4 Day Relaxing Yoga, Meditation, and Massage Holiday in Ericeira, Portugal
Portugal Yoga Holiday Near the Beach
Just imagine waking up to the melodic sound of the sea breeze weaving through the trees. Sunrise meditations by the sea, yoga sessions in harmony with the sound of crashing waves, and guided hikes to tranquil, hidden beaches within a national park. It all blends beautifully into one unforgettable experience. At The Salty Pelican, finding relaxation and inner balance is a natural part of the journey for those who are drawn to it.
Meet the instructors
Highlights
- Unlimited yoga classes except for Mondays
- Semi-private meditation class
- One 45-minute relaxing massage
- 2 days of surfboard rental
- Free time to explore Sintra National Park and Lisbon
- All yoga mats and surf equipment provided
- Delicious healthy breakfast daily
- 3 nights premium accommodation
Skill level
- Beginner
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Yoga styles
Lisbon Portela Airport (US$ 72 per person)
Accommodation
Facilities
- Spa
- Swimming pool (outdoor)
- Air-conditioned rooms
- Bar
- Barbeque facilities
- Dining area
- Environmentally friendly
- Fireplace
- Garden
- Kitchen
- Lobby
- Lounge
- Luggage room / storage
- Meditation garden
- Multilingual staff
- Poolside bar
- Terrace
- Yoga deck
- Yoga shala
- Yoga studio
- Free Wi-Fi
- Laundry
- Library
- Parking lot
- Tour assistance
- Wireless internet
The Salty Pelican Yoga & Surf Retreat in Portugal was designed and built very recently. So you'll find everything new, comfortable, modern, secure, and clean. The retreat has a combination of deluxe, spacious shared rooms and private double rooms for up to 40 persons. Most rooms have a private terrace overlooking the pool deck with endless sea views, and most rooms have a private ensuite bathroom.
The Salty Pelican offers many great design features at the retreat, including a cozy open-plan living area, a covered communal dining area, a heated swimming pool with relaxing sea view terrace including sun lounging areas, a poolside cafe with an all-day food and drink menu, an indoor yoga shala, a cinema room with Netflix, a wellness menu offering massages and body treatments, a tourist & tour information desk, laundry service, complimentary WiFi, a delicious complimentary buffet breakfast daily, a premium FLOWT surfboard range, clean, fresh linen, and much more.
The accommodation includes a comfy bed in a spacious room with shared bathrooms, and a delicious healthy breakfast buffet is served each morning with some freshly baked bread, fresh fruits, natural yogurts, vegetables, homemade hummus, jams, muesli and cereals, dried fruits, mixed nuts, chia seeds, cheeses, chorizo, eggs, Nespresso coffee pods, soy milk, herbal detox teas, fruit-infused water, and a delicious hot section with warm dishes varying throughout the week. Besides the amazing time you will learn to surf, the retreat offers all the comforts of a home.
Relax in the Salty Pelican's beautiful garden, which has a heated swimming pool to chill poolside in the sun loungers all day whilst reading a book or just to socialise with new friends. If The Salty Pelicans Baja-Mexican all-day food & drinks menu doesn’t tempt you, then there’s plenty of restaurants all within a few minutes walk of the venue. To explore Ericeira, you can easily walk most places in a 5-20 minute radius, or cheap taxis are available for short trips to Lisbon.
Important note: Check-ins arriving after 10 p.m. are only accepted with prior notice by email or phone call. Reception closes at 10 p.m. without prior notice.
Program
Hatha Flow yoga is the perfect way to prepare your body for the day ahead. Whether it’s through strength, flexibility, or simply just breathing better. Learning how to breathe properly is really important, and your body will feel more in tune and balanced. While afternoon Yin yoga will bring beautiful balance within your energy systems and a unique sense of calmness you will feel both physically and mentally. Enjoy the special treat and relish the beauty of the magnificent Ursa Beach as the teachers lead you on a guided meditation hike, followed by a picnic on one of the most magical beaches in Portugal.
Exploring Portugal's beautiful nature, relaxing and sleeping in a laid-back beach retreat, eating well to restore, revive, and feel amazing. The friendly, highly experienced team will help you develop your own yoga practice and create that perfect experience for you. The Salty Pelican is a place where there's a great opportunity to connect with a collective bunch of feel-good people looking for a dose of health, inspiration, good vibes, and good times.
Whether you are seeking a wellness break or a more active vacation, you will find the perfect balance at The Salty Pelican Yoga Retreat. You can pick and choose your extra activities. Additional wellness treatments and activities like a relaxing massages, guided meditation hikes, rock climbing trips, Sintra tours or group dinner nights. Create memories of a lifetime and let The Salty Pelican be one of them!
The yoga classes
Yoga is for everyone; you don't need to have any prior experience. The Salty Pelican takes you down by the seaside for the early morning Hatha Flow yoga class followed in the late afternoon with a gentle practice of Yin yoga, which focuses on increasing your inner peace, harmony, love, and joy. Practicing Hatha flow yoga will help to harmonize the nervous system, increase your sense of balance with the body and mind, and strengthen your lymphatic system.
Traditionally, the Yin late afternoon classes are more soft, slow, and restorative to integrate with the days surfing activities and prepare the body for a great rest over night. Let yourself emerge into a nice flow of your yoga practice. Enjoy breathing, relax your body, muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints and also your mind.
Sample daily program
- 07:00 Wake up
- 07:15 Walk to the beach
- 07:30 Hatha Flow Yoga
- 09:00 Healthy breakfast buffet
- 10:30 Surf van departs
- 11:00 Surf lesson
- 12:30 Lunch at the beach
- 13:00 Free time
- 17:30 Yin yoga class in the nature park
- 19:00 Seafood or vegetarian BBQ or other activity
Massages
On the first morning, a schedule is open to make your massage reservations.
Guided meditation hike and relaxation
Every Monday and Thursday afternoons, depending on the time of year and weather, there will be a guided meditation hike down to the beautiful remote beach of Praia da Ursa. Here we will practice meditation exercises right on the sand with a picture-perfect view and small snacks and wine to finish. Attendance to this activity is highly recommended.
No surf lessons are included in your four-day package, giving you plenty of time to rent a surfboard (unlimited rental included) and free surf or relax during the day, swim, have a massage, explore Sintra National Park, walk around the Ericeira beaches, or even discover the narrow streets and hidden restaurants of Lisbon city in a day. Lisbon is just a short 30-minute taxi or bus ride away and the magical Sintra is just 30 minutes away. It really is the perfect spot here at The Salty Pelican. Surf lessons can be booked at additional charge once you are here.
Nightly activities
Every night The Salty Pelican tries to get all the guests together to socialise over a good meal and some nice Portuguese wine. From traditional Portuguese tapas nights to our seafood BBQs with delicious sea bass or vegetarian delights, you are going to love every moment here at The Salty Pelican.
Instructors
Alex
Alex is a qualified surf coach with the Portuguese Surf Federation. He is also a qualified swimming coach. With Alex, you are in safe hands. He is very understanding and patient and will make sure you have a smile on your face, in and out of the water.
Ida
Ida, the in-house yogi goddess from Finland, will help develop muscular strength, stamina, flexibility, balance, and breathing. Ida will bring balance to your body and mind during your morning practice by the sea, so that you build your bodies to be light and strong for the day. She teaches both Ying and Yang yoga along with meditation sessions.
Wellington
Pro surfer and amazing surfer, Wellington is great for advanced classes and also great with beginners. A must to watch when he is free surfing. Great to have him and his skills and knowledge at The Salty Pelican.
Gabby
Born in England and went to high school in Portugal, at heart, Gabby is a true South African and the beach has always been a great part of her life. She will make sure you are not only progressing with surfing, but that you have a smile on your face the whole time.
Monika
Monika is one of the co-founders of The Salty Pelican and she is also the hostel "mum". She is always happy no matter how bad the day may seem. Monika will always find a way to make you smile and cheer you up. Not only that, she is also a qualified masseuse with over 10 years experience and available everyday to help you relax with a beautiful Ayurveda massage.
Tina
Tina is from Germany and she organizes all the SUP activities. She will help you learn to paddle, take you on sunset paddle tours or relax with some SUP-Yoga sessions. The good vibe extends from The Salty Pelican to the beach, its one team with a shared vision on what to offer to the guests to make sure that their overall experience is unique.
Retreat location
You’ve probably heard all about Cascais and Lisbon as a digital yogi and surfing nomad destination, but what about its sexy sister, Ericeira? Just 35 minutes northwest of Lisbon International Airport is Ericeira, a charming fishing town and surfing paradise in Portugal. It’s such a perfect surf spot that it’s actually the first World Surfing Reserve in Europe!
This picturesque and laid-back place of cobbled streets and narrow lanes will steal your heart, and maybe that’s the magic of this place. Just a five-minute walk from The Salty Pelican Retreat in Ericeira, you have Praia dos Pescadores, the perfect beach for catching some sun and swimming in the calm, protected bay.
Ericeira is the perfect spot to learn how to surf, with the whole coastline offering a seemingly endless amount of surfable waves and ever-changing scenery, culminating in the beachside paradise of Ribeira d'Ilhas beach. If you are dreaming about a white sandy beach and crystal-clear azure blue waters in peaceful surroundings, this might be it!
Located just five minutes away from The Salty Pelican, here you will find a very nice beach bar creating a more upbeat ambience that is famed for its tasty food and drinks. Aside from the beautiful beach and delicious food, it’s the perfect beach to learn how to surf. Marvel at the unspoilt sand dunes and untamed waves and really enjoy this special paradise with a nice drink, perfect beanbag lounging, and some of the most spectacular sunsets on offer in Portugal.
Exploring Ericeira is a voyage of discovery. On the one hand, there are the endless amounts of beaches where tall cliffs alternate with small sandy coves and surf beaches that have a distinct chilled surfer vibe about them. Then there’s the joy of discovering the back streets of town center, where you’ll find hidden whitewashed houses, vegan cafes, lively bars, grilled sardines, specialist coffee shops, cool bars, fusion restaurants, surfers from all over the world and funky surf shops. You can sit on the terrace of the cosy beach bar with a cup of coffee and a light lunch, feeling the ocean breeze on a warm afternoon and do absolutely nothing.
The Salty Pelican proximity to Lisbon, Portugal’s enchanting capital city, is just an easy 35-minute trip away. Portugal’s hilly, coastal capital city. Spend a day or half exploring the city, rooftop cafes with wonderful views and end the day in the abundant amount of cosy cool bars, clubs and restaurants that litter the city.
The Unesco heritage town Sintra, just a short 30 minute bus trip away, with its lush nature and beautiful palaces of the Sintra Natural park. Ericeira is a perfect destination for your yoga and surf holiday.
Distances
- Lisbon Portela Airport (LIS) - 35 minutes
- Ericeira bus station, 1300 meters - 18 minutes' walk
Food
The retreat includes a delicious healthy breakfast buffet served each morning with some freshly baked bread, fresh fruits, natural yogurts, vegetables, homemade hummus, jams, muesli & cereals, dried fruits, mixed nuts, chia seeds, cheeses, chorizo, eggs, Nespresso coffee pods, soy milk, herbal detox teas, fruit-infused water, and a delicious hot section with warm dishes varying throughout the week.
You can also enjoy 4-6 group dinner evenings per week, including Salty Pelican's famous seafood / vegetarian BBQ nights, their Portuguese tapas dinner, or their sourdough pizza and wine nights. Some weeks, they also organize live music during these evenings.
You will also find an all-day menu serving delicious Baja-Mexican food & drinks, local wines, ciders, sangria, local beers, and some healthy locally made kombucha at an additional cost.
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Gluten Free
- Seafood
Things to do (optional)
The Salty Pelican retreat sits snuggled between the sun-dappled shores of the Ericeira and Sintra's dramatic mountain range. To relax, you can always grab a cold drink from the bar, order some food from the tasty all-day menu, or lay back and chill-out in one of the sun loungers by the pool with some good friends or a good book.
Beaches
Ericeira is renowned for its glorious stretch of white sandy coves, which are simply stunning, and for its amazing surf. You can take a stroll on the seaside promenade and discover many beachfront cafes where you can absorb the clean swathes of golden sand with the wide stretch of the Atlantic sweeping past Ericeira.
Ericeira
Exploring Ericeira is a voyage of discovery. On the one hand, there is the original historic area that has a distinct nautical air about it, with its cobbled winding streets leading down to the cozy harbour where the days fresh catch is still sold by local fishermen in the nearby square.
Ribeira d'Ilhas beach
Marvel at the unspoilt sand dunes and untamed waves at Ribeira d'Ilhas beach, with its perfect waves that attract surfers from all over the world as having some of the best waves in Europe.
Hidden beach of Praia da Ursa
This is an incredible "secret" beach, which you can take a beautiful hike down to catch an amazing view in Sintra National Park. The Salty Pelican team will be taking guests there every Monday and Thursday when the weather is good.
Moorish Castle
Right at Sintras highest point, the Moorish Castle offers outstanding views across the mountains and down to the Atlantic.
Nightlife
Ericeira is also a magnet for night owls, providing an eclectic range of evening entertainment that offers everything from pubs, cafes, restaurants, glitzy cocktail lounges, to cozy craft beer bars and to late-night clubbing. The Salty Pelican is located just a few minutes walk from all of the above.
Pena Palace and Park
Many say this was the inspiration for Cinderella’s castle in Disney’s magic kingdom.
Quinta da Regaleira Palace
Imagine a place with secret passages, stepping stones, hidden caves and grottos, a library that looks like you're floating in air, beautiful chapel and residence—all while being located in one of the most beautiful parks. That would be Quinta da Regaleira, an architectural marvel built at the direction of Portugal's first millionaire and to his exacting specifications. Its really one of the most magical and enchanting places you can visit whilst you're in Ericeira. The bus right near The Salty Pelican takes you there in just a 45-minute bus ride.
Visiting Lisbon and Belem
Lisbon city centre is just an easy 35-minute Uber ride away or a 75-minute bus from The Salty Pelican. Its a great day trip to add to your week here and you can visit Belem also and try one of Portugal's most famous pastels de Belem, a traditional Portuguese custard tart, a treat not to be missed.
Sintra
The whole coastline offers a seemingly endless amount of dramatic and ever-changing scenery, culminating in the extraordinary town of Sintra, the end-of-summer getaway for royals over 100 years ago and now an official World Heritage Site.
Swimming
Near the retreat, you have an abundant amount of beautiful beaches, saltwater swimming pools, and hidden coves all within very short walking distances.
Other activities:
- Enjoy a relaxing massage at The Salty Pelican
- Enjoy peaceful walks along the beautiful seaside
- Chill-out, relax on our sea view terrace deck with a book and some sunshine
- Try you hand at some of the amazing daily activities, from guided meditation hikes to rock climbing and wine tasting tours
- Taste great Portuguese tapas on the sea view terrace with some wine
Spa treatments
Monika, the in-house masseuse, will pamper your body with a relaxing massage. Trained and a practitioner in Austrian high-end hotels and other parts of the globe, her vast experience over 13 years will allow you to fully appreciate her relaxing massage in a long-lasting way. One 45-minute relaxing massage is included in this retreat.
What's included
- 1 relaxing 45-minute massage
- 1 semi-private meditation session
- 3 nights premium accommodation
- Unlimited yoga classes except for Mondays
- 2 days of surfboard rental
- Meditation included in yoga classes
- Daily breakfast buffet
- Complimentary WiFi
- Free time to explore Sintra National Park and Lisbon
- All yoga and surf equipment provided
- Complimentary lemongrass and bergamot shower shampoo dispensers
- Complimentary bathroom and pool towels
What's not included
- Airport transfers
- Group dinners
- Surf lessons
- Guided meditation hike
- Yoga on Mondays
- Surfboard rental on arrival and departure days
- Airfare
How to get there
Recommended Airports
Lisbon Portela Airport
32 km
Transfer not provided
Driving directions from Lisbon
If you’re arriving by car, the fastest way to arrive in Ericeira is by taking highway A8 and A21, and Its an easy 35-minute drive.
Arrival by airplane
Please book your flight to arrive at Lisbon Portela Airport (LIS). Transfers from and to this airport are available upon request. The Salty Pelican can book you a private airport transfer for 65 EUR per car one-way or 110 EUR return.
Arrival by train or bus
If you are coming from Lisbon Portela Airport (LIS), take the underground Metro from Lisbon airport to the bus terminal Campo Grande, which takes about 10 minutes. As a guide, buses run every 90 minutes, start at 8 a.m, and finish at 11 p.m. It takes 75 minutes to reach Ericeira.
From Lisbon’s city centre, Take either a bus or metro from Lisbon centre to the bus terminal Campo Grande, which takes about 10 minutes. Buses to Ericeira depart every 90 minutes, start at 8am and finish at 11 p.m. It takes 75 minutes to reach Ericeira from Campo Grande.
From the Ericeira bus station, it's a 1300 meters walk (18 minutes) or a cheap taxi to the retreat. Please check bus timetables online before your trip.
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 14% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid on arrival.
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