If you’re looking for a lovely, relaxing retreat abroad, look no further than ‘Retreat to Crete’, a yoga and culinary retreat that nourishes your mind, body and stomach!
Set in stunning Greek-style villas against the rustic and beautiful backdrop of the majestic Cretan Sea, this retreat offers a lovely space to enjoy some much-needed downtime while mingling with amazing like-minded people.
What I loved about this retreat was its informal and relaxed nature. At our initial retreat, our hosts, Betty and Caroline, were very welcoming and open to anything we wanted to do (or not do). This place felt like home. With another eight attendees on the retreat, we all felt like one big happy family as we cooked together, feasted together, explored local villages, hiked beautiful landscapes, visited beautiful monasteries and took in the breathtaking surroundings.
We spent four days at Villa Delfini, and every morning we took part in sunrise yoga or a long swim in the pool, followed by a wonderful breakfast of Greek yogurt, local honey, walnuts and fresh figs, topped off with a zesty local Greek coffee. Probably the perfect way to start your day!
Over the course of four days, we learned how to cook mouth-watering Greek-inspired dishes with the help of our talented chef Betty, who taught us how to make Gigantes Plaki (slow-cooked butter beans), barbecued octopus with garlic and lemon, stuffed courgette flowers, Cretan dakos and of course our favorite, Tzatziki. I haven’t implemented the technique in my kitchen yet, but it will definitely be high on my recipe list once summer begins again. The day ended and started with a lovingly cooked meal (prepared by us) accompanied by delicious local wine.
Exercise wise and my rest periods have become quite comfortable. While we started the day with a swim in the pool or a yoga session with the inspiring Caroline, we also hiked and swam at local beaches in a beautiful tourist-free bay, rustic and quaint in nature. Additional activities added to the retreat included wine tasting and a massage from a local masseuse, which was a great way to relax and recover.
This was truly an ideal getaway. If you are a foodie like us and love to relax, meet new people in an intimate environment and admire beautiful scenery and sunsets, this is the place for you!
Can Betty & Caroline come back already?!
