7-day Stress Relief Retreat on the French Camino de Santiago

R³ Retreat – hosted by a physician with 15 years of experience hosting stress relief retreats

Slow down, relax, rest and recharge your batteries – in the Heart of Gascony in the southwest of France

Do you ever feel like life has turned into one big, never-ending to-do list? That you need to hit pause, breathe deeply, and reconnect with nature—really reconnect? Picture yourself wandering through lush vineyards, sunflower fields, ancient woods, and flowering meadows…

Escape to walk, read and write at a 200-year-old farmhouse where the living is still simple, slow and low-stress.

Maison Meraki

Now, fast-forward to the end of this retreat. Here’s how you’ll feel:

• Physically: Vibrantly alive, bursting with energy, fully rested and refreshed, and practically glowing with enthusiasm.
• Mentally: Calmer, clearer, sharper, steadier. More balanced, authentically joyful, peacefully content, and confidently self-aware.
• Spiritually: Inspired, uplifted, reconnect to nature, grounded, purposeful and harmoniously aligned, whole.

Immersing yourself in nature while walking short sections of the Camino de Santiago de Compostela, as it meanders through southwest France. It captivates over 200,000 people annually (yes, really). For most, it’s a life-changing journey. Spoiler alert: You might go home a completely different person.

Imagine yourself after the retreat: re-energised and refreshed, mentally clear and laser-sharp, with decisions crystallising effortlessly, emotionally steady even in challenging moments, spiritually inspired and grounded. You’re glowing with confidence, remarkably resilient when facing stress, warmly compassionate, and authentically whole in a way that radiates outward and touches everyone around you. This isn’t just a week away—it’s an investment in becoming the person you’ve always known you could be.

What’s in Store

This isn’t your average retreat. Nope, it’s a small group, exclusive farm stay with flair. Here’s what you can expect:

• Camino de Santiago Walks: On walking mornings, we’ll whisk you away to the starting point of your day’s adventure. Explore unspoiled paths, connect with the land, and soak up the rich history of Gascony. No heavy backpacks required.
• Healthy, Homemade Goodness: From farm to table, your meals are crafted with love and packed with local flavour.
• Walking & Writing Meditation: Learn how to deeply relax, quiet your mind, and channel that stress into something way more productive (like journaling that novel you’ve been daydreaming about).
• Mindfulness Meditation with a small herd of Friesian and Falabella horses – discover why mindfulness is such an effective anti-stress practice

Arrive Saturday afternoon in time for a hearty welcome dinner, spend a week resting, reading, writing and walking, soaking up all the magical Camino atmosphere, and head home Friday late-morning, fully relaxed, recharged and renewed.

A Unique Stress Relief Retreat hosted by Dr Margaretha Montagu

Working 60+ hour weeks? Drowning in deadlines and back-to-back meetings? Feeling like you’re running on empty with no end in sight? If your stress levels are through the roof and you’re questioning whether this relentless pace is sustainable, it’s time to step away before burnout becomes your breaking point.

My life’s work is helping people manage stress. After two decades as a medical doctor and nearly a decade hosting stress management retreats, I understand the unique pressures you face—the impossible deadlines, the constant connectivity, the weight of responsibility, the fear of falling behind. I’ve worked with countless driven professionals who thought they had to choose between success and their physical or mental health.

The truth is: You don’t.

Whether you’re climbing the corporate ladder, running your own business, managing teams, or juggling multiple high-stakes projects, I’ll introduce you to the tools to thrive under pressure while protecting your sanity.

My medical background (MBChB, MRCGP) combined with specialised training in stress management, hypnotherapy, NLP, life coaching, and equine-assisted learning (MedHypDip, NLP Master Pract Cert, Prof Life Coach Cert, EAGALA Cert) creates a unique approach to stress reduction.

No matter how overwhelmed, stressed, confused, insecure, threatened, lost or downright terrified you feel right now, I will help you to feel calm, clear, and confident in your ability to handle whatever comes next and empowered, without sacrificing your physical or mental health.

A Warm Welcome in Sun-Soaked Gascony

Your home away from home is a lovingly restored, authentic Landaise farmhouse surrounded by vineyards and rolling countryside. You’ll be welcomed with open arms, sleep in cosy rooms, and experience a sense of calm that’s as addictive as the local desserts.

So what are you waiting for? Pack your walking shoes and bring an open mind. This is your moment to reconnect with nature, yourself, and a simpler, slower way of life.

A warm welcome awaits you at this 200-year-old authentic Landaise farmhouse tucked away among the Armagnac and Cotes de Gascogne vineyards in the sun-blessed southwest of France!

Ever wanted to tackle the legendary Camino de Santiago but aren’t quite ready to commit to the full pilgrim lifestyle of blisters and backpacks? Well, buckle up your hiking boots (lightly) because I’ve got just the thing for you – a taste of the Camino that won’t leave you crying for a foot massage.

You get to walk in the footsteps of 900 years’ worth of wanderers (though thankfully with better shoes than they had), all while based in a cosy French farmhouse that’s seen more history than your high school textbook. It’s like time-travelling, but with fairly modern plumbing and excellent food!

Here’s how your adventure unfolds:

Day 1: Rock up anytime after 4 PM for dinner at 7 PM. Pro tip: Don’t fill up on bread beforehand– you’ll want room for the good stuff!

Day 2: Ease into your pilgrim stride with a gentle 11km stroll from Eauze to Manciet. It’s a bit like a walk in the park, if that park stretched for 11km and was steeped in centuries of history. Time: 2.5-4 hours (depending on how many photos you stop to take – and trust me, you’ll want to take plenty).

Day 3: Vineyard Walk – Explore the immediate surroundings of the farm: walk for miles, from one lush vineyard to another, from one farm to another, stop for a wine tasting and/or a picnic – or walk for 10 minutes, come back to the farmhouse, take another walk later…today you can walk as much or as little as you want – or spend the day reading under you favourite 200-year-old oak tree (choose from Merlin, Morgana, Melchior or Methusalé).

Day 4: Here’s where you earn your pilgrim stripes! Choose your adventure: either brave the full 28km or take the shorter 18km route from Nogaro to Aire-sur-Adour. Then hop on a bus back because, hey, we’re modern pilgrims! The day wraps up with dinner at a local spot where you can experience rural French “nightlife” (spoiler: it involves more eating than dancing). This feast isn’t included in the package – budget 15-30 euros for a meal that’ll make your taste buds sing hallelujah.

Day 5: Village Walk – Visit the closest enchanting medieval village where half-timbered walls whisper stories from 1400 years of unbroken history. Here, where Roman settlers first planted vines in sun-drenched soil, generations of winemakers have crafted their liquid poetry for centuries—and that ancient tradition continues today. You can meander through narrow stone passages, discovering hidden treasures at your own perfect pace, or simply surrender to the profound tranquillity back at the farm, where time seems to slow and your soul can finally exhale.

Day 6: Manciet to Nogaro – a breezy 10km that leads you to a town that’s been doing its thing since the 11th century. The Romanesque church here is so photogenic it practically begs for a spot on your Instagram. Another 2.5-4 hours of wandering this wonderland.

Day 7: Farewell Champagne Brunch, where you’ll savour the delicious local flavours one last time while sharing stories, laughter, and newfound connections with your retreat family. As you toast to your transformation over perfectly brewed coffee/tea, you’ll carry the warmth of these precious final moments—and the rested and refreshed new version of yourself—back into the world. The retreat ends at 12h00.

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Is the R³ Retreat the right retreat for you?

This stress management retreat is perfect for:

– Solo travellers who want company but not too much company
– Parent-child duos looking to bond without the usual theme park crowds (minimum age 16)
– Couples who want to enrich their relationship with something more romantic than Netflix
– Small groups who are looking for a unique and unforgettable experience
– Writers, artists, and creative types seeking inspiration (spoiler: you’ll find it)
– Anyone curious about the Camino but not ready to quit their job and walk across Spain for 6 weeks
– People who want a test drive before diving into the full Camino experience

Think of it as Camino de Santiago: The Highlight Reel – all the soul-searching, mood-lifting, and breathtaking views, but with a comfy bed waiting for you each night. Plus, you get to sample the local food and wine, because let’s face it – that’s half the reason we travel to France anyway!

Why The R³ Retreat is One-of-a-Kind

This isn’t just a walk—it’s a chance to slow down, reconnect with nature, and experience something truly unforgettable.

What sets this retreat apart? You get to walk the legendary Camino de Santiago without the usual hassles. Forget fretting about where you’ll sleep, what you’ll eat, or whether your backpack will win the battle of “Whose is heavier?” Here, all the nitty-gritty details are taken care of so you can focus on what really matters: in these uncertain times, your connection to something bigger.

Spend your days walking ancient paths and your evenings unwinding in a cosy, 200-year-old farmhouse steeped in history. Nestled among lush meadows and timeless woods, this is the kind of place that doesn’t just let you reconnect with nature—it practically insists on it. And while you’re at it, you’ll reconnect with something even more important: your authentic self.

This retreat is not just a getaway—it’s an extraordinary experience.

So, whether you’re here for the history, the scenery, the inspiration, or the food (or all the above), this retreat offers a taste of the Camino that’ll leave you wanting more.

R³ Retreat Dates for 2025

– September 20 – 26, 2025
– October 4 – 10, 2025
– November 1 – 7, 2025
– December 6 – 12, 2025

Where is this little farm and how do you get here?

Maison Meraki is a 2-hour drive south-east of Bordeaux, and 2 hours south-west of Toulouse, between two small towns: Eauze and Nogaro.

The easiest and most effortless way to get here is to rent a car at Bordeaux, Toulouse, Biarritz, Pau or Lourdes airport. It’s much cheaper now than it was pre-COVID. It is highway nearly all the way here, and the road signs are clear, even if you don’t speak a single word of French.

If you prefer to use public transport, the best option is to fly to Toulouse, take the train to Auch, and visit the impressive cathedral with its exceptional hand-carved choir. When you have had a scrumptious lunch at one of the sidewalk bistros on the square in front of the cathedral, you take the bus to Nogaro, where you’ll be picked up and transferred to the retreat.

The most entertaining and cheapest way to get here is by getting a lift from the carpooling website, BlaBlaCar(dot)fr, which is available in English. Direct transfers by taxi are available either from the airport or from the train stations, but are expensive and need to be booked well in advance.

When can you come on an R³ Retreat?

I’d love to welcome you to my little part of paradise here in the sun-blessed southwest of France on the first Saturday of every month from March to December. The retreat starts at 16h on Saturdays and ends at 12h on Fridays.

Fringe Benefits

• Pre-retreat chat with retreat host.
• A 40-page e-guide “Make Your Next Retreat Your Best Retreat Ever“, that you can use to enrich your retreat experience
• Detailed instructions on how to keep a travel diary, so that you can benefit from what you learned for years after your retreat ended
• A Certificate of Completion that mentions the kilometres walked on the Camino
• A Camino de Santiago scallop shell
• A 10% discount on your next retreat (valid for booking within 12 months) – this discount is only available to this retreat’s graduates

How much does a R³ Retreat cost?

At the end of this retreat, you’ll feel intensely alive, profoundly rested, serenely contented, positively radiant, and irrepressibly energetic. The new you grabs every second of every minute of every hour of the day and squeezes every last ounce of meaning out of it.

Prepare to be a different person by the time you have to tear yourself away from this profoundly restful and peaceful haven to return home.

The R³ Retreat is a life-changing 7-day 6-night retreat that costs 1799€ for a single bedroom and 3399€ for a double bedroom. To ensure participants get the attention they need, no more than four participants attend each retreat. Payment Plans are available. Please read the Terms and Conditions before booking. Full payment is due 30 days before the retreat starts

Think of asking your employer to pay for this transformational stress management retreat; you can motivate your application by mentioning that, according to Forbes, approximately 70% of people experienced burnout in the last year. Work-related consequences include job dissatisfaction, decreased productivity, poor performance, professional mistakes, absenteeism, quiet quitting and resignations, resulting in a high turnover rate. Although conditions at work may also need improvement, a retreat focused on stress management, led by a medical doctor, can contribute significantly to preventing burnout in employees.

Are you ready for an unforgettable retreat that will leave you feeling vibrantly alive, full of joie de vivre, deliciously indulged and profoundly relaxed from the top of your head to the tips of your toes? There are a limited number of these transformational retreats per year and only 3-4 guests per retreat. Contact me at welcome2gascony@gmail.com to inquire about availability and to pay a 450€ deposit to secure your spot.

Imagine how different your life will be in a year’s time if you decide to change your life by attending this retreat.

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©MMontagu Description frequently adjusted.