8 Day Deluxe Massage, Surf, Hike, and Yoga Holiday in Cascais, Portugal
Yoga Retreat Portugal
Imagine waking up to the sound of the sea breeze moving through the trees. Meditating at sunrise right by the seaside, practicing yoga and hearing nothing but the sounds of crashing waves, guided meditation hikes to a secluded national park beach. It’s just such a great combination in so many ways. Relaxing and feeling balanced is a big part of The Salty Pelican retreat for those who are interested.
Meet the instructors
Highlights
- Unlimited yoga classes (11) except for Mondays, meditation included
- Morning yoga by the seaside and afternoon relaxing Yin yoga
- Semi-private meditation session and guided meditation hike
- 1 45 minutes body massage
- 1 surf lesson, 6 days of surfboard rental
- Surfing and yoga equipment provided
- Delicious buffet-style breakfast daily
- 7 nights premium accommodation
Skill level
- Beginner
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Yoga styles
Lisbon Portela Airport (US$ 63 per person)
Accommodation
Facilities
- Shopping
- Table tennis
- Bar
- Garden
- Kitchen
- Lounge
- Luggage room / storage
- Bicycle rental
- Board rental
- Conference room
- Dry cleaning
- Free Wi-Fi
- Laundry
- Library
- Tour assistance
The retreat just went through a complete renovation from top to bottom, so you'll find everything new, comfortable, modern, secure, and clean with custom-designed beds, personal lockers, fully equipped guest’s kitchen, laundry service, luggage storage, clean bathrooms and a heated swimming pool at the main villa.
The Salty Pelican has been converted into a stunning traveler's meeting point, featuring a cozy lounge, an awesome chill-out barbecue terrace, and peaceful gardens. So whether or not you are able to perform early to go check out the beach or stretch out those achy muscles at the early morning yoga class by the sea, joining the learn to surf classes, or you are just after a few lazy sangrias poolside before hitting the town, all your needs will be taken care of.
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, fresh fruits, natural yogurts, vegetables, manade hummus, jams, muesli and cereals, dried fruits, mixed nuts, chia seeds, cheeses, chorizo, eggs, Nespresso coffee pods, soy milk, herbal detox teas, mixed nuts fruit infused water and a delicious hot section with warm dishes varying throughout the week.
Besides the amazing time, you will have to learn to surf, the retreat offers all the comforts of a home. Relax in the beautiful garden which has a heated swimming pool to chill pool in the sun loungers all day while reading a book or just socializing with new friends.
If The Salty Pelicans Baja-Mexican all-day food and drinks menu doesn’t temple you, they also have a guest kitchen for you to cook up a storm in. To explore Cascais, you can easily walk to most places in a 5-20 minute radio or cheap Ubers are available for short trips to Lisbon. The retreat also offers female-only accommodation where available. %Important note: Check-ins arriving after 10 pm are only accepted with prior notice by email or phone call. Reception closes at 10 pm without prior notice.
Program
Hatha flow yoga is the perfect way to prepare your bodies 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 bodies 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, relax and sleep in a laid-back beach retreat, eat 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, 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. You will go down 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 soft, slow, and restorative to integrate with the days surfing activities and prepare the body for a great rest overnight. Let yourself emerge into a nice flow of your yoga practice. Enjoy breathing, and 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 afternoon 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, you 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.
Surf lessons are only on 1 days of your 8-day package, giving you plenty of time to rent a surfboard (unlimited rental between 11 am - 5 pm included) or relax during the day, swim, have a massage, explore Sintra National Park, walk around the Cascais beaches, or even discover the narrow streets and hidden restaurants of Lisbon city in a day.
Lisbon is just a short 30-minute train ride away (2.50 EUR) and the magical Sintra is just 20 minutes away. It really is the perfect spot here at The Salty Pelican. Extra surf lessons can be booked at an additional charge once you are here.
Nightly activities
Every night, guests are gathered together to socialize over a good meal and some nice Portuguese wine. From traditional Portuguese tapas nights to seafood BBQs with delicious sea bass or vegetarian delights. You are going to love every moment here at The Salty Pelican.
Instructors
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.
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.
Anna
Anna is from the UK, and she will take care of some the yoga classes and SUP yoga classes out on the water. She teaches both Hatha and Yin yoga styles.
Retreat location
The Salty Pelican yoga and surf retreat sits snuggled between the sun-dappled shores of the Cascais Bay and the Sintra's dramatic mountain range.
Cascais is renowned for its glorious stretch of white sandy beaches which are simply stunning, beautiful palaces, cosmopolitan vibrancy, and as Lisbon’s most sophisticated beach destination. With over 300 days of sun per year, you will spend most of your time outdoors, even during winter. 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.
Truly one of the most unusual and magical places to experience in Europe, the centerpieces are undoubtedly the Pena palace, which many say was the inspiration for Cinderella’s castle in Disney’s “Magic Kingdom”, the mystical and symbolic Quinta da Regaleira palace with its tunnels, magical grottos, fountains, and gothic architecture, and right at Sintra’s highest point, the Moorish castle offering outstanding views across the mountains and down to the Atlantic.
Marvel at the unspoiled sand dunes and untamed waves at Guincho Beach - part of the beautiful Sintra Cascais National Park - with its high waves that attract surfers from all over the world as having some of the best waves in Europe. Exploring Cascais 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 harbor where the day’s fresh catch is still sold by local fishermen in the nearby square.
Don’t miss the Seixas palace, a magnificent 19th century palace overlooking the sea, or the municipal museum so close to the sea that waves often reach the steps at high tide. Have a light lunch at the restaurant and café in the charming Santa Marta lighthouse museum and check out the Atlantic views.
Distances
- Monte Estoril train station, 750 meters
- Lisbon Portela Airport (LIS) - 20 minutes
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 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.
You can also enjoy 4-6 group dinner evenings per week, including the famous seafood / vegetarian BBQ nights, the Portuguese tapas dinner, or the sourdough pizza and wine nights. Some weeks, live music during these evenings will be organized.
You will also find an all-day menu serving delicious Baja-Mexican food and 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
- Regular (typically includes meat and fish)
- Seafood
Things to do (optional)
The Salty Pelican retreat sits snuggled between the sun-dappled shores of the Cascais bay and Sintra's dramatic mountain range. To relax, you can always grab a cold drink from the bar, order some food from our 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
Cascais is renowned for its glorious stretch of white sandy beaches which are simply stunning, beautiful palaces, cosmopolitan vibrancy and as Lisbons most sophisticated beach destination. 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 around the bay to Cascais.
Cascais
Exploring Cascais 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 harbor where the days fresh catch is still sold by local fishermen in the nearby square.
Guincho beach
Marvel at the unspoilt sand dunes and untamed waves at Guincho beach - part of the beautiful Sintra Cascais National park - with its consistent waves that attract surfers and kite surfers from all over the world as having some of the best waves in Europe.
Municipal museum
The museum is so close to the sea that waves often reach the steps at high tide. Have a light lunch at the restaurant or cafe in the charming Santa Marta Lighthouse Museum while checking out its Atlantic views.
Hidden beach of Praia da Ursa
This is an incredible "secret" beach which you can take a beautiful hike down to catch an amazing sunset in Sintra National Park. They take guests there every Monday and Thursday afternoons 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
Cascais 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.
Pena Palace and Park
Many say 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 Cascais. The bus right near The Salty Pelican takes you there in just a 25 minute.
Visiting Lisbon and Belem
Lisbon city center is just an easy 30 minute (2.50 EUR) train ride away from The Salty Pelican or a Uber in just 20 minutes. It's a great day trip to add to your week here and you can hop off the train at Belem halfway and try one of the Portugal's most famous pastel de Belem, a traditional Portuguese custard tart, a treat not to be missed. Belem is also full of sights and scenery to check-out before heading into Lisbon. It's a great little pit-stop.
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
Nearby the retreat you have an abundant amount of beautiful beaches, salt water swimming pools and hidden coves all within very short walking distances.
Other activities:
- Enjoy a relaxing massage at The Salty Pelican
- Enjoy peaceful walks or E-bike rides along the beautiful seaside promenade
- Explore the Cascais region: Boca do Inferno, Guincho, Cabo da Roca, Sintra or Lisbon
- Chill-out, relax poolside in their quiet garden with a book and some sunshine
- Try you hand at some of the amazing daily activities from guided meditation hikes, SUP, rock climbing, SUP yoga and group dinner nights
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. 1 45-minute relaxing massage is included.
What's included
- 7 nights premium accommodation
- Unlimited yoga classes (11) except for Mondays
- Meditation included in yoga classes
- 1 45 minutes body massage
- 1 semi-private meditation session
- 1 guided meditation hike
- 1 surf lesson including transport
- 1 seafood / vegetarian BBQ dinner
- 1 Portuguese tapas and wine night
- 6 days of surfboard rental
- Daily breakfast buffet
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
- Free time to enjoy both Sintra and Lisbon
- All yoga and surf equipment provided
- Complimentary lemongrass and bergamot shampoo / conditioner dispensers
- Complimentary bathroom and pool towels
- Just 700 meters from the beach, 25 minutes from Lisbon airport
What's not included
- Airport transfers
- Extra group dinners
- Yoga on Mondays
- Surfboard rental on arrival and departure day
How to get there
Recommended Airports
Lisbon Portela Airport
25 km
Transfer available for additional US$ 63 per person
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). Transfer from and to this airport is available upon request. The Salty Pelican can book you a private airport transfer for 55 EUR per car one-way or 100 EUR return.
Arrival by train and 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 from there every 90 minutes, start at 8 am, and finish at 11 pm. 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 8 am and finish at 11 pm. It takes 75 minutes to reach Ericeira from Campo Grande.
From the Ericeira bus station, it's a 1300 m walk ( 18 min. ) 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.
For this organizer you can guarantee your booking through BookYogaRetreats.com. All major credit cards supported.