TrailTracers 3

10 Powerful Life Lessons My Retreat Guests Learned While Walking the Camino de Santiago

Email 2: Behind-the-Scenes of a TrailTracers’ Retreat

Ever wondered what goes into creating a life-changing Camino experience in the heart of southwest France? Spoiler alert: it involves equal parts meticulous planning, cherished relationships with local French grandmothers, and occasionally chasing horses through sunflower fields at dawn…

A French Farmhouse Sanctuary

People often assume my retreats happen entirely on the Camino trail. The truth? This transformational journey is anchored at my little French farmhouse—a haven of tranquility nestled among woods, meadows, sunflower fields, and vineyards between Eauze and Aire-sur-Adour. It wasn’t a random choice. This particular section of the Way in southwest France offers the perfect blend of natural beauty, cultural richness, and contemplative space—with fewer tourists than the Spanish sections.

The Invisible Work of “Seeing” Beyond Sight

Creating these experiences when you have visual challenges requires a different kind of preparation. What might appear as a limitation has become one of my retreat’s greatest strengths. My participants often tell me they experience the Camino with heightened awareness precisely because I guide them to notice what is often missed by those who rely primarily on sight—the subtle changes in birdsong that signal different landscapes, the texture of ancient stones beneath our fingers, the scent of wild herbs that changes with each kilometre.

This methodical preparation isn’t just practical—it’s what allows the seemingly effortless “magic” to happen when participants arrive.

Beyond Walking: The Practices That Transform

While walking the Camino forms our central practice, what truly sets my retreats apart are the complementary experiences woven throughout:

• Forest bathing in an ancient wood near the farmhouse, where participants learn to slow down and absorb the healing presence of trees through all their senses
• Wild swimming in a secret lake—there’s nothing like immersing in cool water to wash away old stories and emerge renewed
• Horse-guided meditation with the gentle horses who graze our meadows, teaching presence in ways no human guide could
• Walking meditation practices adapted from both Eastern traditions and the medieval pilgrim practices of contemplation

One participant called my approach “the in-depth Camino”—walking with intention rather than merely accumulating kilometres.

The French Village Connection

What often surprises retreat participants is how their journey becomes interwoven with the rhythms and relationships of rural French life:

There’s Anna, who marks each egg she sells me with the name of the hen who laid it. Participants are delighted to discover at breakfast that their egg was provided by Mathilde or Josephine. These named eggs become a powerful metaphor for the personal attention each participant receives throughout the retreat.

There’s Louis, the elderly gardener whose potager (vegetable garden) I’m privileged to “raid” for fresh ingredients. He teaches participants about seasonal growing while sneaking extra tomatoes into our baskets, refusing payment but accepting help weeding his rows.

And there’s Fred, whose tiny bistro welcomes us for one special dinner. We deliberately choose to support the local economy rather than isolating ourselves. Fred’s stories of village life over generations add a dimension of continuity to our transformational work.

These relationships aren’t business transactions—they’re sacred bonds formed through years of showing up, listening deeply, and honouring local wisdom. They’re also the support system that helps me navigate my visual limitations while creating seamless experiences.

When Plans Go Sideways (Or Why Flexibility Is a Pilgrim’s Best Friend)

Of course, no amount of planning can prepare you for everything the Camino throws your way…

Like the time a summer storm flooded the path, and participants ended up taking an impromptu detour through a vineyard, where the owner spotted them and insisted they shelter in his cave for a private wine tasting. That unplanned experience taught participants more about surrendering to life’s flow than any prepared lesson could have.

“Disasters” like these inevitably become the most treasured memories and powerful metaphors for life’s journey. Now I make deliberate time for the unexpected, knowing it’s often where the deepest transformation happens.

Writing Our Way to Wisdom

As an author who has published eight books, the writing process is central to our transformational approach. Each day includes structured journaling prompts designed to help participants process their experiences not just intellectually but creatively.

What begins as simple documentation often evolves into profound self-discovery. I’ve witnessed participants who claimed they “couldn’t write” produce pages of insight by the retreat’s end, some eventually developing their journals into memoirs or poetry collections after returning home.

The combination of physical movement, sensory awareness, and reflective writing creates a unique alchemy. As one participant put it: “Walking opens the body, nature opens the heart, and writing opens the mind.”

TrailTracers: From Troubled to Triumphant, One Step at a Time

The Camino teaches us that transformation isn’t found in perfect execution but in authentic presence. The behind-the-scenes work isn’t about controlling every variable—it’s about creating the conditions where change becomes possible.

Like the medieval stonemasons who built cathedrals knowing they might never see them completed, I plan retreats with the understanding that the most profound outcomes may unfold long after our goodbyes at the farmhouse.

This is the beautiful paradox of my work: meticulous preparation creates the foundation, but true transformation always happens in the spaces we can’t control—the unexpected detours, the surprising connections, the moments of vulnerability that no itinerary could predict.

Ready to walk your way from Breakdown to Breakthrough? See dates/pricing here.

Curious about my philosophy? Visit my “Manifesto” page to discover the principles that guide every step of my coaching, courses and Camino retreats in southwest France.

Buen Camino,
Margaretha Montagu

PS. This e-mail is part of a series I send to subscribers to my mailing list. If you would like to receive the free series, as well as the free 10 Powerful Lessons My Guests Learned While Walking the Camino de Santiago guide, you can subscribe by clicking here: Download the Guide.