A peaceful week of yoga and sunshine in Almeria, Spain

18 - 25 May 2019

Cost from £845

Teacher Lara Stapleton

Holiday Expired

About The Finca

This stunning yoga venue is on the edge of the Cabo de Gata in Almeria, Spain, offering peace and isolation with a spectacular mountain backdrop.

Almeria is Spain's sunniest region and one of the least visited. Its proximity to North Africa means that the area is semi-desert, dry and dramatic, with imposing mountains and dazzling sea.

The venue is on the edge of one of Europe's most remote and beautiful natural parks, the Cabo de Gata, one of the last unspoiled stretches of Spanish coastline. It's an amazing landscape of perfect half-moon bays, hidden coves, bizarre volcanic rock formations, and spectacular flora and fauna - a wonderful wild coastline.

The venue is in a peaceful, isolated location, but within walking distance of the lovely traditional local village of Nijar, which can be seen across the valley at the foot of the spectacular mountain backdrop. It is only half an hour from Almeria airport, served by several affordable airlines.

 

The daily programme

Lara will offer two yoga classes each day. The morning class will gently open the body and attune the mind to the breath and slowly move and build into a deeper exploration of the poses. The group will meet again in the late afternoon for a more relaxing and restorative practice. The classes will be suitable for all levels and yoga experience. There will be one yoga free day.

There will be time set aside in the day to explore and take in the stunning beauty of the surroundings, relax by the pool or head off to the beach. We will meet again in the late afternoon for a more gentle and restorative practice.

 

Things to do

Several sandy, secluded and unspoiled beaches can be found within approximately 30 minutes drive from the venue, inside one of Spain’s largest National Parks, the Cabo de Gata. Parasols and a picnic can be provided for a day out swimming and sunbathing.

There are several scenic walks straight from the Finca, of varying lengths, including up to the mountain village of Huebro via the Ruta del Agua, around 1.5 hours each way, following the spring-fed river past more than twenty small water mills, to the pool at the source of the water, where you can have a refreshing swim! So bring some trainers or walking shoes.

The city of Almeria is half an hour from Nijar. The 10th century Alcazabar is a fortified complex within Almeria city and is the largest Muslim fortress in Spain. The cathedral is also impressive. The pretty, local village of Nijar is within walking distance and offers a variety of craft shops and picturesque places to sit and have a drink al fresco. There is also a tennis court in Nijar, and a nearby hotel offers horse-riding.

Accommodation

The venue consists of the main house, which won awards in the 80's for its striking modernist design. It sits in the semi-desert landscape amid lush gardens, its architecture echoing ancient Mediterranean civilizations. Its striking natural swimming pool is fed by spring water and filtered by reed beds. It has long been a stylish, bohemian family home, also an exotic venue for photo shoots. It is now being adapted to cater for yoga groups.

The outlying cortijo or farm has been converted in the original local style into charming accommodation, located a couple of hundred yards from the main house. All rooms have air conditioning and their own bathrooms. The cortijo has its own swimming pool and a covered outdoor yoga space.

 

Client Reviews

I had an absolutely fantastic time in Almeria. Lara is quite simply a phenomenal teacher and incredibly dedicated to her "yoginis". I certainly went on a journey with her and emerged from the week feeling rejuvenated, transformed and hooked on Scaravelli yoga. The food, accommodation and finca were also gorgeous, could not have been better in any way! Thanks for a wonderful holiday!
Katherine
I had such a wonderful week thank you - Lara was an incredible teacher. I loved my introduction to Scaravelli yoga and her enthusiastic, energetic approach. The classes were long but restorative and holding poses for longer enabled us to release from deep in the fascia...I felt an opening in my hips and shoulders and an awakening of my spine, which was wonderful - even my feet are much more spread and dynamic! The focus on pranayama and meditation was also excellent, as they often get forgotten for the asana and are such a crucial part of the practice.
Connie
I would like to thank you for arranging the most amazing yoga holiday which surpassed even my best hopes for the week. Lara is a teacher on a different level. If there was a bronze, silver and gold level, Lara would undoubtedly come in at the platinum level.
Nicky
Lara was as ever fantastic and truly dedicated, really using all the time to fit in practice and meditation. Also thank you for your support when I was booking. Conversations I had reassured me and gave me confidence to book.
Kathy
I had a truly wonderful and restorative time at the Almeria retreat. The food was the best yoga retreat food I've ever had - fantastic, vitamin rich buffets, three times a day! The yoga was wonderful, I have been following Lara round the world for four years now, her approach is unique - she manages to enable even the stiffest and rustiest of us to reach new levels of self-love and physical equilibrium.

The location was very special, fed by the waters of a private spring, meaning we swam and drunk and washed in Evian-grade water. The local town of Nijar is sleepy and picturesque and the 20 minute walk to it through the splendour of the Sierra Nevada mountains was a highlight of the trip. Thanks so much to Yoga on a Shoestring for another amazing trip and thanks to all who work at the Finca.
Gabriella
The holiday was fabulous. Of course I know Lara and her yoga but, as ever, one could see how much she had put into each and every class. Wonderful! The other highlight was the absolutely amazing food! Some of the others commented that they hadn't had such varied and consistently good food on a yoga holiday before. Thank you Jess and team (and Tina on Jess' day off)! The venue was lovely too and Tina did all she could to make sure we were happy with everything.
Sejal

A peaceful week of yoga and sunshine in Almeria, Spain, 18 - 25 May 2019

Costs

Cost per person:
Double or twin room en-suite - £845
Single occupancy room en-suite - £995

Includes:
Accommodation
Three vegetarian meals each day
Daily meditation and yoga classes (apart from one yoga free day)

Not included:
Airport transfers
Dinner out at a local restaurant one evening
Optional day-trip and other excursions
Massage treatments

Travel Arrangements

Almeria airport is the closest and just 30 minutes away by taxi. Easyjet and Thomas Cook fly to Almeria:-

www.skyscanner.net
www.easyjet.com
www.ryanair.com

Transfers are not included in the price but we will arrange these for you and group people together where possible. Generally the cost is between €30 - €50 per person for a two-way transfer, depending on numbers.