers that work in a sustainable way.
• Guide and staff gratuities. (See #8 here.)
• An afternoon horseback ride in the countryside is optional and at additional cost, €95 per person.
• Any add-on activities we organize in Lisbon prior to the retreat; accommodations in Lisbon before/after the retreat.

We’ll have Quinta Camarena all to ourselves, in the protected area of Costa Vicentina in Southwest Portugal. We’ll be surrounded by nature – rolling pastoral hills with stretches of citrus, cork oak, and pine trees. It’s a short 15 minute commute to the beach.

The closest “town” is called Cercal do Alentejo, a charming, traditional Portuguese village, known for its oak trees, authentic local life, clear night skies, and proximity to the stunning Alentejo coastline. It offers a quiet escape with cafes, small shops, and local markets, providing a glimpse into rural Portugal away from mass tourism. It’s within walking distance from our retreat hOMe.

Please read Things You Should Know, from our Quinta Camarena hosts. Also read more about them and their approach to environmental sustainability at About Quinta Camarena.

There will be a few surprises too!

Our transportation to and from the retreat will be from the Lisbon Airport. If your schedule and budget allow, take advantage of it and plan some time before/after the retreat to explore Lisbon. We are happy to offer suggestions for what to do and see in Lisbon, and will likely be organizing some optional activities for our group on May 22 and 23.

Please note that we will arrange airport shuttles once we collect everyone’s flight information. If you will be in Lisbon prior to the retreat, it’s easy to get back to the airport to meet for our shuttle. Quinta Camarena is approximately a 2 hour drive from Lisbon.

Last year, Lisbon airport had very long wait times (as in hours) in the immigration queues for both arrivals and departures. I personally experienced this leaving the country in late June 2025; luckily I always arrive early for international flights. Hopefully this is improving – see this January 2026 article Queues ease at Lisbon airport. We’ll update you closer to the retreat as best we can, but please factor this possibility into your travel plans.

US citizens need a passport, with at least three months validity beyond your departure date. U.S. citizens may enter Portugal for up to 90 days for tourist purposes without a visa.

At this time (January 2026), proof of Covid vaccination is not required to enter the European Union. We still suggest bringing your vaccination record with your passport.

SI. A retreat is an investment in your well-being—but it’s also a financial investment. No one books a retreat with the intention of cancelling, but unexpected life events do occur. If we could make it mandatory, we would. It’s a lot of $ to lose if something happens – and something always seems to happen. That’s travel, and that’s life. We cannot offer refunds or credits of any kind, given the small boutique scope of our business. *TRAVEL INSURANCE WORKS* if you have to cancel!

We HIGHLY RECOMMEND purchasing your own travel/trip cancellation insurance so your trip fees will be covered in case you have to cancel your retreat. Trip insurance should also be purchased to cover medical expenses, in the event you have an accident while on the retreat. 

True story: one of our international retreaters missed two days of the trip due to bad weather that forced airline cancelations. Through her travel insurance, she was able to get reimbursed for not only the missed days, but her travel expenses as well!

Another true story, from our 2022 France retreat: one retreater tested positive for Covid the day before the retreat started; she was already in Europe. She got everything covered, including a week in a hotel in Switzerland.

You can usually add insurance to your airfare when booking flights. While we don’t have a specific recommendation for the retreat portion, you should start by checking with your credit card company. There are lots of options out there. Check out this continuously updated Best Travel Insurance Companies, by FORBES.

Another option to explore is AIG Travel Guard.

Portugal in the spring is a weather dream come true; daytime temperatures are usually in the 70s, and nights and early mornings in the 50s. Check Cercal do Alentejo on weather.com for the 10 day forecast before departure.

Margaret Burns Vap from Big Sky Yoga Retreats will be your trip leader and yoga teacher. She also leads yoga retreats in Argentina, France, Sweden and Montana.

Caitlin Kelly from Big Sky Yoga Retreats will co-lead the retreat and teach yoga. She also co-leads our yoga retreats in France and Montana.

Each day will have a different focus. We’ll do some easy hiking on two days, go to the beach on another, and have the chance to horseback ride one day. We will start every day with an early morning yoga practice, and some days we will have a second practice later in the day. The days will have a nice flow to everything to avoid feeling rushed. We’ll sit down for dinner together at the end of the day to enjoy each other’s company, the amazing food and wine, and the relaxed experience of a traditional Portuguese meal.

We will let you know exact times for each day’s activities the evening before. And as promised, there will be plenty of down time to slow down, reflect, and enjoy your surroundings without a busy daily schedule.

We often get asked what kind of yoga, how many times a day, what if I haven’t practiced in awhile – all valid questions. You will be fine. This retreat will have a special focus on restorative and yin yoga, with the occasional slow flow. Give yourself permission to let go of power yoga, and reap the benefits of a more gentle practice in our soothing yoga studio surrounded by forest.

We accommodate all levels of yoginis, but highly recommend some pre-retreat yoga experience, even if you start a practice with the retreat in mind. Some days will have one yoga practice, some will have two. We promise to get in as much yoga as we can, and balance it with our other activities. Most mornings will begin with meditation and yoga (after coffee, but before breakfast!) to start the day off right, on the yoga mat.

The majority of our retreaters come by themselves. Although you may come alone, you will leave the retreat with new, lifelong friends. We have many women who meet on retreat come back on others together.

We have a wide age range on all our retreats, from women in their 20s all the up to 60s and 70s. Each retreat will vary.

You do not need to participate in everything; you can pace yourself to find the perfect amount of activity for you. We support you in doing as much or as little as is right for you, depending on how you are feeling. However: remember this is an active vacation, and we are giving you as much as we can of what you signed up for! (Personally, we wouldn’t want to miss a thing.) The schedule gives you a sense of the flow of each day. It’s always subject to change, depending upon the needs of the group, weather, etc.

Embrace the opportunity to experience a new place! And remember: there are many things that are not like in the US. Some of it will push your comfort zone, most of it will expand your worldview. We don’t travel to have things be just like at home. We encourage you to do your “homework” – that’s part of the fun. Read about the history, the culture, the most recommended places to see and things to do. Learn a few Portuguese phrases. We will share lots of resources with you as well.

Recommended reads:

Away & Aware: A Field Guide to Mindful Travel

Lessons from the road: what travel taught me about love

Destination Earth: A New Philosophy of Travel by a World-Traveler 

Women Are Becoming More Adventurous Travelers – and Doing It Alone

Bon Appétit’s Highly Subjective but Very Smart Guide to Traveling

We set up a private Facebook group for everyone on this retreat. Yes, that means you have to be on Facebook. Trust us, it’s worth it just for this. It’s a great way to discuss travel plans, share links to articles, and for us to keep you updated on all trip info. And it’s much easier and faster than email, which can get stuck in spam, deleted, and forgotten. Bonus: it’s really fun to post retreat pics!

And no, it’s not a requirement and we can’t make you get on Facebook. We know some people are strongly anti-FB (we’ve gotten more than one earful). The FB group is intended to help, not challenge your social media values. While we promise we’ll get you all the info you need for your retreat via email…we can’t promise you won’t miss out on the fun of the group. #yourcall