Join our beautiful retreat in Portugal
We’ll be based at a serene retreat tucked away in the countryside near Santa Luzia, a short distance from Tavira in the Algarve. Surrounded by peaceful natural beauty, you can choose between thoughtfully designed private or shared rooms, take dips in wild swimming pools, and enjoy vibrant, plant-based meals each day.
Your days will be gently guided with yoga, sound healing, and intuitive movement, alongside plenty of time to rest, reflect, and simply be.
If life has been feeling busy, draining, or a little out of balance, this is your invitation to pause — to reconnect with your body, your breath, and a deeper sense of calm and clarity.
Every element has been carefully curated to help you fully switch off and recharge — including nourishing food, daily practices, restful accommodation, and time held in nature. Here’s what’s included in your retreat:
Stay in a beautiful solo ensuite or shared room. Modern, comfortable accommodation with all you need. Fully equipped kitchen and living spaces, bathroom with showers and either air-con or fans for warm nights.
Start each day with uplifting Vinyasa yoga and wind down each evening with restorative yoga and meditation, all guided by Saira and suitable for all abilities.
Expect a blend of yoga, breathwork, and vagus nerve reset practices, all designed to help you slow down, reconnect, and bring your nervous system back into balance.
Take part in daily guided practices including meditation, chanting, cacao ceremonies, creative art workshops with Amanda and immersive sound healing sessions
Swim in either of two chemical, chlorine free natural swimming pools, surrounded by lush gardens and loungers. Unwind in the communal spaces, abundant terraces and lovely roof terrace.
Reignite your spark with conscious dance nights, sunset sound healing, fire circles, and evenings under the stars.
My retreats are intentionally curated and deeply personal, giving you space to connect, rest and feel held by a like-minded group. Expect laughter, deep soul work and abundant consciousness.
1:1 holistic treatments and massages with experienced therapists. Floatation salt tank experience Day out to the beach, bike hire, ferry costs and taxis to visit beyond the retreat area. Extra self catering nights before or after the retreat, if you’d like to extend your stay (from 75 euros per night)
5 nights in Portugal with Saira was magical. Floating in the pool, stretching in the warmth, eating the best food, laughing with the loveliest bunch, cycling to the ferry, painting pots, sitting quietly, bathing in sound, dancing on the terrace, swimming in the sea, and sleeping so, so well. Every minute felt perfect. Saira created this experience for us, and I honestly couldn’t think of anything that would have made it better. Her love and warmth for all of us was all-encompassing and was so appreciated. Sarah Hardingham, June 2026
The retreat is quite simply beautiful, quiet, rural surrounded by an organic small holding, close to the village but far enough out to feel you are tucked away from it all. Accommodation is of a high standard and you will feel as though you have stepped into a world of peace and tranquility.
The rooms are spread over three houses:
Two houses have separate apartments of 2-3 bedrooms in the hub of the retreat with the yoga studio and restaurant close by, surrounded by lush gardens and a wild, natural, swimming lake, chemical and chlorine free, all with air conditioning.
The other house has separate apartments with 2-3 bedrooms, has its own wild, natural, chemical free swimming lake for you to enjoy. This house is a four minute gentle stroll along a quiet path, 250 yards from the main area of the retreat, perfect if you like to step away. This house has mature shady gardens and large trees to keep rooms cool, all rooms have fans for warmer nights.
Air-Conditioned Rooms
Solo Occupancy
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Solo Double Ensuite – £1399
Private room with your own ensuite bathroom. -
Solo Double with Shared Bathroom – £1099
Private room with a shared bathroom.
Shared Occupancy (Double or Twin)
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Shared Double/Twin Ensuite – £1099pp
Shared room (double or 2 single beds) with private ensuite bathroom. -
Shared Double/Twin with Shared Bathroom – £949ppShared room (double or 2 single beds) with shared bathroom facilities.
Non Air Conditioned Rooms
Naturally ventilated rooms with fan cooling.
Solo Occupancy
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Solo Ensuite – £1100Private room with your own ensuite bathroom. -
Solo Room with Shared Bathroom – £999Private room with shared bathroom facilities.
Shared Occupancy (Double or Twin)
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Shared Twin Room with Shared Bathroom – £850pp
Shared room (2 single beds) with shared bathroom facilities.
Book with a £250 per person (£500 per couple) and balances will be due 2 months before the retreat start date.
Payment plans are also available please contact us and we’ll set this up for you.
Schedule
Arrive in Portugal and transfer to Santa Luzia retreat
4:00 pm Hellos! Enjoy tea
5:30 pm Opening yoga with Saira and circle in the air conditioned yoga shala
7:00 pm 2 course supper in the eating area freshly made by Elena and Aria our mother-daughter team (all diets catered for our retreat is entirely vegan or vegetarian to suit your needs)
8:00 am Breakfast smoothies
8:30 am Vinyasa Flow Yoga with Saira
10:30 am Brunch
11:30 am Indulge in a massage or take a swim in the wild natural chemical free swimming lake, unwind, relax and enjoy your time out.
1:00 pm Enjoy an afternoon activity together as a group, in the local area - walk to the village and catch the little ferry to the 'island' on the Ria da Formosa at Santa Luzia and enjoy sunbathing and swimming
4:30 pm Tea and snacks
5:30 pm Restorative yoga and meditation with Saira
7:00 pm Vegan/Vegetarian Supper
8:30 pm Soul Immersive sound and flow with Balearic Beats and raw cacao drinks to enliven and inspire you
10:00 pm Gentle strolls back to bed
8:00 am Breakfast smoothies
8:30 am Vinyasa Flow Yoga with Saira
10:30 am Brunch
11:30 am Nature Art workshop with Amanda McGregor or enjoy an afternoon by the pool, take a walk to the village or we can hire bicycles and enjoy the easy cycle routes in the area. You might also like to book a massage with one of our amazing therapists.
4:00 pm Afternoon tea
5:30 pm Restorative yoga and meditation with Saira
7:00 pm Vegan/Vegetarian Supper
8:00 pm Sound healing bowls with Saira
8:00 am Breakfast smoothies
8:30 am Vinyasa Flow Yoga with Saira
10:30 am Brunch
12:00 pm Another opportunity to choose either a slow afternoon of relaxing at the retreat or a guided visit to the beach and coastline in the local area
4:00 pm Herb teas for those who have stayed at the retreat for the afternoon
5:30 pm Restorative yoga and meditation with Saira
7:00 pm Supper
8:00 pm Raw cacao ceremony and conscious dance sound and healing evening in the yoga shala and terrace
10:00 pm Gentle strolls back to our beds for a night of beautiful dreams surrounded by the sounds of nature
8:00 am Breakfast smoothies
8:30 am Vinyasa Flow Yoga with Saira
10:30 am Brunch
11:30 am Relax time
2:00 pm Relax or take a bike ride into Tavira or to the beach just a few minutes away.
4:00 pm Enjoy tea on the roof terrace
5:30 pm Restorative yoga and meditation with Saira
7:00 pm Vegan/Vegetarian Supper
8:00 pm Closing ceremony with cacao, sound bath with bowls and gong.
10:00 pm Last sunset and stroll back to our beds
8:30 am Vinyasa Flow Yoga with Saira
9:30 am Farewell breakfast
10:30 am Goodbyes!!
Having already been a regular visitor to Saira’s Vinyasa Flow classes in Dorchester, I knew that a retreat with her would be a wonderful experience. But my goodness, it exceeded every expectation I had and so much more. The retreat theme, “Finding Your Inner Light,” was woven beautifully throughout the entire experience. Saira led every breathwork session, Vinyasa Flow practice, meditation, sound bath, and savasana with incredible expertise, authenticity, and love. Her ability to create such a safe, supportive, and nurturing environment is truly remarkable. If you are considering a retreat with Saira, don’t hesitate. It is a gift to yourself that you will treasure forever. Jen Freeman June 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Our retreat is held just outside a small fishing village called Santa Luzia, a few minutes from Tavira. Travel is simple to Faro airport and then a short 40 minute transfer to the venue. We arrange the transfer for you but its not included in the cost of the retreat.
See Skyscanner to compare the best flights from your area. Most airports fly to Faro including Southampton, Bournemouth, Bristol in the South of England and all London airports. Please note these flight times are to be used as a guide only and many may have changed since this list was created, please check Skyscanner and contact Saira for support in your booking if you need, so happy to help!
Best flights from the South of England are from Southampton -
EasyJet
Thursday 10th September 09.25am
Tuesday 15th September 14.35pm
Best flights from Bournemouth -
Ryanair
Flights to and from Bournemouth work better Weds to Weds - you are welcome to stay at the retreat on a self catering basis for extra nights from £60pppn - please contact us to arrange this and we will be there to greet you.
Simply let us know on booking that you would like the extra nights stay.
Best flights from Bristol -
Easyjet
Thursday 10th September 09.20am
Tuesday 15th September 16.45pm
Ryanair
Thursday 10th September 13.05am
Tuesday 15th September 17.20pm
Flights from London airports are abundant but do get in touch if you want to double check which flight time might work best for you to arrive and depart the retreat.
Transfers from Faro are not included in the cost, but we will arrange them for you. Santa Luzia is only 40 mins from the airport.
While the retreat offers plenty of opportunities to unwind and reconnect, optional extras such as local activities, bike hire, holistic therapies, and treatments can be arranged during your stay at an additional cost.
Please note that alcohol is not included in the cost of your retreat
Absolutely yes, all our retreats are perfect for travelling solo. We usually have a mixture of solo guests and those coming together as friends or family. We will make sure that you are comfortable, have everything you need and you will soon make friends and feel a part of the retreat tribe.
You can book a solo or a shared room and we'll match you up with new friends, always same gender.
The retreat venue have their own amazing local chef to cook you beautiful vegan or vegetarian meals depending on your needs, throughout your stay.
We always like to bring you the healthiest meals while on retreat with us. A retreat is an opportunity to reset and cleanse in all areas of body, mind and spirt, you won't find any alcohol or processed foods. Menus are careful curated for you to enjoy and be inspired by.
You will leave feeling rejuvenated and energised by the delicious and healthy, nutritious meals served.
Do let us know if you have any dietary requirements we need to be aware of.
We always recommend a digital detox while on a retreat with us, it's such an amazing and powerful way to shift into a deep healing space. On a retreat abroad, many of us will need to stay in touch with family, so we gently encourage as little tech time as possible, keeping communal and dining areas phone free other than for photos and using the phone quietly and away from other guests when calling home etc.
Talk to Saira about digitally detoxing and how to get the most from your much needed time away.
Meet your host
Saira Francis has been a healer for over two decades, offering authentic support, compassion, and guidance to those in her community. Based in West Dorset, Saira is an experienced yoga teacher, holistic therapist, and energy and sound healer. Drawing from her own experience treading along the healing path, Saira can offer heartfelt support for those just embarking on or continuing their journey. Her dedication to helping others has guests returning to Mellulah Yoga Retreats over and again for her energetic guidance and practise.