Each day is built around two Pilates sessions with Saara Lindbohm. The morning class runs from 9:00 to 10:30, after a light breakfast at 8:30. It's the more energetic of the two, with core work, posture and alignment exercises and mobility drills. The afternoon class, 16:30 to 18:00, is slower and aimed at stretching out and letting go of tension. On a September evening the sun is getting low by then, and the gentler pace suits that.

The classes are open to all levels. If you've never done Pilates, you'll be fine. If you practise regularly, you get two sessions a day with one teacher and a small group, which is a lot of hands-on time. Attendance is up to you. Some guests come to every class, others skip one to spend a long afternoon in Gaucín or by the pool.

The middle of the day, 12:00 to 16:00, has nothing scheduled. The cortijo is surrounded by open hill country, so you can walk straight out the door. Massages can be booked during this window, and the pool is there for anyone who wants to do nothing at all. Brunch at 11:00 and a snack at 16:00 keep you fed between classes.

Evenings start with dinner from 19:00 to 20:30, cooked fresh by the chefs, who buy local and organic where they can. From 20:30 to 21:30 there's a personal development workshop. The programme is subject to change, so the exact workshop topics may shift.

The setting is the other half of the trip. The cortijo is a restored traditional farmhouse on 8.5 hectares near Gaucín, one of the white villages in the hills behind the Costa del Sol. It has been redone by an interior architect in strong colours with Andalusian design details. The views run south over the hills toward the Strait of Gibraltar and, on clear days, to the Moroccan coast.

What sets it apart from a typical Pilates week is the size. It's capped at ten people, needs seven to go ahead, and runs as a one-off pop-up for a single set of dates. Rather than joining a resort's group class, you share a house and two classes a day with the same handful of people and one teacher.

What's included

- 4 nights in a restored cortijo near Gaucín - Ensuite room with private bathroom - 2 Pilates sessions a day with Saara Lindbohm - Evening personal development workshops - Daily light breakfast - Daily brunch - Daily afternoon snack - Daily dinner - Use of the pool and grounds - Small group of up to 10 guests

What's not included

- Flights - Group shuttle from Málaga Airport (€75 per person return) - Car hire or private transfers - Massages - Travel insurance - Personal expenses - Meals and drinks in Gaucín or elsewhere off-site

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