Solo or Small Group Camino de Santiago Walking Retreats in The Southwest of France
“The most awesome and precious experience I can offer you is a walking retreat away from the hustle and bustle, in the sun-drenched southwest of France, in a 200-year-old farmhouse, set in lush meadows on the edge of an ancient forest, so that you can relax, without a care in the world, recharge your batteries and reconnect with your authentic self and with nature in the presence of my Friesian and Falabella horses and by walking sections of the Camino de Santiago de Compostela. Especially if you are currently struggling with some tough challenges.
Working all hours as a medical doctor, I was overwhelmed and exhausted, and in desperation, I attended my first retreat. I was hooked from the moment I arrived, and I have since attended a variety of retreats. I so profoundly believe in the beneficial effect of attending retreats that I have made hosting retreats – online and onsite – my life’s work. At Esprit Meraki, the little French farmhouse I always dreamed of owning, you can release emotional baggage, confront difficulties, contemplate current challenges, aspirations, and areas ripe for improvement, cultivate greater resilience, and reevaluate your life choices while you walk the Camino de Santiago.”
Dr Margaretha Montagu
Camino de Santiago Walking Retreats
Private Retreats – new for 2026
Private Breakup and Divorce Recovery Retreat -this 2-day/2-night, bespoke, one-on-one break-up and divorce retreat on the Camino de Santiago in the sun-blessed southwest of France enables you to press pause, recalibrate your inner compass, and return to your life with more purpose, intention, and clarity.
Private Fast and Feast Private Weight Loss Retreat – a 4-day/3 night, 100% Private, One-on-One, Medically-informed, Results-oriented, Weight Loss Retreat Hosted by a medical doctor is the perfect way to kick-start a weight loss program that will enable you to lose weight and keep it off permanently
Small Group Retreats
BOOK LOVERS’ Binge Reading and Camino Walking Retreats (5 days/4 nights) Have you been burning the midnight oil, lost in the pages of your favourite novels, after a stressful day’s work, only to wake up feeling like a zombie the next morning? Treat yourself to rest, relaxation and reading to your heart’s content at this retreat!
CROSSROADS Camino de Santiago Retreats in southwest France (7 days/6 nights) Walk through noble vineyards, wildflower meadows and ancient woods. Slow down, relax, rest and recharge your batteries after a life change/crisis/challenge and meet a small herd of Friesian and Falabella horses.
WRITE YOUR STORY Walking and Writing Retreats (5 days/4 nights): – walk part of the Camino de Santiago de Compostela and find insight and inspiration with every step. During this retreat, you will be able to write undisturbed, every day, for as long as you like. The retreat provides writing time, not writing instruction.
APPETISER: Camino de Santiago Walking Only Adventure (5 days/4 nights) – my only retreat with three days’ walking. This retreat offers you the chance to walk a small, but exquisitely beautiful part of the Camino in southwest France, without having to carry a heavy rucksack or worry about where you are going to eat/sleep each night.
HORSE OWNER’S Retreat: Teach Mindfulness and Meditation with Your Horse(s) – based on equine-facilitated mindfulness and meditation, you’ll discover how to help your friends, family and clients to minimise the detrimental effects of stress , by connecting with your horses in an enriching, compelling, and transformational way (5 or 7 days)
Between CHRISTMAS and NEW YEAR Book Lovers’ Binge Reading Retreats (5 days/4 nights) How often during Christmas holidays have you wished you could read your book in front of a roaring fireplace, with a mug of hot chocolate to hand, a Christmas tree twinkling in the corner and a soft rug warming your knees?
In my experience, the make-or-break factors that determine whether your retreat is a life-enhancing experience are not the location, the affordability, the food, or the activities…more important than anything else is a fully qualified retreat leader with at least a decade of experience of leading retreats and a long list of trustworthy testimonials to prove it.
Would you like to find out more? Let’s chat!
Not sure which retreat will suit you best? I’m happy to chat about the different options, so you can choose the best retreat for you. Each retreat is different, and one might suit you better than another, so I like to chat with each guest before they book, to ensure the best possible match. I love these chats, they allow us to get to know each other a bit beforehand, and offer you the opportunity to ask all the questions you may have, for example how to get here, before you pay the deposit. Just email me at welcome2gascony@gmail.com.
Solo, Slow and Sustainable Tourism
During our retreats, I do my best to foster an environment where everyone feels understood, valued, supported and inspired. This includes providing opportunity and access for people of different races, ages, colours, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disabilities, and socioeconomic orientations. I actively invest in my own development to help me create an anti-racist, anti-oppressive, equitable and inclusive setting.
Every Walking Retreat includes hiking part of the Camino de Santiago de Compostela (optional.)
To find out more/book a walking retreat/have a chat, email me at Welcome2Gascony@gmail.com