Diwali is the Hindu festival of lights, celebrated over five days each autumn. In 2026, the main day falls on Sunday, November 8. The spiritual meaning of Diwali centers on light overcoming darkness. On the night of Diwali, families clean their homes, light rows of small oil lamps, and welcome Lakshmi, the goddess of abundance and good fortune, inside.

Diwali is a living, sacred holiday for hundreds of millions of people, and Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains each celebrate it with their own stories. What I’m sharing here comes from years of teaching about Lakshmi on the mat. It’s what this festival has taught me about clearing space, setting an intention, and actually letting good things in, especially in the darker seasons of life.

In this post

• What is Diwali?
• What is the spiritual meaning of Diwali?
• Why is Lakshmi welcomed on Diwali?
• What can Diwali teach us about receiving?
• Why is Diwali celebrated on a new moon?
• How do you set an intention for Diwali?
• A simple Diwali practice you can do at home
• How to honor Diwali respectfully
• Diwali FAQ

What is Diwali?

Diwali is a five-day festival of lights celebrated across India and around the world, usually in October or November. The name comes from the Sanskrit deepavali, meaning “row of lamps.”

The main day falls on the new moon of the Hindu month of Kartik. Homes are cleaned top to bottom. Small clay oil lamps called diyas line windows, doorways, and rooftops. Families draw rangoli, colorful patterns made from powder or flowers, at the entrance to their homes, and they share sweets, gifts, and meals.

There are many stories behind Diwali, depending on where and how it’s celebrated. One of the best known comes from the Ramayana. When Rama returned home to Ayodhya after fourteen years in exile, the people lit lamps to light his way. Sikhs celebrate Bandi Chhor Divas at the same time, and Jains mark the liberation of Mahavira.

What is the spiritual meaning of Diwali?

The spiritual meaning of Diwali is the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, and good over harm. The lamps are the outward sign. The inner meaning is remembering the light that’s already in you.

This is the part that speaks to me as a yoga teacher. In yoga, light is often used as a word for awareness, the part of you that can see clearly. Most of us don’t lose that light. We just get busy enough, tired enough, and needed enough that we stop noticing it.

Why is Lakshmi welcomed on Diwali?

Lakshmi is worshipped on the main night of Diwali because she’s the goddess of abundance, prosperity, and good fortune, and tradition holds that she visits homes that are clean, bright, and open to her. Families light lamps, leave doors and windows open, and sometimes draw small footprints at the entrance leading inside, so she can find her way in.

For many families and business communities, this is also a time to close out the old year’s accounts and begin fresh. For some communities, especially in Gujarat, the new year begins the day after Diwali.

I’ve written about Lakshmi before. She’s a goddess of abundance, yes, but in yoga she’s also the one we call on to move from a mindset of fear and lack toward one of generosity and gratitude. You can read more about her story, her mantra, and her mudra in The Goddess Lakshmi and the Art of Giving and Receiving.

What can Diwali teach us about receiving?

Diwali is a reminder that receiving takes preparation. Before Lakshmi is welcomed, the house is cleaned, the lamps are lit, and the door is left open.

Most of the women I teach are very good at giving. They give their time, attention, energy, and care, often long past empty. Receiving is harder. Accepting help. Resting before everything is done. Letting a compliment land. Saying yes when someone offers.

I wrote in my Lakshmi post that I will run myself into the ground before asking for help. I know I’m not alone in that.

Opening the door isn’t about deserving more once you’ve finally done enough. You don’t need to earn rest, and you don’t need to earn good things coming your way. The practice is making room, both in your home and in your days, and then letting yourself have what arrives.

Why is Diwali celebrated on a new moon?

Diwali falls on amavasya, the new moon, which is the darkest night of the lunar month. The lamps are lit at the darkest point, not after things brighten up on their own.

I find that useful. Most of us wait until we feel better, have more time, or have things figured out before we do the thing that would actually help.

The new moon is also traditionally a time to pause, rest, and begin again. If this season has felt heavy, that’s a good reason to mark it, not a reason to skip it.

How do you set an intention for Diwali?

To set an intention for Diwali, name one specific thing you’re ready to make room for in the year ahead, and one action you’ll take to make room for it. In yoga, this kind of heartfelt intention is called a sankalpa.

Setting an intention isn’t wishing. It’s giving your brain a clear target. When you get specific about what matters to you, your brain’s reticular activating system (the part that filters what you notice) starts picking up the opportunities, people, and information that match it. Your job is to act on what shows up.

A vague intention like “more abundance” is hard for your brain to work with. Something like “I want to ask for help before I’m exhausted” or “I want two unscheduled hours every weekend” gives it something real to notice, and gives you something real to do.

A simple Diwali practice you can do at home

This takes about twenty minutes. You don’t need any special supplies, just a candle or lamp, a journal, and a quiet corner.

1. Clear one small space. Not the whole house. Just a windowsill, a nightstand, or a corner of your desk. Take everything off, wipe it down, and only put back what you actually want there. Notice how it feels to make room on purpose.
2. Light a lamp. A diya, a candle, or even a single tea light. Set it in the space you just cleared. Never leave a flame unattended.
3. Take Padma Mudra. Bring your palms together in front of your heart. Keep your thumbs, pinkies, and wrists touching, and spread the other fingers apart like a lotus opening. Breathe here for ten slow breaths.
4. Chant the Lakshmi mantra. Om Shrim Maha Lakshmyai Namaha (ohm shreem muh-hah luhk-shmyai nuh-muh-huh). It means “Om, I offer salutations to the great goddess of good fortune.” Chant it out loud or silently, a few rounds or 108 times if you have a mala.
5. Journal three questions.
   • What am I ready to clear out, let go of, or stop carrying?
   • What am I ready to receive this year? Be specific.
   • What’s one action I’ll take this week to make room for it?
6. Open the door. If it’s safe and comfortable, open a door or window for a minute before you blow out the lamp. It’s a small, physical way to say yes.

How to honor Diwali respectfully

You can honor Diwali respectfully by learning about it from the people who celebrate it, accepting invitations when they come, and treating it as a sacred holiday rather than a theme. Many Hindu temples and community centers host public Diwali events that welcome visitors. Wishing a friend or neighbor “Happy Diwali” goes a long way, too.

The at-home practice above isn’t a Diwali puja. It’s a yoga practice inspired by the season, and that’s how I’d share it with others.

Diwali FAQ

Make room for yourself

Most of us rarely give ourselves this kind of space anymore. A cleared windowsill, a lit candle, and twenty quiet minutes is a good place to start.

And if you’re craving more space than an evening can hold, that’s exactly what our retreats are for. See upcoming retreats →

Happy Diwali.

Love,
Autumn

The post The Spiritual Meaning of Diwali: Light, Lakshmi, and Letting Yourself Receive appeared first on Ambuja Yoga.

You don’t have to love yoga to love an adventure wellness retreat for women. On our adventure-forward retreats, yoga is the bookends of the day — a morning class to wake your body up and an evening class to help it settle — and the middle of the day belongs to the place. Red rock trails in Sedona. Rainforest, rivers, and horses in Patagonia. Long hikes in the North Carolina mountains.

And every part of the schedule is optional, the yoga included. If you’d rather skip a class and sit by the river with a book, you can.

If you’ve been hovering over a retreat page thinking I want something that’s good for me, but I don’t know if I want to do downward dog for eight hours, this post is for you.

In this post

• Do you have to do yoga all day on a yoga retreat?
• What is an adventure wellness retreat?
• How much yoga is actually on a hiking and yoga retreat?
• Why is the yoga there at all?
• What if I’m not sure I even like yoga?
• Should I choose an adventure retreat or a rest retreat?
• Which Ambuja retreats are the most adventure-forward?
• FAQ

Do you have to do yoga all day on a yoga retreat?

No. On most yoga retreats, yoga takes up a few hours of the day, not the whole day. And on Ambuja retreats, everything is optional, so you don’t have to do any of it if you don’t want to. The rest of the day is meals, time outside, time with the group, and time to yourself.

Retreats vary a lot, though, so it’s worth reading the schedule before you book. Some are built around deep study and several practices a day. Some are built around rest. Ours are built around getting outside and moving, with yoga holding the day together.

What is an adventure wellness retreat?

An adventure wellness retreat combines real outdoor activity — hiking, kayaking, horseback riding, swimming — with the things that help your body and nervous system recover: good food, good sleep, yoga, and time away from your phone.

The adventure part isn’t about pushing hard or proving anything. It’s about being in a beautiful place with your whole body, not just looking at it through a window. And the wellness part isn’t a lecture. It’s being fed well, sleeping deeply, and having someone else handle every detail for a few days.

Most of us rarely give ourselves this kind of space anymore. An adventure retreat gives it to you with hiking boots on.

How much yoga is actually on a hiking and yoga retreat?

On our hiking and yoga retreats, there are usually one to two classes a day: an energizing flow in the morning and a slower, restorative class in the evening. Sometimes yoga gets swapped for a myofascial release class. Each is 75-90 minutes long with a good long savasana. The hours in between are for the adventure.

Here’s what a typical day looks like on Rooted & Wild Sedona:

• Morning: coffee, then a flow class to wake up your body at 8 am
• Breakfast
• Late morning / afternoon: perhaps a hike through the red rocks. A couple of miles long and of moderate intensity.
• Lunch, then free time — nap, read, sit by the river, book a massage
• Evening: a restorative class, then dinner around 7 pm.

One of our Sedona guests described it this way:

“We layer in one type of yoga, then a hike or other activity, then food — great, healthy, amazing food — an incredible balance of activities.” — Jodi Gentaman, Sedona 2026

Patagonia follows the same rhythm — morning and evening yoga — with the middle of the day given to rainforest hikes, kayaking, and horseback riding, and the fire-heated hot tubs waiting at the end of it.

Why is the yoga there at all?

Because it makes the adventure feel better. A morning class loosens up your hips, hamstrings, and back before you spend hours on a trail. An evening restorative class — mostly supported, reclined, and slow — is exactly what your legs want after a long day outside.

There’s a nervous system piece too. A day of moving your body outdoors, followed by a practice that deliberately slows your breathing down, gives your system a clear signal that it’s safe to rest. That’s a big part of why women sleep so deeply on retreat, sometimes for the first time in months.

Yoga is the connective tissue. The places are the main event.

What if I’m not sure I even like yoga?

You don’t need to like yoga, be good at yoga, or have done yoga before. Plenty of women on our retreats come for the hiking, the food, the place, or the friend who talked them into it — and the yoga is a bonus.

“Seriously, even if you don’t ‘do’ yoga, the fabulous food, beautiful surroundings and comfy glamping are a joy… The yoga is gentle enough for beginners and challenging enough for long-time practitioners.” — Candice K, Back to Nature Oregon, 2024

If your idea of yoga is one sweaty class you didn’t enjoy, it’s worth knowing there are a lot of different kinds. Over a retreat you’ll try several — flow, restorative, yoga nidra — and most women find at least one they didn’t expect to like.

“It was like a sampler plate of yoga — I really didn’t know there were all those different kinds.” — Andrea Bryant, Sedona 2026

Every class comes with options. If something doesn’t work for your wrists, knees, or back, you’ll get a modification. And every class is optional. Go to all of them, try one, or skip the morning flow and sleep in. Nobody’s keeping score.

You don’t have to arrive flexible. You don’t have to arrive knowing anything. Just come as you are.

Should I choose an adventure retreat or a rest retreat?

Choose an adventure retreat if you feel restless more than exhausted — if what you want is to feel alive, do something a little bit hard, and come home with some trail dirt on your boots. Choose a rest retreat if you’re depleted and what you need most is to lie down.

A few signs you’re an adventure retreat woman:

• The idea of hiking multiple days sounds exciting, not exhausting
• You want to feel strong in your body, not just relaxed in it
• You’ve been “fine” for a while and you want to feel something other than tired
• You’d rather see a place than just rest in one

Both are valid. Both are worthy of your time. If you’re more depleted than restless, our Back to Nature retreat in Oregon is built around rest — glamping, slow mornings, deep sleep. You’re allowed to pick the one your body is actually asking for.

Rest is part of the equation, but we’ve discovered that what most women are really looking for underneath it is joy — laughing at dinner, feeling strong on a trail, remembering what it’s like to play outside for no productive reason at all. You don’t have to earn that. It’s available now.

Ready to see what this looks like in real life? Our next two adventure-forward retreats are both in April 2027: Rooted & Wild Sedona — April 29 – May 3 and UnBound Patagonia — April 10-17. Spots are capped at 14 women.

Which Ambuja retreats are the most adventure-forward?

Our three most adventure-forward retreats are Rooted & Wild Sedona, UnBound Patagonia, and Rooted & Wild North Carolina. All three pair daily yoga with time outside on an adventure.

Rooted & Wild Sedona (Arizona) — April 29 – May 3, 2027 Daily hikes through Sedona’s red rocks, riverside cabins, massage, a sound bath, and ceremony. Good for a first adventure retreat — close to home for most US travelers and friendly to all fitness levels. This retreat sells out every session.

UnBound Patagonia (Chile) — April 10-17, 2027 Northern Patagonia’s Puelo Valley — rainforest hikes, kayaking, horseback riding, and fire-heated hot tubs under the mountains. April is autumn there: the forests turn gold and the summer crowds are gone. More on that in Patagonia in April: What It’s Actually Like.

“Morning and evening yoga, fire-heated hot tubs, amazing vistas, invigorating excursions including hiking in the rainforest, kayaking, and horseback riding. And the food!! Perfection!” — Vala P, Patagonia 2026

Rooted & Wild North Carolina — next dates: October 2027 Mountain hikes and morning and evening yoga in the Blue Ridge near Asheville. This retreat has sold out both years.

“This is a unique yoga retreat in a beautiful setting, incorporating hikes in nature and great yoga experiences in the morning and evening.” — Darcy S, Rooted & Wild NC, 2025

Adventure Wellness Retreat FAQ

Come for the trails. Stay for the women.

You don’t need to be sure about yoga to book an adventure wellness retreat. Everything is optional. You just need to want a few days outside, moving your body in a beautiful place, with good food and women who get it.

See Rooted & Wild Sedona — April 29 – May 3, 2027 · See UnBound Patagonia — April 10-17, 2027

Not ready to book? Download the Patagonia retreat brochure and take your time.

The post Not Sure You Want Yoga All Day? What an Adventure Wellness Retreat for Women Is Really Like appeared first on Ambuja Yoga.

Most packing lists for a yoga retreat in Mallorca are written for a generic week. This one is written for ours: eight days at Son Boronat in the hills above Calvià, August 27 to September 3, with two practices a day, one day on the Mediterranean, one day in the Tramuntana, and a chef who cooks from the market.

Late August shapes every line below. Highs around 30°C (86°F), humid, nights around 23°C, and the sea at its warmest of the year. Rooms have AC and en-suite baths. Mats and props are provided. Airport transfers are included both ways. So the suitcase only has to cover what the week actually asks for.

Table of Contents

• What should I pack for a yoga retreat in Mallorca in late August?
• What do I need for the boat day?
• What shoes do I need for the Tramuntana walk?
• What should I leave home?
• Frequently asked questions

What should I pack for a yoga retreat in Mallorca in late August?

Pack for terrace yoga at 8:00, a pool at 3:00, a boat and a cove swim, an olive-grove walk, and candlelit dinners — in a humid 30°C week where the sea is at its warmest. That means five yoga sets, two swimsuits, water shoes, real walking shoes, a wrap for evening practice, one outfit you love, and reef-safe SPF 50. Mats, props, and airport transfers are covered.

What to pack for a yoga retreat in Mallorca depends entirely on which day you’re packing for, so here’s the week itself.

What does the Sol & Soul week look like?

Mornings open with yoga at 8:00, brunch at 9:30, and a workshop or excursion at 11:00; afternoons from 3:00 to 5:00 are yours, evening practice runs 5:00 to 7:00, and dinner is at 7:30. Within that frame: a welcome circle on day one, a manifestation workshop on day three, the boat on day four, the Tramuntana on day five, an optional island day and the celebration dinner on day six, and a closing circle on day seven.

Which means your bag needs to handle, in order: a terrace at eight in the morning, a pool at three, a boat at noon, an olive grove at eleven, a candlelit courtyard at nine at night, and possibly a street full of fire-runners.

Day 1: Arrival, welcome circle, grounding practice

You land in Palma, someone drives you 30–40 minutes up into the hills, and the first practice is easy and late-afternoon.

• Wear on the plane: something you can practice in after a transatlantic flight. Soft pants, a layer. You’ll go from car to mat within a couple of hours.
• In your carry-on: one full yoga set, a swimsuit, sunscreen, and medications. If your checked bag is late, you still have day one and day two.
• Passport valid three months past departure, travel insurance details (required for our international retreats), and a plug adapter — Spain uses two-round-pin Type C/F at 230V. Phone and laptop chargers are fine; most US hair tools aren’t.

Every morning: yoga on the terrace at 8:00

Morning practice is on the terrace when the weather’s right, in the shala when it isn’t. At eight in late August it’s already warm and the sun is low and direct.

• 4–5 breathable yoga sets. Humidity means things dry slowly on a rail, so bring more than you think, or rinse and hang early.
• A cap or visor for terrace mornings; the low sun comes in sideways.
• Skip the mat. Provided. If yours is an emotional support object, a thin travel mat is fine.

Every afternoon: pool, nap, sea (3:00–5:00 is yours)

The pool hangs over the valley and this is when you’ll use it. The finca sits on 70,000 square meters of mostly forest and terraced garden, so afternoons are shade, water, and quiet.

• Two swimsuits, one drying while you wear the other. This is a daily-swim week, not a one-beach-day week.
• A light cover-up for the walk between room, pool, and terrace.
• Reef-safe SPF 50, mineral if you can. You’ll reapply daily.
• A book and a journal you like opening. We write during the week; the afternoon is when most women actually do it.
• Mosquito repellent for the gardens at dusk.

Every evening: restorative practice, yoga nidra, sound healing, dinner at 7:30

Evening practice is gentle and indoors: restorative, yoga nidra, meditation, sound healing. Then dinner in the candlelit courtyard, long and unhurried.

• A long-sleeve layer or wrap for lying still. Even in August, you’ll get cold in nidra. The stone stays cool after dark, too.
• Comfortable sandals for courtyard and terrace, not flip-flops that slap on stone.
• Two or three easy dinner outfits — linen, a simple dress, loose trousers. Nobody dresses up, but you’ll want to feel like a person, not a yogi in leggings, at least some nights.

“You don’t have to be good at yoga to come. You don’t have to have the right attire. You don’t have to know all about yoga.” — Jodi Kentaman, Sedona 2026

Day 3: The manifestation and mindset workshop

Morning yoga, then a workshop on getting clear about what you want and how intention plus aligned action moves a life, taught with the nervous-system science attached. Free afternoon, gentle practice and yoga nidra in the evening.

• A journal with room in it. This is the day you fill pages.
• A pen you’d be sad to lose. You’ll want to keep these notes.
• Something warm for nidra. Same wrap as above. It earns its place today.

What do I need for the boat day?

The boat day is the reason a Mallorca yoga retreat packing list looks different from a mountain one. A relaxed morning, then out onto the Mediterranean; the boat anchors in a quiet cove, we move through a floating meditation on deck, and then everybody swims. Late August is the warmest sea of the year, around 24–27°C, so this is the swim you came for.

• A swimsuit you’ll actually swim in, under a rash guard or swim shirt. Shade on a boat is never guaranteed, and the midday sun over water is intense.
• Water shoes or strapped sandals. Mallorcan coves are often rock and pebble, not sand.
• A hat with a chin strap or tie. Boats make wind.
• Sunglasses with a strap.
• Goggles or a mask. The water is clear enough to make you want them.
• Motion-sickness tablets if you’re prone, taken before boarding, not after.
• A dry bag or zip pouch for your phone.
• On jellyfish: numbers drop from their summer peak by late August, and the common late-summer one, the fried egg jellyfish, is harmless. A sting spray in your kit is cheap peace of mind, and if the forecast shows several days of easterly wind, our captain will know before we do.

Sol & Soul · Son Boronat, Calvià · August 27–September 3, 2027
Fourteen women, two practices a day, a day on the Mediterranean, an olive-grove walk, and a chef cooking from what’s local. From $3,497, airport transfers included. See dates, pricing, and what’s included →

What shoes do I need for the Tramuntana walk?

Closed, broken-in walking shoes with real tread. The Tramuntana day is a walk through a 700-year-old olive grove above Valldemossa with a tasting from those trees, time in the village, and the view over the sea at Sa Foradada. A walk, not a trek, but uneven stone underfoot and warm by mid-morning.

• An outfit that transitions easily from olive grove to village wanders.
• Trail runners or light hikers, already broken in. Not sandals (although some chacos or similar may do the trick)
• Moisture-wicking socks.
• A small daypack with a liter water bottle, sunscreen, and the layer you’ll peel off by ten.
• A little cash for the village — a coffee, an ensaïmada.

Day 6: Optional island day, then the celebration dinner

The optional excursion is a day in Sóller: the vintage tram down to the port, a long lunch, the beach. Or a slow day at the finca. Either way, the night is the celebration dinner.

• For Sóller: the boat-day kit minus the boat. Comfortable outfit for wandering the alleys and shops. A swimsuit, sandals, hat, cash for lunch.
• For dinner: the one outfit you love. This is the night for it. Linen, a dress, whatever makes you feel like yourself.
• A wrap for later. The courtyard cools after eleven, and this dinner runs late.

If the fiesta lines up: the Night of Fire in Santa Ponça

The Festes del Rei en Jaume, Calvià’s own fiesta, lands on our dates every year. If the 2027 program lines up, we’ll run an optional van into Santa Ponça for one of the nights — likely the Night of Fire, a correfoc with drummers and fire-runners in the streets.

• Cotton or linen with long sleeves. Synthetics and sparks are a bad match.
• Closed shoes.
• A scarf or hat to cover your hair.
• Small cash for the medieval market on the promenade.

Staying an extra day for the beach battle on Saturday? Here’s how →

Days 7 and 8: Closing circle, last dinner, departure

Morning yoga, a closing circle, naming what you’re taking home, and a final long dinner. Then breakfast, goodbyes, transfer to Palma.

• Room in your bag. Olive oil, almonds, a bottle from a bodega. You’ll want to bring something home. Our yoga in Mallorca guide actually shares a few things the island is known for.
• The journal, on top, where you can reach it on the plane.

What goes in the carry-on?

• Medications in original containers
• Earplugs or noise canceling headphones and an eye mask if you’re a light sleeper
• A reusable water bottle
• Euros — €100–150 is plenty for markets, tips, and cafés
• Plug adapter
• A book
• Lip balm and hand cream
• A healthy snack
• Something that helps you feel your best

What should I leave home?

• The mat. Provided.
• Heels. Cobblestones, gravel, terraces.
• A heavy jacket. A September thunderstorm is an hour in the shala, not a cold front.
• More than one “special” outfit. You’ll wear it once.
• The laptop. There’s wifi. Set the out-of-office before you land and leave it in the bag.

Still deciding if this is your retreat? Join the list and I’ll send some of my favorite details. Not this year? That’s ok too. I’ll send over the next dates and the prep guide before anything goes live to the public.

The one-glance version

Five yoga sets. Two swimsuits, a rash guard, water shoes. Real walking shoes. A wrap for nidra. One outfit you love. A hat that survives a boat. Reef-safe SPF 50. Journal, pen, book. Adapter, euros, passport, insurance. That’s the whole Sol & Soul packing list.

Still weighing the dates? Here’s what Mallorca is actually like in late August and September →. Want the full week laid out? What a yoga retreat week in Mallorca looks like →

One brave decision. Sol & Soul, Mallorca, August 27–September 3, 2027 — what to pack for a yoga retreat in Mallorca, sorted. Reserve your spot →

Love,
Autumn

FAQ

The post What to Pack for a Yoga Retreat in Mallorca: The Sol & Soul List, Day by Day appeared first on Ambuja Yoga.

Every year, the town fifteen kilometers down the hill from our finca reenacts the night Mallorca changed hands. Hundreds of neighbors in Moorish and Christian costume, boats in the bay, a battle on the beach, fire-runners in the streets, and fireworks over the water to close it.

And every year it lands on the first weekend of September, which means the centerpiece falls the day after Sol & Soul ends.

I can’t add a night at Son Boronat; the finca is booked straight through. So here’s the honest version: if you want to see it, fly home a day later, sleep somewhere on the coast Friday night, and go stand on the sand. This post is how to do that.

What is the Festes del Rei en Jaume?

The Festes del Rei en Jaume is Calvià’s biggest fiesta, a ten-day commemoration in Santa Ponça of King Jaume I landing on this coast in September 1229 with a fleet of more than 150 vessels to take the island from its Moorish rulers. The festivities were first celebrated in 1929 for the 700th anniversary, and the modern version has grown into one of the most recognizable traditional events on the island.

What makes it worth a plane change: it isn’t staged for visitors. The battle is fought by colles, local companies of residents; around 1,400 people from eleven Moorish and eleven Christian companies take part. Your waiter’s cousin is probably a Saracen.

When is the Festes del Rei en Jaume in 2027?

The 2027 program hasn’t been published yet — the Calvià town hall releases it each August — but the shape is the same every year. The 2026 edition ran August 26 to September 6, opening with a commemorative ceremony at the Santa Ponça Cross on Thursday and building to the reenactment on the first weekend of September: the Moorish parade on Friday, then the landing and final battle on Santa Ponça beach on Saturday.

For 2027, that points to the battle on Saturday, September 4, with closing fireworks Sunday the 5th. Sol & Soul ends Friday, September 3. One extra night gets you the battle. Two gets you the fireworks. I’ll update this post when the dates are official.

How do I extend my stay after the retreat?

Book your flight home for Sunday or Monday instead of Friday, and reserve one or two nights on the coast near Santa Ponça. That’s the whole plan. Three things make it easy:

Where to sleep. Santa Ponça itself has a range of beachfront and adults-only hotels a short walk from the beach where the battle happens; that’s the zero-logistics choice. Port Adriano and Portals Nous, ten minutes east, are quieter and prettier if you’d rather not sleep in the middle of the fiesta. Palma is 25 minutes away and gives you the city for Sunday; the tradeoff is a taxi each way to Santa Ponça.

Getting down the hill. The retreat’s Friday transfer runs to the airport at set times; a taxi from Son Boronat to Santa Ponça is about 20 to 25 minutes, and we can help coordinate so the women extending share a ride.

Flights. Palma is 30 to 40 minutes from Santa Ponça. A Sunday-afternoon or Monday flight home gives you the battle, a slow last swim, and no 5am alarm.

What happens on battle Saturday?

The battle begins late afternoon. Around 5:30, Christian boats decorated for the occasion fill Santa Ponça bay and wait for the king’s order to land; the first hand-to-hand fight between Moors and Christians happens around the Creu. Both sides then parade toward Caló d’en Pellicer, where history places the second battle of September 10, 1229, and the final battle is fought on Santa Ponça beach. Expect firecrackers and much rejoicing.

The beach fills up quickly, so arriving well ahead of the start is worth it if you want to watch from the sand or the promenade rather than from further back.

My suggested Saturday: morning swim, a walk out to the Creu de Santa Ponça (a stone cross on a headland with views across the bay), a long lunch, then claim your spot on the beach by four with water and a hat. After the battle, the medieval market on the promenade runs until 1am and the plaza has music.

What else is on during the fiesta?

If you’re already on the coast, the week has more than the battle. The Nit de Foc turns Santa Ponça into a demonic set with fire, drums, and pyrotechnics, about 75 minutes starting at 10pm. It’s a correfoc, a fire run through the streets: wear cotton, cover your hair, and stand where you’re comfortable. The medieval market on the beach promenade runs from Thursday to Sunday, noon to 1am. A historian leads a guided walk of the landing route from Caló d’en Pellicer, booked in advance through cultura@calvia.com. And the closing Sunday brings a solemn mass and fireworks in the evening.

A few of these fall inside the retreat week. We’ll run an optional van into Santa Ponça for one of them if the dates line up; details on the retreat page once the program is out.

Sol & Soul · Son Boronat, Calvià · August 27–September 3, 2027
Fourteen women, two practices a day, the warmest sea of the year — and a town’s own fiesta down the road. See dates, pricing, and what’s included →

Is it worth staying an extra day for?

Yes, if you like your travel with a pulse. A week at the finca is slow by design: long mornings, long meals, a lot of air in the schedule. The fiesta is the opposite — loud, crowded, joyful, a whole town in costume — and doing it on the way out is a strangely perfect ending. You’ve spent seven days coming back to yourself. Then you stand on a beach with several thousand strangers and watch a boat land, and you remember that being alive is also this.

It’s free. It’s fifteen minutes from where you’ve been sleeping. And the odds of it lining up with your life again are low.

To be fully immersed in another culture’s celebration

The short version

Fly home Sunday or Monday. Sleep in Santa Ponça, Port Adriano, or Palma on Friday. Be on the beach by four on Saturday. Everything else is optional.

One brave decision. Sol & Soul, Mallorca, August 27–September 3, 2027 — plus one more day if you want it. Reserve your spot →

Love,
Autumn

FAQ

The post Festes del Rei en Jaume: Why You Should Stay One More Day in Mallorca appeared first on Ambuja Yoga.

Fair. So here are the real numbers, what the sea is doing, what the storms look like, and what’s happening in the villages that week — pulled from Spain’s weather agency data, the Calvià town hall, the boat operators, and last September’s local news rather than a “best time to visit” listicle. Sol & Soul runs August 27 to September 3, which straddles the two months, so I looked at both.

How hot is Mallorca in late August?

Late August highs average around 30°C, about 86°F, with nights in the low 70s. Inland and away from the coast, afternoons often reach 33–34°C. The air carries more humidity than a dry western summer, so a coastal 86 feels a touch warmer than it reads.

That’s a summer day. You practice at eight, you swim after lunch, you come back out when the light goes gold — which is how the island runs in summer anyway. Restaurants don’t fill until nine. Villages close for lunch. Match the rhythm and the heat is part of the point.

What is Mallorca like in September?

September is the month locals wait for. The average high drops to about 28°C, 82°F, evenings cool enough for a light layer, and the water stays warm while the island gets a little quieter. The sea holds its summer heat, around 24°C in early September, and the month often feels like an extension of summer.

The shift is gradual. The first days of September feel like August with a softer edge; by mid-month the mornings tell you the season has turned. Our week sits right on that hinge: the warmest sea of the year on the front end, and the first cool mornings on the back.

How warm is the sea in Mallorca in late August and September?

Warm — this is the single best argument for the timing. The sea around Palma peaks at about 26.8°C, over 80°F, in mid-August, and July through September holds water between 24°C and 26°C, ideal for swimming. Water temperature lags the air: the sea stays comparatively cool until early summer before reaching its maximum in August, so a June retreat gets warm air and cooler water, and a late-August one gets warm air and warm water.

For the boat day and the floating meditation, this is exactly what you want. No gasping. Just in.

Does it rain in Mallorca in September?

Sometimes, and when it does it’s an event. August averages about two rainy days and 8 mm; September averages around six rainy days and 29 mm. The storms that break summer are the gota fría, the cold drop: the Mediterranean is at its warmest, cooler air arrives from the northwest at altitude, and when the two meet over the sea, powerful storm cells form that can drop weeks of rain in a few hours.

A local writer describes it well: in September, summer “breaks” with a spectacular thunderstorm or two, and as quickly as they arrive they disappear and everyone is back on the beach, with the temperature dropping for a day or two before returning to normal. Last year’s arrived on September 21: forecast in advance, summer ended on a Sunday night with a major storm, and winds of 52 km/h were recorded in Calvià.

For our week the odds are low, since the pattern usually shows up mid-to-late September, but not zero. If one comes, we practice in the shala, watch it from the terrace, and it’s over by morning. Nobody who’s watched a Mallorcan thunderstorm from a stone farmhouse calls it a bad day.

Are there jellyfish in Mallorca in late summer?

Some, and mostly harmless ones by then. Jellyfish numbers peak in July and August and decline through September and October as the water cools, though some remain. The one you’ll most likely meet in our window is the fried egg jellyfish — a flat disc with a yellow-orange bump like a yolk, virtually harmless to humans, and common in shallow water in August and September. Snorkelers like it.

The boat operators’ rule: several days of easterly wind, the levante, push jellyfish toward the coast, so if the forecast says levante, make it an inland day. Our captain will know before we do.

What’s happening in Mallorca in late August and early September?

More than you’d expect, and most of it isn’t for tourists. Three things fall in or near our week:

Festes del Rei en Jaume, Santa Ponça. This is Calvià’s own fiesta — our municipality, twenty-odd minutes down the hill from the finca — and it lands on our dates every year. It commemorates King Jaume I landing on this coast in 1229 with a fleet of more than 150 ships to take the island from its Moorish rulers, and it has been celebrated since 1929. The 2026 edition ran August 26 to September 6, with the Moorish parade on the Friday and the reenactment of the landing and final battle on Santa Ponça beach on the Saturday. Around 1,400 costumed residents in eleven Moorish and eleven Christian companies take part. There’s a Night of Fire with the Dimonis de Calvià, a medieval market on the beach promenade, and a gathering of gegants, the giant figures, that parade through town. Fireworks close it on the final Sunday.

The 2027 program comes out in August, but the shape is the same every year: the battle falls on the first Saturday of September, which in 2027 is the day after our retreat ends. The run-up — giants, fire, market — falls inside our week. If the dates line up, we’ll arrange a van into Santa Ponça for one of the fiesta nights as an optional add-on. And if you want the battle itself, here’s how to stay one more day for it →.

Festa des Vermar, Binissalem. The grape harvest festival in the island’s original wine town, celebrated since 1965. In 2026 it ran September 4 to 27, with grape treading in the plaza, a grape battle where tonnes of overripe fruit fly, and the fideus de vermar dinner where thousands eat noodle stew at long tables in the street. The big weekends are after we leave, but the harvest itself is underway while we’re there and the bodegas are open.

Nit de l’Art, Palma. The third week of September, when Palma’s museums and galleries open their doors for a night of art and performance. Worth knowing if you’re extending your trip.

And every town has its own patron saint fiesta somewhere in this stretch. Ask a bar owner.

Sol & Soul · Son Boronat, Calvià · August 27–September 3, 2027
Fourteen women, two practices a day, the warmest sea of the year, and a fiesta down the road. From $3,497, airport transfers included. See dates, pricing, and what’s included →
Not ready? Join the list and I’ll send dates before they go public.

What’s in season in Mallorca in late August and September?

Figs. Fig trees have grown on the island for over 2,000 years and fruit from August into September; you’ll get them at breakfast, with goat cheese, and possibly off a tree. Melon and watermelon run from June through the end of September. Grapes are coming in. The olive harvest is later — late October into early November in the south — but the trees are heavy with fruit while we’re walking under them.

This is the eating season. Our chef cooks from whatever the market has that week, which in late August means tomatoes, figs, and very little I’d have to talk you into.

Is Mallorca crowded in September?

Less than August, but not empty, and I’d rather be straight with you than sell a ghost town. Mallorca had around 13.5 million visitors in 2025, and September has stopped being the quiet month it used to be: according to ABTA, 24 percent of British travellers planned a September holiday this year, up from 17 percent a few years ago, in what’s being called a “super shoulder season”. Palma–Calvià hotels ran at 85 percent occupancy in September 2025.

What actually changes: resort beaches thin out once European schools go back, roads ease, restaurants take walk-ins again. Up at a finca in the hills, twenty minutes from the coast, none of it reaches you anyway. That’s most of why I chose a farmhouse over a beach hotel.

For Americans: United added nonstop service from the US to Mallorca in 2022 and has since added flights and extended the season, so check for a direct before assuming a connection.

So is late August a good time for a yoga retreat in Mallorca?

Yes. Warm afternoons that belong to the pool, the warmest sea of the year for the boat day, a fiesta in our own municipality, figs on the table, and the first cool mornings of September on the back end. The trade-off is a small chance of a thunderstorm. I’ll take that over a June with a 20°C sea.

If you want the whole week laid out — schedule, food, rooms — it’s in what a yoga retreat week in Mallorca actually looks like →. And here’s what to pack, heat and hikes included.

One brave decision. Sol & Soul, Mallorca, August 27–September 3, 2027. Reserve your spot →
Love, Autumn

FAQ

The post Mallorca in September and Late August: What It’s Really Like appeared first on Ambuja Yoga.

None of that tells you which part of Spain is right for you.

I’m Autumn Adams, founder of Ambuja Yoga. I’ve led women’s yoga retreats since 2014 — 40+ retreats, 700+ women — in Oregon, North Carolina, Sedona, Patagonia, Greece, Thailand, and now Mallorca, where I host Sol & Soul at Son Boronat, a 17th-century finca in the hills above Calvià. So yes, I have a favorite. But I spent years looking at properties across Spain before I chose it, and I’d rather you pick the right retreat than pick mine for the wrong reasons.

This is the guide I wish someone had handed me.

Where are the best yoga retreats in Spain?

The best yoga retreats in Spain cluster in four regions: two islands and two stretches of the mainland. Mallorca and Ibiza in the Balearics; Andalusia in the south and Catalonia in the northeast on the mainland. Each one draws a different kind of retreat and a different kind of woman.

Quick version:

• Mallorca (island) — mountains and sea in the same day. Historic fincas, hiking, quiet coves. For women who want nature, movement, and rest in one week.
• Ibiza (island) — a real wellness scene and a real party reputation. For women who want a polished, social retreat and don’t mind paying for it.
• Andalusia (southern mainland) — inland, mountainous, slow. For deep quiet, silence, and lower prices.
• Catalonia (northeastern mainland) — Barcelona and the Costa Brava. For the easiest logistics and the option of a city trip on either end.

The rest of this post goes region by region, then gives you the questions that matter more than the map.

What is a yoga retreat in Mallorca actually like?

A yoga retreat in Mallorca usually means a restored stone farmhouse (a finca) in the hills, morning practice on a terrace, and afternoons split between the Serra de Tramuntana mountains and the sea. It’s the one Spanish destination where real hiking and Mediterranean swimming fit inside the same day.

That’s why I chose it. My retreats are built around movement in real places. In Mallorca you can walk through a 700-year-old olive grove in the morning and float in a cove by four o’clock. Nobody has to choose between the mountain woman and the beach woman. You get to be both.

What surprises people: Mallorca is not Ibiza’s quiet sister, and it’s not a resort island. Twenty minutes outside Palma it’s olive terraces, sheep bells, and villages that close for lunch.

Who it’s for: women who want nature and adventure alongside the yoga. Women who get restless on a lounger. Women who want to come home a little stronger, not just a little tanner.

Who it’s not for: if you want strict silence or a big nightlife scene, look elsewhere.

Getting there: fly into Palma (PMI). From the US it’s usually one connection through Madrid, Barcelona, or a European hub. From the UK and Europe it’s direct.

When to go: May–June and the end of August–October are the sweet spots. Late August is hot in the middle of the day — I’ll say that plainly — but it’s also when the sea is warmest and the island starts exhaling as the summer crowds head home. Sol & Soul runs August 27–September 3, and the schedule runs early and late for exactly that reason. I wrote up what the week actually looks like → if you want the day-by-day.

Is a yoga retreat in Ibiza worth it?

Yes, if you want a high-end, social, well-run retreat and you’re comfortable with Ibiza prices. Ibiza has one of the most developed wellness scenes in Europe, and the north of the island is far calmer than its reputation.

What you get: beautiful villas, strong teachers, often yoga blended with breathwork, sound, or dance. The retreats tend to be polished and camera-ready. Some women love that. Some women (hi) find it a little much. I frankly don’t want

What to watch: Ibiza retreats usually cost more than the equivalent in Mallorca or Andalusia, and “quiet” is relative in high summer. If you’re traveling alone and a bit introverted, ask how big the group is and what the evenings look like.

Who it’s for: confident travelers, women who want a social week, anyone who’s always wanted to see Ibiza without the club scene running the trip.

What about a yoga retreat in Andalusia?

Andalusia is where you go for depth and quiet. Most Andalusian yoga retreats are inland — in the Alpujarras below the Sierra Nevada, or the hills behind Málaga — with whitewashed villages, long views, and very little to do at night. That’s the point.

This is where you’ll find the most silent retreats, the most meditation-forward programs, and the most budget-friendly stays. If a “yoga and meditation retreat in Spain” is what you’re actually looking for, Andalusia has the deepest bench.

What to know: inland summer is hotter than the islands, and the beach is usually a drive rather than a walk. Spring and fall are lovely. Fly into Málaga or Granada; from the US that’s typically one connection through Madrid.

Who it’s for: women who want stillness more than adventure. Women on a tighter budget. Women who want to practice hard and talk little.

Should you choose a yoga retreat in Catalonia?

Choose Catalonia if convenience matters most. The Costa Brava and the countryside north of Barcelona are one to two hours from a major international airport, which means a direct flight from several US cities, good trains, and the option of pairing a retreat with a few days in the city.

The retreats here vary more than anywhere else in Spain — farmhouse stays in the Pyrenees foothills, beach-town studios, coastal villas. Quality is uneven, so read the teacher’s bio carefully and check who’s actually leading the classes.

Who it’s for: first-time international travelers who want a safety net, women building a longer Spain trip, anyone who doesn’t want a second flight.

Islands or mainland: which is better for a yoga retreat in Spain?

Islands give you sea on every side and a stronger sense of being away; the mainland gives you easier travel and lower prices. That’s the first fork, and it settles a lot.

Mallorca and Ibiza mean one more flight (or a ferry) and the feeling of having left the world behind. Andalusia and Catalonia mean one flight, a train if you like, and the rest of Spain within reach. Neither is better. One of them is more you.

How do you choose between yoga retreats in Spain?

Pick the region second. Pick the kind of week you want first. After forty-some retreats I’ve watched women book the wrong one because the photos were beautiful, and I’ve watched women book the right one because they answered five questions:

1. Move or be still? Hiking, swimming, a boat day → Mallorca. Silence and slow mornings → Andalusia.
2. With people or with yourself? Social and lively → Ibiza. Small group, real conversation → look for a cap under 15.
3. How much travel can you handle? One flight → Catalonia or Andalusia. Two is fine → the islands.
4. What’s your budget, all-in? Add flights and a night in the gateway city. Andalusia and Catalonia are usually cheapest; Ibiza usually most.
5. Who’s teaching? The venue matters less than the woman holding the room. Look for a real name, real credentials, and reviews from women who look like you.

You don’t need to have this figured out perfectly. You just need to know yourself a little.

Thinking about Mallorca? Sol & Soul at Son Boronat runs August 27–September 3, 2027 — eight days, fourteen women, two practices a day, a day on the Mediterranean, an olive-grove walk in the Tramuntana, and a chef cooking from what’s local. From $3,497, airport transfers included. See dates, pricing, and what’s included →
Not ready yet? Join the list and I’ll send retreat dates before they go public.

Can you go to a yoga retreat in Spain alone?

Yes. Most women on my retreats come alone, and on international retreats it’s usually the majority. You will not be the only one.

What I tell women who are nervous about it: by the second morning you’ll be sharing coffee with someone you didn’t know existed 36 hours ago. Complete strangers become friends before we’ve finished unpacking. Spain makes this easier — long shared dinners, warm evenings, a whole culture built around lingering at the table.

If you’ve never traveled alone internationally, Catalonia or Mallorca are the gentlest starts. Both have big, easy airports, and English is widely spoken where you’ll be.

Do you need to be good at yoga for a retreat in Spain?

No. You do not need any yoga experience for most yoga retreats in Spain, including mine. The women who come range from “I did YouTube yoga during lockdown” to teachers with 500 hours.

What matters more is being upfront with the host. A good teacher will tell you whether her retreat leans physical (mine does — we walk) or restorative, and whether you can skip a session without anyone noticing. If a retreat page doesn’t say who it’s for, email and ask. How they answer tells you a lot.

What does a yoga retreat in Spain cost?

A yoga retreat in Spain typically costs between $1,200 and $5,500 for a week, not including flights. Short three-night retreats and Andalusian farmhouses sit at the low end; Ibiza villas and small-group retreats with private rooms, excursions, and a chef sit at the top.

How to read a price:

• Group size. Twenty-five women at $1,500 and fourteen women at $3,500 are different experiences, not the same one at different prices.
• What’s actually included. Excursions, all meals, airport transfers, and a private room add up fast when they’re extras.
• Who’s leading. A teacher with a decade of retreats behind her is charging for the room she holds, not just the bed.

Sol & Soul starts at $3,497 for seven nights with meals, both excursions, and transfers included. It isn’t the cheapest yoga retreat in Spain. It isn’t trying to be.

What should you pack for a yoga retreat in Spain?

Pack for two climates: cool mountain mornings and hot beach afternoons. A light layer for early practice, real walking shoes if the retreat hikes, a swimsuit you’ll actually swim in, and something for long dinners that isn’t leggings.

Skip the mat unless the retreat tells you to bring one; most provide them. Bring a hat, reef-safe sunscreen, a journal, some euros, and one book you’ve been meaning to read for a year. Set your out-of-office before you land. Then leave the laptop in the bag.

The short answer

If you want mountains, sea, a small group, and a week that leaves you stronger — Mallorca.
If you want polished and social — Ibiza.
If you want quiet and cheaper — Andalusia.
If you want easy — Catalonia.

And if you’re still not sure, that’s fine. Most of us rarely give ourselves this kind of space, and choosing where to take it is allowed to take a minute. Read a few pages. Email a few teachers. Notice which one you keep coming back to.

Then say yes to that one.

Come to Mallorca with us. Sol & Soul at Son Boronat, August 27–September 3, 2027. Eight days. Fourteen women. Hikes, swims, a boat, a very good chef, and a lot of laughing. See the retreat and reserve your spot →

FAQ

The post Yoga Retreats in Spain: How to Choose (Mallorca vs. Ibiza vs. Andalusia vs. Catalonia) appeared first on Ambuja Yoga.

If you’ve ever sat down to “meditate,” lasted about forty seconds before your brain wandered to the to-do list or grocery list, and then decided you’re just bad at this, this post is for you.

You’re not bad at it. You were doing dharana. Nobody told you that’s a different thing from dhyana. Understanding dharana vs dhyana, the sixth and seventh limbs of yoga, is the single most useful thing I teach in the meditation sessions at our women’s retreats, and it’s the thing that takes “I can’t meditate” off the table for good.

In this post:

• What are dharana and dhyana in the eight limbs of yoga?
• What is dharana?
• What is dhyana?
• What’s the real difference between dharana and dhyana?
• Can you skip dharana and go straight to dhyana?
• What does this look like in real life?
• How do you practice dharana this week?
• FAQ

What are dharana and dhyana in the eight limbs of yoga?

Dharana is the sixth limb of yoga and dhyana is the seventh, according to Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. Dharana means concentration. Dhyana means meditation. They sit next to each other on the eight-limbed path because dhyana is what dharana turns into when it deepens.

The full path is: yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, and samadhi. Most of us in the West spend our whole yoga life in limb three (asana) with a little limb four (pranayama) sprinkled in. Limbs six and seven are where meditation actually lives.

Patanjali gives them each one line:

• Dharana (Sutra III.1): binding the mind to one place. Deśa-bandhaś cittasya dhāraṇā.
• Dhyana (Sutra III.2): the continuous, unbroken flow of attention toward that same place. Tatra pratyaya-ekatānatā dhyānam.

One is the act of choosing where your attention goes. The other is what happens when it stays there on its own.

What is dharana?

Dharana is concentration: choosing a single object and bringing your attention back to it every time it wanders. It’s the practice most of us are actually doing when we sit down to “meditate.” Your breath. A candle flame. A mantra. The sound of the creek. The feeling of your feet on the ground.

Then your mind wanders. That’s not a failure of dharana. That is dharana. The whole practice is the noticing and the coming back. Wander, notice, return. Two hundred times in ten minutes if that’s what it takes.

A few things that are true about dharana:

• It takes effort. You are actively doing something.
• It’s a skill. It gets stronger with reps, the same way a muscle does.
• It’s the part of meditation you can practice on purpose. You can sit down and decide to do dharana.
• Almost every meditation app, guided track, and beginner class is teaching dharana, even if they call it meditation.

This isn’t just tradition talking. Researchers at Emory scanned meditators’ brains during breath-focused practice and mapped the exact cycle: the mind wanders, you notice, you shift back, you sustain. Each phase lights up a different brain network, and the “noticing” moment has its own signature. Every return you make is a real rep for a real circuit.

There’s an old image from the commentaries on the sutras I love. Dharana is water dripping from a tap. Drop, gap, drop, gap. Your attention lands on the object, breaks, lands again. The drops are real. They just aren’t continuous yet.

What is dhyana?

Dhyana is meditation: attention that stays on the object without you holding it there. It’s what dharana becomes when the gaps close.

Same object. Same attention. But now there’s no more returning, because you never left. The commentaries describe it as pouring oil from one vessel to another: one steady, unbroken stream. Nothing drips. Nothing needs to be restarted.

This is the part that surprises people: you can’t decide to do dhyana. You can only set up the conditions for it (that’s dharana) and let it arrive. The moment you think “oh, I’m meditating now,” you’ve stepped back out into concentration. Dhyana doesn’t have a narrator.

If dharana is you gripping the rope, dhyana is when you realize you’re not gripping anymore and you’re still holding on.

What’s the real difference between dharana and dhyana?

The difference between dharana and dhyana comes down to effort and continuity. Dharana takes effort and gets interrupted. Dhyana is effortless and unbroken. Same object, same seat, same breath. The only thing that changes is whether you’re still working.

Can you skip dharana and go straight to dhyana?

No. You can’t skip dharana to get to dhyana, because dhyana isn’t a separate technique. It’s the deepening of concentration. There is no other road.

I see this constantly with women who come on retreat wanting to “learn to meditate.” What they usually mean is they want the quiet, spacious, nothing-pulling-on-me feeling. That’s dhyana. And they’re frustrated because every time they sit, all they get is the wandering and the returning.

Patanjali is clear that the limbs build. Pratyahara (limb five, drawing your senses inward) makes dharana possible. Dharana makes dhyana possible. Dhyana makes samadhi possible. He groups these last three together and calls them samyama (Sutra III.4), and describes them as the inner limbs compared to everything that came before (III.7). One process, three depths.

So if you’re sitting there doing drop-drop-drop and it never turns into a stream, you haven’t done anything wrong. You’re doing limb six. Limb seven comes when it comes.

“I run my own business, so my brain never really stops… Now I’m just chill, and I don’t chill. I wanted to learn how to relax, and now I’m comfortable just journaling, which I’ll continue for the rest of my life.”
— Dawn, Sedona 2026

If you want to practice this with someone in the room: our next Sedona retreat is April 29-May 3. Morning movement, red-rock hikes, and a meditation session most days where this exact drop-to-stream thing gets to happen. See the Sedona retreat →

What does dharana vs dhyana look like in real life?

You already know dhyana. You’ve been in it. You just didn’t have a name for it.

The last mile of a hike when your legs are moving and your mind has gone quiet and you didn’t decide to stop thinking, it just stopped. Kneading bread. Weeding. Watching a fire. Swimming laps. The moment your kid was little and you watched them sleep and time did that thing.

Those weren’t accidents. Your attention landed on one thing and stayed there without a fight. And notice how it felt. Not blank. Alive. Awake in a way you don’t get from scrolling. That feeling is the point of all of this. Not a quiet mind for its own sake, but a mind quiet enough to actually be here for your own life.

Nature is full of objects that are easy to hold, which is a big part of why we do so much of our practice outside. Here in Bend, that’s a river. On our Oregon retreats, it’s a creek. In Sedona, it’s red rock and warm sun. In Patagonia, it’s the Puelo River. It’s a lot easier to stay with the sound of moving water than with the hum of a refrigerator.

On retreat, that’s the whole setup. We take away the phone, the schedule, the being-needed. We get you moving in the morning so your body isn’t buzzing. Then we sit. And the drips have a much better chance of turning into a stream.

How do you practice dharana this week?

You practice dharana with five minutes, one object, and no grading. You don’t need a retreat for this.

1. Pick something simple and physical. The breath at your nostrils. The weight of your hands. A single word.
2. Set a timer for five minutes. Not twenty. Five.
3. Put your attention on the object. When it leaves (it will), notice, and come back. No commentary about how you left.
4. Count returns if it helps. Every return is a rep.
5. Stop when the timer goes. Don’t grade it. Don’t judge it.

Do that most days. Some day, mid-sit, you’ll realize a while has gone by and you never had to come back. You won’t be able to say exactly when it started.

That’s dhyana. You didn’t do it. You just stopped getting in the way. And what’s on the other side isn’t emptiness. It’s you, with room to breathe again.

Want a place to practice with a group? Three options:

• Sedona, April dates 29 – May 3. Small group, morning movement, red-rock hikes, all levels. Sedona retreat details and booking →
• UnBound, Patagonia, April 10-17. Northern Patagonia’s Puelo Valley in its best month: rivers, hot springs, and a lot of quiet. For the woman who wants the hike and the harder pose. Patagonia retreat details and booking →
• Go deeper. If the eight limbs light you up and you want to understand them the way a teacher does, our 200-hour training, Inner Alchemy, runs October 2026 through May 2027. Next cohort starts in January 2027. Learn about Inner Alchemy →

Not ready for any of those? Join our Mindful Monday Newsletter, and receive an accessible practice you can use on your porch delivered to your inbox a couple of Mondays a month.

Dharana vs dhyana: FAQ

The post Dharana vs Dhyana: The Difference Between Concentration and Meditation appeared first on Ambuja Yoga.

An honest look at what a women’s yoga retreat in Spain — specifically Mallorca — is like— the finca, the schedule, the sea, the food, the cost, and who actually comes.

Table of Contents

• What is a women’s yoga retreat in Spain actually like?
• Where do you stay?
• What does a typical day look like?
• What do you do besides yoga?
• Do you need to be good at yoga?
• Can you come alone?
• What’s the food like — and is there wine?
• What does a women’s yoga retreat in Mallorca cost?
• What makes this different from other yoga retreats in Spain?
• What women say about Autumn’s retreats
• When’s the best time of year to go?
• Frequently asked questions

The first time I saw the terrace and yoga shala at Son Boronat it was love at first sight. Honey-colored stone, pines going quiet, the pool catching the first of the light. I stood there with my coffee going cold in my hand thinking: oh. This is the one.

I’ve been looking at properties in Spain for years. I’ve walked through a lot of beautiful buildings that felt like nothing. This one felt like something.

So here’s the honest version of what a women’s yoga retreat in Mallorca is like — the shape of the days, the food, what it costs, who comes, and what you’ll actually be doing at four in the afternoon on a Tuesday. Not the brochure version. The version I’d give you if you asked me over coffee.

What is a women’s yoga retreat in Mallorca actually like?

A women’s yoga retreat in Mallorca is typically a week-long stay at a rural finca, built around two yoga practices a day, chef-cooked Mediterranean food, a day on the water, mountain time in the Serra de Tramuntana, and long unhurried evenings — with a group small enough that everyone knows everyone by the third night.

The thing that surprises most women is how much of the week is unstructured. There’s a morning practice and an evening practice, one anchor activity most days, and then hours in the middle that belong entirely to you. You can swim. You can nap. You can sit under a tree with a book and talk to nobody.

Most retreat schedules look full on paper because they list everything. In practice, the week has a lot of air in it, and that air is where the good stuff happens.

The other thing worth naming: Mallorca is not a recovery destination. Women come to Oregon to put things down. They come to Mallorca because they want something. The sea, the food, a long dinner that turns into dancing, the feeling of being somewhere beautiful with women they like. You don’t need to arrive depleted to have earned that. Wanting it is enough.

Where do you stay?

Sol & Soul stays at Son Boronat, a 17th-century finca in the hills above Calvià, about 30 to 40 minutes from Palma airport and roughly twelve kilometers from the city. It’s a family-run estate on 70,000 square meters of mostly forest, with terraced gardens, a pool that hangs over the valley, and the Serra de Tramuntana behind it.

Eight rooms. Fourteen women. Every room has an en-suite bath, air conditioning, high ceilings with exposed beams, and most open onto a balcony, roof terrace, or private patio.

The yoga shala is one of the most beautiful I’ve practiced in anywhere — warm wood, soft light, windows full of mountains. When the morning’s right, we roll the mats out on the terrace instead and practice under open sky.

There’s an archaeological site on the property with caves set into the mountain wall, and somewhere in the grounds one of the oldest pine trees on Mallorca. Airport transfers are included in both directions, so from the moment you land you’re handled.

What does a typical day look like?

Mornings open with yoga at 8:00, brunch at 9:30, and a workshop or excursion at 11:00. Lunch is at 1:30, afternoons from 3:00 to 5:00 are yours, evening practice runs 5:00 to 7:00, and dinner is at 7:30. That’s the frame. Individual days move around it.

Here’s the arc of the week:

Day 1 — You land in Palma, someone drives you up into the hills, and you settle in. A welcome circle and an easy grounding practice in the late afternoon, then dinner.

Day 2 — Morning flow, long brunch, an open afternoon to swim or sleep, restorative yoga before dinner.

Day 3 — Yoga, then the manifestation and mindset workshop: getting clear about what you actually want, and how intention plus aligned action reshapes a life over time. Free afternoon. Gentle practice and yoga nidra in the evening.

Day 4 — A relaxed morning, then out on the Mediterranean. The boat anchors in a quiet cove, we move through a floating meditation on deck, and then everybody swims.

Day 5 — The Tramuntana day. A walk through a 700-year-old olive grove above Valldemossa with a tasting from those same trees, time in the village where Chopin spent his famously miserable winter, and the view out over the sea at Sa Foradada.

Day 6 — An optional island excursion, or a slow day at the estate. Celebration dinner that night.

Day 7 — Morning yoga, a closing circle, naming what you’re taking home, and a final long dinner.

Day 8 — Breakfast, goodbyes, transfer back to the airport.

Nothing on that list is mandatory. If the boat day sounds like heaven and the workshop doesn’t, skip the workshop.

What do you do besides yoga?

Besides two daily practices, the week includes a day on the Mediterranean with a floating meditation and swim, an olive-grove walk and tasting in the Tramuntana, mindset and manifestation workshops, yoga nidra, meditation, sound healing, journaling, and a celebration night.

Optional add-ons sit alongside that: a day in Sóller — the vintage tram down to the port, a long lunch, the beach — and a VIP day with a private session, a massage, and a few elevated extras.

If you want to build your own free afternoons, there’s a whole island out there. The Yogi’s Guide to Yoga in Mallorca covers the studios, markets, hikes, and shops worth your time.

Do you need to be good at yoga?

No. No experience is required, and total beginners are welcome. Options come with every practice, so you can go as gently or as strongly as your body wants that day. Mats and all props are provided.

Roughly half the women on any given retreat have never been on one before. A good number haven’t been on a mat in years. Nobody is watching you, and nobody is grading you.

“Besides being incredibly excited about my first yoga retreat, I knew I needed some restoration… You don’t have to be good at yoga to come. You don’t have to have the right attire. You don’t have to know all about yoga.” — Jodi Kentaman, Sedona 2026

Can you come alone?

Yes — most women do. Of fourteen guests, the majority arrive solo, and the week is built so that no one ends up eating alone or standing at the edge of a group.

Ages run roughly 30 to 65, with real range on either side. These are grown women with full lives, not an influencer crowd.

“Many yogis traveled alone, yet we all felt connected after some time together.” — Adelaide S., Sedona 2026

This is the part where you decide

Sol & Soul · Son Boronat, Calvià, Mallorca · August 27 – September 3, 2027 Fourteen women · all levels · airport transfers included · from $3,497

If this is your first retreat, start with what to expect at your first yoga retreat — it walks through the whole thing, start to finish.

See dates, pricing, and what’s included →

Not ready yet? Join the list and I’ll send the dates before they go public.

What’s the food like — and is there wine?

All meals are included and cooked on-site: fresh, seasonal Mediterranean food, mostly plant-based, with vegan and vegetarian options always available. There are also multiple opportunities through the week for animal protein, because protein matters, particularly through perimenopause and after.

Tell us about allergies in advance and you’ll be well fed. Long dinners in the candlelit courtyard, everything local, and an almond cake that people write home about.

Wine is served at the final celebration dinner. It’s optional, and alcohol beyond that isn’t included (but available for purchase).

What does a women’s yoga retreat in Mallorca cost?

Sol & Soul starts at $3,497 per person for seven nights, which covers accommodation, all meals, daily yoga, workshops, the boat day, the Tramuntana day, and round-trip airport transfers. A $500 deposit holds your spot, and payment plans are available on request.

Not included: flights to Palma, transfers outside the scheduled group pickup, travel insurance (required for international retreats), optional add-ons, and gratuities.

For comparison, a week at a decent Mallorcan finca in late August without any of the yoga, food, excursions, or organizing would run a meaningful fraction of that on its own. The cost is rarely the actual block for most women anyway — it’s the permission.

What makes this different from other yoga retreats in Spain?

Most yoga retreats in Spain sell rest. This one treats rest as the doorway rather than the destination. You’ll spend the week genuinely resting, and you’ll also spend part of it getting clear about what you want next and learning the actual mechanism for moving toward it — intention, attention, and small aligned decisions that compound.

That’s taught with the science attached: how naming what you want trains your brain’s reticular activating system to notice what matches it, and why a regulated nervous system is the precondition for any of it working. Not magic. Decisions that stack.

The other differences are simpler. Thirteen years, 40-plus retreats, 700-plus women. Fourteen guests, not thirty. A property personally vetted rather than booked off a listing site.

“Autumn does an excellent job researching all of her retreat locations and she personally vets each property beforehand. I have learned the hard way that not all yoga retreat teachers do so.” — Andrea M., Thailand 2025 (third retreat with Autumn)

What women say about Autumn’s retreats

“This is my second international trip with Autumn and I trust her implicitly. She really cares about each individual having a positive experience and creates a warm sense of community and welcome. And, the yoga is so fun!” — Valerie E., Thailand 2025

“As an introvert, I loved that the group activities were optional — there was always the chance to connect with others, but also the freedom to step back.” — Kari L., Thailand 2025

“Autumn made me fall back in love with yoga and the setting was just divine. The most serene, relaxing location and the pace of the retreat was perfect.” — Rebecca W., Greece 2023

“When you arrive you won’t be anyone’s wife, partner, daughter, or mom. You will just be seen as YOU. That is priceless.” — Andrea M., Thailand 2025

When’s the best time of year to go?

Late August into early September gives you warm, swimmable sea and long golden evenings, with daytime highs in the mid to upper 80s°F. It’s the good kind of hot in the middle of the day, which is exactly why the schedule runs early and late and leaves the afternoon open.

May, June, and early October are milder if you’re planning your own trip rather than joining a retreat. July and August are the peak of both heat and crowds — workable, as long as you move the way the island moves.

Frequently asked questions

One brave decision

If you’ve opened this page more than once, that’s information.

Sol & Soul · A women’s yoga retreat in Mallorca · August 27 – September 3, 2027 Son Boronat, Calvià · fourteen women · all levels · most come alone

See dates, pricing, and what’s included →

Love, Autumn

The post Yoga Retreat in Mallorca, Spain: What a Week Actually Looks Like appeared first on Ambuja Yoga.

I get some version of this question every year, usually from a woman in class who has a festival ticket in one tab and a retreat page in the other. Yoga retreat vs. yoga festival — they sound like they should be close cousins. They’re not. They’re built for two completely different appetites.

Here’s the shortest way I know to say it. A yoga festival is an all-you-can-eat buffet. A yoga retreat is a five-course meal that someone planned and curated for you.

Neither one is better. But they will leave you feeling very different, and it helps to know that before you spend the money.

What’s the difference between a yoga retreat and a yoga festival?

A yoga festival is a large, multi-day event with many teachers and a schedule you build yourself; a yoga retreat is a small group with one teacher (or a few), a set schedule, and lodging and meals included. Festivals go wide. Retreats go deep.

That’s the “at-a-glance” summary. The rest of this post is the part that won’t fit neatly into a table.

What is a yoga festival actually like?

A yoga festival is a lot of good things happening at once, and you get to pick. Think Wanderlust, Bhakti Fest, or the regional ones that pop up every summer — a big grounds, a printed schedule, a few hundred or a few thousand people, and classes running in parallel from early morning until well after dark. Yoga on the main lawn. A breathwork tent. Kirtan at night. Someone selling crystals next to someone selling burritos.

This past summer I attended the Bend Yoga Festival as a sponsor. I chose the Bend Yoga Festival because I loved the programming … Tiffany Cruikshank, Amy Ippoliti, Gina Kaputo, Dr. Marsha Hamilton. By the end I found myself wanting to do more. I wanted to sign up for a handful of Tiffany’s trainings, Amy’s 300 hour, Gina’s community, and felt very called to ask Marsha to facilitate a workshop for our yoga teacher training.

The thing with yoga festivals is that they usually have one of three “vibes” — either they lean educational, geared more for teachers and it feels more like a yoga conference (Bend), they lean magically into spirituality and the divine, or they’re like a big yoga party with DJs and emcees.

The best thing about a festival is that you get to try on a bunch of different teachers and teaching styles in one weekend. If you’ve only ever done the studio down the street, or YouTube in your living room, you honestly don’t know yet what kind of teacher you respond to. Slow and anatomical? Fast and sweaty? Someone who talks the whole time? Someone who barely talks at all? A festival answers that in two days. That in itself is worth the ticket.

The hard thing about a festival is what happens when you find the one that lands. You take a class, something in it cracks you open a little, and then it’s over. Seventy-five minutes. The teacher packs up, the next class rolls in, and you’re back in the crowd holding a smoothie. You got a taste of the good thing and then they pulled the plate.

That’s the buffet. Lots of everything, and not quite enough of the one thing.

What is a yoga retreat actually like?

A yoga retreat is a small group of people, one place, one or two teachers, and several days in a row with nothing to figure out. Someone else has planned the order and the pace. You show up.

At our women’s yoga retreats in Oregon, North Carolina, and Sedona, that looks like: coffee before the sun’s all the way up. Morning practice with the same teacher every day — me, or a co-facilitator who’ll know your name by the end of the first practice. Breakfast that someone else made. A hike, a river, a long afternoon with no plan. Dinner together. A fire. Bed early, because you’re actually tired in a good way.

The thing a retreat gives you that a festival can’t is the thread. What we do on day one is still there on day four. Your body knows the routine by then. The women around you have gone from strangers to people who know how you take your coffee. Nobody pulls the plate. You get the whole meal.

Most of us rarely give ourselves this kind of space anymore. Days in a row with no decisions and no one needing you. It’s quieter than a festival, and it’s a lot more than rest — it’s where the laughing starts again.

Which is better for burnout — a yoga retreat or a yoga festival?

A retreat, and it’s not close. A nervous system that’s been running at 100 miles per hour for months does not settle down in a crowd of two thousand people with a decision to make every ninety minutes.

This is the part I’d tell a friend deciding between the two. If you’re the woman who’s fine, everything’s fine, you’re just so tired — a festival is going to feel like more of what you already have. More input. More choosing. More being surrounded by people and still somehow on your own. You’ll have moments. You’ll also come home needing a nap from the thing you took to rest (even if you skip 80% of the chaturangas).

You can’t rest deeply while you’re managing yourself. That’s the whole reason a retreat takes the schedule out of your hands. Not because you can’t make decisions — you make hundreds a day — but because for once you shouldn’t have to.

If that’s you, Unbound Patagonia, a yoga and adventure retreat for women, is April 10-17 and there are 10 spots left.

Can you go to either one alone?

Yes, and most women do — but alone at a festival and alone on a retreat are two different experiences.

Alone at a festival means you’re in a crowd. You’ll meet people in line and in class, and some of those turn into real conversations. A bit more “small talk”. You’ll also eat a lot of meals by yourself and spend a fair amount of time deciding what to do next with no one to decide with. Some women love that freedom. Some find it lonelier than they expected. As a long-time yoga teacher, someone who loves traveling solo, and sometimes an introvert, I can appreciate the anonymity that comes with attending a yoga festival.

Alone on a retreat means you’re alone for about an hour. Most of the women on our retreats book solo. By the end of the first dinner, it already feels like everyone knows each other. Complete strangers become friends before day two ends — that’s not a line, it’s just what happens when twelve women share meals for four days.

If “what if I’m the only one who came alone” is the thing keeping you up, a retreat is the easier place to be alone.

How much does a yoga retreat cost compared to a yoga festival?

A festival ticket usually runs a few hundred dollars for the weekend, and a retreat usually runs from around $1,500 to $5,000+ depending on the destination and the length. On the surface, the festival is cheaper. It’s worth doing the real math.

A festival ticket doesn’t include lodging, food, parking, or the workshop add-ons that always cost extra. Camping is cheap but not free; a hotel nearby during festival weekend is not cheap at all. By the time you add three days of restaurant and food-truck meals and gas, a “$350 weekend” is often closer to $900. And depending on the city it could start inching closer to $1500.

A retreat price is the price. Lodging, meals, all the classes, the hikes, the guides, the fire. Our Oregon retreats start at $997, our North Carolina retreats start around $1597, and Sedona around $1897. Patagonia and the international trips more. Flights are on you. That’s usually it.

So the question isn’t really which one’s cheaper. It’s what you’re paying for. A festival is pay-per-experience. A retreat is pay-once-and-put-your-wallet-away.

Which one should you pick?

Pick the one that matches what you’re hungry for right now — variety or being taken care of.

Go to a yoga festival if:

• You’re still figuring out what kind of teacher and style you like
• You want energy, music, and a lot happening
• You’re going with friends and want it to feel like an event
• You’ve got the bandwidth for a big weekend and you’ll come home lit up, not depleted

Go on a yoga retreat if:

• You already know what you need, and you’re tired of only getting a taste of it
• You’re running on empty and the idea of choosing between four classes makes you want to lie down
• You want to go deeper with one teacher instead of wider with twenty
• You want to be fed, literally and otherwise, for a few days
• You’re coming alone and you’d rather that be easy

Some women do both, and honestly that’s a good order: festival first to figure out what you love, then a retreat to get more of it. The buffet tells you what you like. The five-course meal is where you get to actually sit down and eat.

Ready for the meal? Unbound Patagonia Yoga Retreat, April 10-17 →
Not ready to book? Grab the free Retreat Budgeting & Savings Checklist and I’ll send you the next retreat dates when they open.

FAQ

The post Yoga Retreat vs. Yoga Festival: What’s the Difference, and Which One Do You Need? appeared first on Ambuja Yoga.

Getting to the Puelo Valley from the US is two to three flights and one drive: your home airport to Santiago, Santiago to Puerto Montt, a 25-minute taxi to Puerto Varas, and then we pick you up and drive you the rest of the way.

It’s the question I get asked more than any other about Patagonia UnBound, and it deserves a better answer than a line in the FAQ. So here’s the whole route, in order, with the one part that trips people up and the day count I’d actually recommend.

In this post

• The route at a glance
• Step 1: Fly to Santiago
• Step 2: The Santiago connection
• Step 3: Santiago to Puerto Montt
• Step 4: Puerto Montt to Puerto Varas
• Step 5: Puerto Varas to Tawa Refugio
• How many days to build in
• Going home
• Adding a day or two in Santiago
• Entry requirements and time zones
• FAQ

The route at a glance

Home → Santiago (SCL) → Puerto Montt (PMC) → Puerto Varas → Tawa Refugio, Puelo Valley

• US to Santiago: overnight, 8–11 hours depending on your departure city
• Santiago to Puerto Montt: about 1 hour 45 minutes
• Puerto Montt airport to Puerto Varas: 25 minutes by taxi
• Puerto Varas to Tawa Refugio: 2.5–3 hours, in our group van, included

Total travel time from most US cities: a day and a half, with a night in Puerto Varas before the retreat starts.

Step 1: Fly to Santiago

Every route to the Puelo Valley goes through Santiago (SCL). There’s no way around it, and there’s no reason to try — it’s a good airport and the connection is straightforward if you know what’s coming (see Step 2).

Nonstop from the US:

• Miami — LATAM and American, year-round, about 8 hours
• New York (JFK) — LATAM, about 10.5 hours
• Los Angeles — LATAM, about 10.5–11 hours
• Atlanta — Delta, about 9 hours
• Dallas/Fort Worth — American, seasonal, about 9.5 hours

If you’re not in one of those cities, you’ll connect through one of them. From Bend, where I live, the cleanest routing is a hop to LAX and the LATAM nonstop from there.

Almost all of these leave in the evening and land in Santiago the next morning. That’s the routing you want: you sleep on the plane, land around 6–9 am, and have the whole day to make the connection south.

Booking tip: if you can, book the Santiago–Puerto Montt leg on the same ticket as your international flight (LATAM makes this easy). If your inbound flight is delayed, the airline rebooks you on the next flight south for free. On separate tickets, a missed connection is your problem and your money.

Step 2: The Santiago connection (read this part)

This is the one thing that catches people.

Your checked bag does not fly through to Puerto Montt. Even on a single ticket with the same airline, Chile requires you to clear immigration, collect your bag, walk it through customs, and re-check it for the domestic flight. Every time.

Here’s the sequence:

1. Immigration. Land at Terminal 2 (international), go through passport control. US citizens don’t need a visa. You’ll get a tourist card or PDI slip — keep it with your passport, you’ll need it to leave.
2. Baggage claim. Wait for your bag at the international carousel.
3. Customs (SAG). Chile has some of the strictest agricultural rules in the world. Declare any food, plant, or animal product on the form — including trail mix, dried fruit, honey, jerky, seeds. They X-ray bags and run dogs, and the fines are real. My advice: don’t bring snacks. There’s good food waiting for you.
4. Walk to Terminal 1 (domestic). It’s about 15 minutes on foot, or there’s a free shuttle. Signs say “Vuelos Nacionales.”
5. Re-check your bag. At the LATAM (or Sky/JetSMART) counter or bag drop.
6. Domestic security and your gate. Domestic flights close 30 minutes before departure.

Allow at least 3 hours between flights. Four if you’re on separate tickets or landing during a busy morning wave. The whole sequence takes 75–90 minutes when everything goes right, and it doesn’t always go right.

Step 3: Santiago to Puerto Montt

The flight is about 1 hour 45 minutes. LATAM, Sky Airline, and JetSMART all fly it, several times a day. LATAM is the most reliable and has the most departures; Sky and JetSMART are budget carriers and fine if you read the baggage fees carefully.

Ask for a window seat on the left side of the plane heading south. On a clear day you fly the length of the Andes and the volcanoes of the Lake District come up one after another before you land.

Puerto Montt’s airport is called El Tepual (PMC). It’s small. You’ll be out with your bag ten minutes after landing.

Step 4: Puerto Montt to Puerto Varas

Puerto Varas is 25 minutes from the airport. Options:

• Taxi from the rank outside arrivals. Pay in pesos or by card; have the name of your hotel written down.
• Uber or Cabify both work here.
• Hotel transfer — most Puerto Varas hotels will arrange a pickup if you ask when you book.

Don’t rent a car. You won’t need one, and you’ll be leaving it parked for a week.

Puerto Varas is a small lakeside town with German-Chilean roots, a view of two volcanoes, and enough good cafés and restaurants to make the arrival night feel like a reward instead of a layover. A yogi’s guide to Puerto Varas is coming.

Step 5: Puerto Varas to Tawa Refugio (we drive)

Retreat start: Saturday, April 10, 2027. We meet for lunch in Puerto Varas at 12:30 pm.

After lunch we load into the van and drive south together — around the lake, along the fjord through Cochamó, and up the Puelo Valley. It’s 2.5 to 3 hours and the road narrows and the mountains close in the whole way. The last cell signal fades somewhere past Cochamó. By the time you see Lago Tagua Tagua, you’re there.

The transfer is included. You don’t have to figure out anything after lunch.

How many days should you build in?

Arrive in Puerto Varas on April 8 or 9. I recommend the 8th.

Here’s why. If you leave the US on the evening of April 7, you land in Santiago the morning of the 8th, fly south that afternoon, and reach Puerto Varas by evening. That gives you all of April 9 to sleep in, walk the lake, eat well, and shake off the flight before we meet on the 10th. You arrive at the retreat rested instead of jet-lagged, and the first morning practice actually lands.

Arriving on the 9th works too — it’s what most people do — but it means one overnight flight, one connection, and one taxi all landing on the day before the retreat starts. Any delay and you’re cutting it close.

Sample timeline (from the West Coast):

Eleven or twelve days door to door, eight of them at the retreat.

Going home

Retreat end: Saturday, April 17. We leave Tawa at 11 am and drop you at Puerto Montt airport by mid-afternoon.

Book your Puerto Montt–Santiago flight for 4 pm or later on April 17. From Santiago, most US-bound nonstops leave in the late evening, so a same-day connection home works if you’d rather not spend another night. If your inbound routing had a tight connection, consider a night in Santiago on the way out instead — it’s a good city for one dinner, and it takes the pressure off.

On the way home, the bag situation is simpler: on a single ticket, your bag can usually be checked through from Puerto Montt to the US. You’ll still clear exit immigration in Santiago and walk from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2.

Adding a day or two in Santiago

If you like cities, Santiago is worth a stop on one end of the trip. It’s a big, sunny, Andes-backed capital with good food, good wine, and a walkable center, and it’s the easiest way to turn the retreat into a real trip. Two nights is the sweet spot — I’d put them on the way home, when you’re not fighting jet lag and the retreat has already done its work.

Where to stay. Two neighborhoods, both central, both safe to walk in the evening:

• Lastarria — the old, leafy, café-and-bookshop quarter next to Cerro Santa Lucía and the Bellas Artes museum. Small boutique hotels, everything within a few blocks.
• Barrio Italia — a little further out, low-rise and quieter, full of design shops, antiques, and the kind of restaurants you’d pick for a long lunch.

What to see in two days:

• Cerro San Cristóbal — take the funicular up in the morning for the view of the whole city against the mountains.
• Mercado Central and La Vega — the fish market and the produce market. Go hungry.
• Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos — Chile’s museum on the dictatorship years. Quiet, heavy, and important context for the country you’re in.
• A wine day — the Casablanca or Maipo valleys are about an hour out, and a half-day tasting tour is easy to book from the city.
• Valparaíso — if you have a third day, the painted hill city on the coast is a 90-minute drive and a completely different Chile.

Eat empanadas de pino, order a pisco sour, and let someone take you for a late dinner. Santiago runs on a later clock than you’re used to.

That’s the short version. A full yogi’s guide to Santiago is coming — with the studios, the specific hotels, and the day-by-day.

Entry requirements, passports, and time zones

Visa: none. US citizens enter Chile for up to 90 days with a passport. There’s no fee, no e-visa, and no online form. If you see a “reciprocity fee” mentioned anywhere, that article is over a decade old.

Passport: valid for your whole stay. Six months of validity is the safe standard.

Tourist card: you’ll get a slip at immigration. Keep it with your passport. Some hotels ask for it because foreign tourists paying in US dollars are exempt from Chile’s accommodation tax.

Time zone: in April, Chile runs on the same clock as the US East Coast and three hours ahead of the West Coast. East Coast travelers get no jet lag at all. West Coast travelers get less than a trip to New York.

Travel insurance: required for the retreat, with medical and medical evacuation coverage, and proof due within 21 days of booking. Make sure it covers hiking, kayaking, and — if you’re adding it — horseback riding. Details are on the retreat page.

Money: cards work almost everywhere in Puerto Varas. Pull some pesos from an ATM at the Santiago or Puerto Montt airport for taxis and small purchases. There’s nowhere to spend money at Tawa except optional add-ons, which you can settle by card.

FAQ: getting to the Puelo Valley

Can I fly directly to Puerto Varas? No. The nearest airport is Puerto Montt (PMC), 25 minutes away. Every flight to Puerto Montt connects through Santiago.

Can I skip Santiago? Not realistically. There are overland routes from Argentina, but they add days and a border crossing. Fly through Santiago.

Should I book flights before I book the retreat? Reserve your spot first, then book flights. Spots are limited to 14 women and flights can be booked months out. Once your deposit is in, you’ll get a full travel guide with the exact meeting details.

What if my flight is delayed and I miss the Saturday lunch? Call or message us as soon as you know. If you can get to Puerto Varas by Saturday evening we can arrange a private transfer to Tawa (at your cost). This is the main reason I recommend arriving on the 8th.

Do I need to speak Spanish? No. English is common in airports, hotels, and in Puerto Varas. A few words go a long way in the valley, and I’ll teach you the ones that matter.

How much do the flights cost? As of this writing, US–Santiago round trips run roughly $700–$1,200 in economy depending on your city and how far out you book, and Santiago–Puerto Montt is usually $60–$150 round trip. Book the international leg 3–5 months out for the best fares.

Can I extend my trip before or after? Yes, and many women do. Chiloé Island is a ferry ride from Puerto Montt, Torres del Paine is a flight south, and Santiago’s wine valleys are an hour from the city. Extend-your-trip post coming soon.

Read next: Inside Patagonia UnBound: A Week at Tawa Refugio

Still deciding on the month? Read: Patagonia in April

Booked? Read: What to Pack for a Yoga Retreat in Patagonia

Ready to make the trip?

Patagonia UnBound runs April 10–17, 2027 at Tawa Refugio in the Puelo Valley. Fourteen women, two practices a day, boats, forest, and hot springs. From $4,497, with a $1,000 deposit and a payment plan available.

See the retreat and reserve your spot →

The post How to Get to the Puelo Valley From the US (For Patagonia UnBound) appeared first on Ambuja Yoga.