5-Day Silent Vipassana Meditation Retreat in the Catalan Pyrenees, Spain

The retreat takes place at Les Gavatxes – Kshanti in Camprodon, a town in the Catalan Pyrenees about two hours north of Barcelona near the French border. It's a rural setting, and the schedule makes use of it — several sessions are held outside, and the walking meditation is done partly in nature, with attention on breath, footfall and the landscape rather than a purely indoor routine.

Each day follows a steady rhythm: sitting meditation, walking meditation, a dharma talk, and periods of unaccompanied silence. Some sessions are guided verbally, others are not. That alternation is deliberate — it means newer meditators get support while more experienced practitioners aren't held back by constant verbal cues. Metta practice and conscious bodywork are included to balance the sharper investigative quality of vipassana with something gentler, which matters over five days of silence.

This is a silent retreat in the full sense. Participants don't talk to each other for the duration, which is unusual compared with a typical weekend meditation workshop. If you've only done guided group meditations or drop-in classes, this is a different kind of week.

What separates it from similar silent retreats is mainly the setting and the summer timing. Long daylight hours mean outdoor practice is genuinely comfortable, and the mountain surroundings give the walking practice a real route rather than a loop around a hall. The programme is also shorter than most Vipassana courses, which usually run ten days — five days is a manageable first silent retreat.

The retreat is led by the team at Kshanti – Les Gavatxes, based in Spain. Daily meditation instruction and dharma talks are provided throughout; the specific facilitator for your dates is confirmed before your stay. Accommodation ranges from shared rooms to camping and individual bell tents, so you can choose how much privacy you want during a week largely spent in silence.

What's included

- Daily meditation instruction - Daily dharma talks - Guided meditation sessions - Silent meditation sessions - Sitting meditation - Walking meditation in nature - Metta (loving-kindness) meditation - Conscious bodywork

What's not included

- Travel to Camprodon - Travel insurance - Personal expenses - Meals not specified in the programme - Optional upgrades (ask the retreat leader what's available)