AN EMBODIED ADVENTURE IN PORTUGAL
Do you remember the blog post I wrote about How to Travel Consciously in 2020? Who knew I should have added an entire section about sanitizing like crazy and social distancing…
Right before the craziness of the Coronavirus took over, I was lucky enough to enjoy a conscious wellness retreat hosted by Embodied Adventure and Thriiv Wellness in beautiful Portugal! I hope that during this difficult time this blog can give you a little escape from reality and make you feel excited about travelling when this all blows over.
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We landed in Lisbon and spent a day touring around before we went to the retreat. We had so much fun and I would love to go back, here are some of the highlights:
Brunch at Zenith, a super cute restaurant with lots of vegan options
Walked to Arc da Rua Augusta which leads to Praca do Comercio, a beautiful square with a large statue, shops, cafes, and lots of people trying to sell you things
Walked along the river heading west to go to Bairro Alto, an area that has lots of restaurants and an incredible nightlife
Went to Comoba, a cute and mostly vegan cafe with killer playlists
Checked out Elevador da Bica, an old tram that goes up and down an extremely steep hill
There are cool ruins at Convento do Carmo, we didn’t go in but you can see some it from the outside, and just south of the ruins there are stairs that take you up to a terrace that gives you an amazing view of Lisbon!
There are tons of cute cafes everywhere and for some reason the chai lattes (with oat milk) are soooo much better.
Portugal is known for its hand-painted tiles and you’ll notice them all over buildings when you are walking around, the colours and styles are so colourful and beautiful!
We spent the night at Time Out Market which is a large hall with a ton of different food vendors. You can find any cuisine you like and also walk around with your wine. In the middle of the market, there was some kind of salsa dancing going on with some very very good dancers, we could have watched them all night long.
The next day we hopped into our rental cars and were on our way to Azenhas Do Mar, a small town on the west coast of Portugal.
We were staying at the most incredible and aesthetic property, Outpost - Casa das Arribas and as soon as we pulled up I knew it was the perfect setting to disconnect, find community and experience a unique adventure.
DAY 1 - Saturday
There were 10 people on the retreat and Saturday is when all the guests arrived! Upon arrival, each guest had gifts from Saje, Jackson Rowe, Pranic Forest, and an Everyday Journal. After we got settled, we came together for an incredible dinner gathering with food from a local farmers market. In the evening, we got cozy, introduced ourselves and set our intentions for the week ahead.
DAY 2 - Sunday
We woke up to a stunning day and a big blue sky. We did yoga in the garden, which is right by the ocean, and it felt so good to move our bodies after travelling.
After yoga, we had brunch by the pool! We were spoiled with parfaits, toasts, fruit, and more!
In the afternoon, we went to the cutest farmers market and then used the rest of the day to soak up the sun, rest from travelling, enjoy our surroundings, and had time to relax and use our new journals.
Before bed, we had a journalling workshop where we talked about our goals, created tangible tools, and got really deep into the things that we wanted out of life. It was a great session and a part of the retreat that I really enjoyed.
DAY 3 - Monday
Oh, did I mention that each morning we got to wake up to the cutest breakfast basket outside our door?! It always had fresh bread, jams, orange juice, and eggs, meat and cheese for those who ate it. It was such a nice way to start the day!
We did our morning yoga on the tennis court then had brunch together and got ready to go on a coastal hike!
We made sure to bring the Saje energy roll-ons that we were gifted, with a quick swipe on our wrists and pulse points it was the perfect energizing boost for a big day!
This was one of, if not the, most incredible hikes I’ve ever done. We got to walk along the coast the entire way and see some of the best beaches. It was the perfect weather and it ended by running into the ocean at sunset and hanging out at a local restaurant for a drink.
“As we adventure outward in beautiful, natural settings while surrounded by amazing people and community we feel safe and compelled to venture inward. By immersing ourselves in outdoor adventure we fully experience the wild grandeur of Nature and see the need for reverence and protection of Mother Earth. Through this act we embody our place within the wondrous world and see ourselves as equally deserving of honour and respect.”
DAY 4 - Tuesday
Tuesday brought us another morning of movement, this time by the pool. After our big hike the day before, we took this as a rest day, and for me, that meant I had time to do some work.
I brought some of my favourite brands on the trip because I wanted to take the opportunity to create content for them in this beautiful location. Here’s a quick highlight on some of the brands:
Monos creates conscious luggage that is both beautiful and functional. Seriously, I will never buy another brand of luggage again, they were such a joy to travel with and I could pack A LOT in.
Jackson Rowe has the best collection of closet essentials. High-quality and super soft, my favourites are the girlfriend tee and the crop tops!
SunnaTan is the best spray tan I’ve ever had and it’s all-natural! I always get a tan before vacation and they have a great line of products to help prolong your tan.
Saje Wellness specializes in the most amazing aromatherapy products that we were lucky enough to each have on our adventure. Each blend has a purpose, they helped us energize, unwind, and release any stress.
I choose to support these brands because of their values and quality of products. If you have the chance to check them out, please do!
I also wanted to take a moment to recognize the food on this trip because every meal we had was delicious. It was all homemade, healthy, mostly plant-based and from local markets. They accommodated everyone’s diets and we never went hungry. I forgot how nice it is to have every single meal cooked for you!
DAY 5 - Wednesday
This might have been my favourite day because we went to one of the most magical places. Sintra is filled with castles you can’t even dream of, it was like we were in a fairytale.
I’m thinking of doing a separate blog post about Sintra but one thing I would recommend is getting a Tuk Tuk between castles. Its 5 euros each time but it saves a ton of walking, which you will appreciate on a hot day.
The first castle we went to was Palacio Nacional da Pena, it’s so colourful and fun to admire its intricacies. We didn’t go inside, just explored the grounds and took lots of photos which I loved!
Next, we walked down the hill to Castelo dos Mouros, a more traditional castle, which was cool to walk around and had amazing views but it wouldn’t be my top recommendation.
Hot tip: wear comfy shoes.
My favourite castle was Palacio de Monserrate, I could have spent all day there. Everything from the design and architecture to the plants and gardens was amazing! Afterwards, we took a Tuk Tuk into the main town and enjoyed dinner together at a local restaurant before we went back home.
DAY 6 - Thursday
On Thursday we went on a wine tour at Casal Sta Maria, the most western winery in Europe!
We got to hear a special story about the property and the owner and I would highly recommend taking a trip here to enjoy the story and to try their wine of course!
After the wine tour, we stopped to get a coffee at a local beach and then went back home to relax and hang out in our robes for the rest of the day.
DAY 7 - Friday
Our last day came so fast. I spent the day shooting more content, relaxing, packing, and soaking up every last bit of the sun.
To reflect on this adventure, I am grateful for the opportunity to see another incredible part of the world, it felt amazing to move my body every day, I came home feeling better and like I had accomplished so much. I made incredible connections with the people on the trip that I will definitely keep in my life. I got to grow in so many ways, I learned a lot and I also want to give one last shout out to the food on this trip.
Embodied Adventure really knows how to perfectly curate a wellness retreat and conscious adventure.
See the other Embodied Adventures happening this year: embodiedadventure.com You can also find them on Instagram @embodiedadventure
If you want to see even more from the trip, check out my Portugal highlights on my Instagram @lifewithzandra
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Most photos taken by Melanie Pastuck Photography