Join us at our Yoga Eco Farm Orto Dell'Idro for an all-inclusive intimate retreat, an Italian adventure around Otranto, a magical place where time stands still. Nestled in a gorgeous Mediterranean bay, and grounded in beautiful ancient countryside, you'll dive into a truly authentic Apulian experience, rich in history and traditions, delicious organic food, the most stunning views, and crystal clear waters.
NOTE: This retreat is now sold out! Early Bird Special! Book by July 15 and receive a FREE 10 class package for our Central Park season 2022!
Madalyn Pedone will be our guest teacher from the team of The Yoga Trail. Her classes are best described as creative Vinyasa flow with a strong Iyengar influence. Madalyn is interested in approaching movement from a place of internal awareness and intimacy with one’s own being. She hopes to foster a greater sense of interconnectedness through dynamic sequences and intentional in-depth explorations. Madalyn believes that within the asana lies a pathway to self-love and liberation. She aims to balance every class with equal parts effort and ease. Expect to be challenged, to play, to sometimes fall on your face, and to be supported in your self-discovery. She teaches Monday and Wednesday at 6pm in Central Park!
Silvia Neri, founder of The Yoga Trail and co-founder of the Yoga Eco Farm, is the organizer and host of this wonderful experience, and will guide you through the discovery of this beautiful and authentic part of Italy. She'll offer custom energizing asana classes inspired by the energy of the 7 chakras and the elements of Nature, to re-connect within and with Mother Earth, while enhancing all our senses, nurturing our souls, and feeling truly alive, present and grounded.
7:30am. Our days will begin with revitalizing locally grown herbal teas, coffee, and a light breakfast. 8:00am. An energizing yoga session with Madalyn in our garden will follow to nurture our mind and body, and set the mood for the exciting day ahead. 10am. After yoga we'll enjoy a delicious organic farm-to-table brunch in the garden under our pergola prepared by our experienced chef Vanessa. Be ready to savor incredibly tasty wild foraged herbs and flowers too! 11am. We may embark in experiences and adventures together or individually around Otranto. We'll go for a boat ride along the coast, stroll to the local beach 5 minutes away, relax and swim in the crystal clear Mediterranean Sea. We could explore the historical old town, shopping among the numerous local craftsman stores and at the weekly local market. There will be opportunities to learn how to make home made pasta with old local recipes, to dance the ancestral grounding rhythm of Pizzica, the local folk dance, to get to know about regenerative agriculture, permaculture, and wild foraging. Massage therapists, and Osho tarot readings will be available on demand. Extra activities could also be appealing to you, such as: kayak excursions, snorkeling through the rocks and fascinating caves, hiking or biking in the country side, and horseback riding. We'll be happy to help you book these extra activities. 6pm. Yoga with Silvia to reconnect within, settle the enriching experiences of the day, and ground our spirits. 8pm. Delight an Italian farm-to-table vegetarian dinner, with veggies and products organically grown in our garden, locally produced, or wild foraged: maybe you could even help us harvesting the ingredients!
SOLD OUT! UPCOMING DATES: Sept 3-10, 2022 LOCATION: Otranto, Apulia, Italy COST: $1000 - $2300 For details see below!
ONLY 8 SPOTS AVAILABLE!
DIVE INTO THIS BEAUTY!
EARLY BIRD SPECIAL! Book by 7/15 and receive a FREE 10 CLASS PACKAGE for our Central Park season!
"We are honored to share this journey with you, to nurture the soul, embrace the present moment, and experience nature in most conscious and authentic ways."
What's included
ACCOMMODATION ~ Spend 7 nights at our unique Yoga Eco Farm in the countryside of Otranto. This hidden treasure is just few minutes walking distance from the sea and the historical center of town. YOGA ~ 2 daily yoga classes, meditation. MEALS ~ Delight 2 daily farm-to-table vegetarian meals (brunch, dinner) prepared by our chefs with the organic food harvested in our farm, locally produced, or wild foraged to offer nourishment straight from Nature. WINE ~ Yes, it's included! Locally produced organic wine. EXPLORE ~ A boat trip to discover the gorgeous beaches and coves surrounding Otranto. COOKING CLASS ~ Immersion in the local culture learning the authentic recipes with a local grandma. MUSIC THERAPY WORKSHOP ~ Nurture your soul, release energy and emotional blockages with the sound vibration of crystal bowls, and also your own voice. BON FIRE PARTY ~ Let's celebrate with local folk live music and dancing! AIRPORT TRANSFERS ~ Transportation to and from Brindisi Airport (4 transfers total for the group).
What's not included
AIRFARE ~ Round trip flight to Brindisi Airport. Please see at the bottom of this page few suggestions on how to get there from NYC. MASSAGES & THERAPEUTIC SESSIONS ~ Body massages with various holistic techniques and Reiki sessions can be booked with our local practitioners, and enjoyed in private corners of our garden. Osho Tarot readings are also available. TREK ~ Additional activities such as Kayaking, Snorkeling, Scuba Diving, Sailing, Horseback Riding, Bike Rental: we can help you book!
Accommodations
If you love and crave Nature, and value sustainable living and tourism, you'll enjoy staying in the traditional stone structures at our Yoga Eco Farm Orto Dell'Idro and at Casa Delle Api, a neighboring historical home. You'll be immersed in the countryside, surrounded by organic fruit orchards and vegetable gardens. A charming rural setting just 5 minutes walk from the beach and the historical center of Otranto. We offer accommodation for max 10 people, in private, semi-private and shared rooms. We'll do our best to honor your lodging preferences. Considering the limited accommodation capacity, you may be asked to share the room with another participant. Please understand this is an intimate retreat!
ORTO DELL'IDRO is our Yoga Eco Farm, where we'll have most of our activities. This is a place for Nature lovers, who enjoy the outdoors and rural life, while being really close to the sea and the center of town. It is a farm designed following the principles of Permaculture to create natural ecosystems that are abundant and in harmony with all living creatures.We hope you appreciate and share these values! This is a natural setting so if you are not comfortable or familiar with the presence of insects or animals (e.g. geckos, snails, armadillo insects, mosquitos, etc) that are typical of the countryside, this may not be the place for you. We also have 2 cats that may sit on your chair and laps, or try to eat your food if left unattended. We don't use pesticides nor chemicals, and we try to reduce waste as much as possible: reduce, reuse, recycle!
Accommodation options at Orto Dell'Idro include *:
The Casetta: a charming stone house with private bathroom and fireplace. $2300 (single occupancy) or $1500 (double occupancy) BOOKED!
The Grotta: a stunning room carved in stone with vaulted ceiling, with shared bathroom. $1500 (single) or $1000 (double) BOOKED!
The Nido: a cozy room with stone walls, with shared bathroom. $1200 (single occupancy only). BOOKED!
None of these options offer AC, but temperatures in May and September are pretty comfortable, and portable fans will be available. BOOKED!
CASA DELLE API, is a historic country house 2 min walk from our Yoga Eco Farm. It offers a nice living room with a charming fireplace, kitchen, terrace and a garden to relax during your downtime. The garden hosts the remaining of an ancient carved stone apiary structure where monks used to produce their honey few centuries ago.
Lodging options at Casa Delle Api include *:
Master Bedroom #1, with private bath and AC. First Floor. $2300 (single) or $1500 (double) BOOKED!
Bedroom #2 with private bathroom. Ground Floor. $1700 (single) or $1200 (double) BOOKED!
Bedroom #3 with private bathroom. Lower Floor. $1700 (single) or $1200 (double) BOOKED!
* Prices are per person, based on Single or Double Occupancy. You can request double occupancy even if you travel alone and we may find you a roommate, otherwise it'll be single occupancy. On the other end you may request single occupancy, but given the limited accommodation options you may still be asked to share a room with another participant. Thanks for the understanding.
-In order to book your participation in the retreat we require a $300 non refundable deposit. Please let us know your lodging preferences, and we'll do our best to honor them but they're not guaranteed due to the limited accommodation options. - The balance is due no later than 2 weeks prior to departure. - If you can't attend the retreat for personal reasons, we won't offer any refunds, and the deposit will be lost. - In case of unforeseen international travel restrictions we may have to cancel the retreat. In that case we'll fully refund any amount that was paid up to that point. - For Covid related info please see official website, and an unofficial user friendly one
Flight Suggestions
The closest airport to our Yoga Eco Farm is Brindisi. From there we are offering two transfers on September 3 and two on September 10. Hopefully we can coordinate your arrivals accordingly. Our recommendation is to buy a ticket from NYC to any major Italian or European airport (e.g. Milano Malpensa, or Paris), and then buy another separate ticket from there to Brindisi, maybe planning a layover of a day or two - if you have that luxury - to get over the jet lag and visit a beautiful city. Check NeosAir with affordable direct flights from NYC to Milan for instance. From there there are low cost airlines such as RyanAir and EasyJet with very affordable flights to Brindisi. Note that they are so inexpensive only if you travel with very small luggage, otherwise they get a little more pricey. In any case Silvia is available to support you in planning your trip. Don't wait too long: the prices are raising!
Local Cuisine
We'll offer organic farm-to-table vegetarian food, harvested either at our farm or at local producers. Chef Vanessa is an expert in the art of Italian cooking, wild foraging and aromatic herbs. Her attention to details during preparation and the use of creatively reinterpreted local recipes make her meals absolutely memorable. We can accommodate gluten-free and vegan dietary restrictions, as well as allergies. Please give us advanced notice!