Art and Yoga Escape in Sardinia's Blue Zone

The retreat blends two daily practices with a rotating set of excursions. Mornings and evenings start with yoga in the garden by the sea, led by Linda, a teacher trained in the Dharma Mittra tradition who brings a dynamic, music-filled style. The rest of the day shifts between the art studio and the surrounding landscape. The ceramics course runs over three separate days, each focused on a different step: first modeling with different clays, then painting on ceramics using white glaze and over-crystalline colors, and finally glazing the fired pieces. By the end you take home your own hand-painted collection.

Maria Cristina Contu is the heart of the retreat. She graduated from art school in 1989, studied pottery decoration in Caltagirone and Palermo, and spent over a decade at the Romano Ranieri School of Arts in Rome learning ceramic painting. She has also worked extensively with students with disabilities and brings that teaching experience into every class. Her daughter Rossella, who runs an art studio in London inspired by her mother's work, helps host and organize the week.

Outside the studio, the week follows the rhythm of Sardinian life. One day is spent cooking traditional dishes from scratch with the family—malloreddus, culurgiones, pane carasau—with music and conversation. Another day is a guided excursion to Escalaplano, where a local guide takes you through wild nature, ancient archaeological sites, and centuries-old trees, with lunch cooked over a fire. A boat trip along the coast, weather permitting, shows you the Mediterranean from the water. And a morning in Cagliari is spent drawing the city's architecture on location.

The retreat is small and personal, run by the family themselves. The food is local and organic, prepared fresh daily, and the setting is genuinely unique—an artist's home by the sea where you sleep, eat, create, and practice yoga all in the same place.

What's included

- 7 nights accommodation - 3 daily delicious and nutritious meals - Daily yoga classes - Daily pranayama - Daily meditation writing - Specialized art workshops (ceramics, painting) - Traditional cooking masterclass - Full-day hike with guide - Boat tour and beach visit (weather permitting) - City tour in Cagliari - Transport during the retreat - Water, tea, and coffee throughout the day - Pre and post retreat support from the team - Parking - Luggage storage - Wi-Fi connection

What's not included

- Flights costs - Travel insurance - Visa fee - Additional activities not included in the itinerary - Additional treatments - Airport transfers (available at extra cost)