Silent Meditation and Yin Yoga Retreat in the Monchique Hills

The retreat is built around the Zen practice of zazen, or seated meditation. Each day includes four blocks of sitting, an hour and forty-five minutes each, with walking meditation (kinhin) in between. This is not a meditation-holiday-with-options: participants are expected to join the full schedule, though beginners may skip one of the four blocks if needed. The rhythm is demanding, but the structure is what makes the silence so deep.

Mornings begin with a 90-minute Yin Yoga class, taught by Helen, a British teacher with over 35 years of practice. Yin is a slow, floor-based style that targets the deep connective tissues, and it's especially good preparation for long sits. After lunch and a rest, the group heads out on a silent meditative walk through the hills, past eucalyptus groves to a clearing with boulders that overlook the ocean on the horizon. In the afternoon, there's a dharma talk—usually by Hamid, sometimes by a visiting teacher—followed by a question-and-answer session.

The location is the Karuna Retreat Center, which sits in the hills above Monchique, about an hour from Faro. The center has been running for twenty years and has hosted retreats led by Tibetan masters. The buildings are simple, in the style of an ashram, but the setting is stunning: eucalyptus forests, quiet trails, and mountain springs running through the property. Most rooms have a view over the southern Algarve coast.

This is a retreat that asks something of you. The silence and the long sits can be confronting, but they're also the point. The last day includes a group sharing circle, a rare chance to talk about what the silence brought up and to hear how the experience landed for others.

What's included

- 6 nights accommodation in shared rooms - 3 daily vegetarian meals (vegan available on request) - Daily 90-minute Yin Yoga class - Four daily periods of silent meditation (zazen and kinhin) - Daily meditative walk in the Monchique hills - Daily dharma talk and Q&A - Water, tea, and coffee throughout the day - Parking - Luggage storage - Pre- and post-retreat support from the team

What's not included

- Flights - Travel insurance - Visa fees - Transport to and from the airport (available at an additional cost) - Additional treatments or activities not listed in the itinerary