Private & Couples Yoga Retreat in a Permaculture Paradise near Medellín, Colombia

Refugio Zen is a small permaculture farm in Santa Elena, high in the Andes less than an hour from Medellín. It is a private retreat in the true sense: you come alone or as a couple, and the whole programme is shaped around you.

Your host is Dini Martinez, a yoga teacher with more than 20 years of practice and over 5,000 hours of teaching. She is also a Vedic astrologer, Ayurvedic consultant, Reiki practitioner, doula and trained tantrika, and she speaks seven languages. After a decade sailing with her family, Dini settled in Santa Elena in 2024. She now runs a yoga teacher training and the farm here.

Each day has an energising morning Vinyasa flow with breathwork and a gentle Yin yoga and meditation session before dinner. Further breathwork and meditation are woven into a personalised schedule that leaves real time for rest, self-study and integration. You can walk in the forests next to the farm and in Arví Regional Park, follow the streams, and join a permaculture tour of the farm on arrival.

The food is homemade, vegetarian and inspired by Ayurveda, made with fresh, seasonal ingredients that are homegrown or local and organic. Breakfast and lunch are generous. Dinner is lighter, often a soup, to support gentle cleansing and good sleep.

The retreat suits people with no yoga experience as well as seasoned practitioners. It is a good fit for solo travellers who want time for self-care, and for couples who want guided time together. Tantric practices and extra private sessions are available if you would like them.

The climate is spring-like all year: around 20°C by day and down to about 10°C at night.

What's included

Private cabin with ensuite bathroom and garden; Three vegetarian, Ayurveda-inspired meals a day; Drinking water and herbal tea; Daily morning Vinyasa flow and breathwork; Daily pre-dinner Yin yoga and meditation; Permaculture farm tour on arrival; Guided nature walks in the surrounding forests; Use of the gym, ping pong table and aerial yoga silks; Reading nook, hammock, sofas, meditation spaces and Maloka (when free); Parking

What's not included

Flights; Transport and airport transfers; Travel insurance; Additional private sessions (charged at an hourly rate, subject to availability); Optional spa and wellness extras