We are located in Peniche, which is about 110 km north of Lisbon and 260 km south of Porto. If you book a flight to Lisbon, that is ideal.
By bus:
The first thing you will need to do to get to the bus stop and catch the Aerobus #2 to the main bus station in Sete Rios. The Aerobus #2 can be found just as you exit the Arrivals terminal. Cross the street where the taxis are waiting and the bus stop is there. The ticket for this bus costs 3.50 euros
Once you arrive at Sete Rios enter into the main hall and you will see that there is a company called Rede-Expressos which has eleven journeys every day from the main bus terminal to Peniche. One way fare is €9 and the journey takes 90 minutes. Seat reservation is required if you would like to have a specific seat, but usually the bus is never full and there are always seats available if you buy your tickets at the window. If you would like to make an online reservation they can be made on line up to 14 days in advance at www.rede-expressos.pt which has an English language option. The tickets are self-printed.
Airport Shuttle:
You can also book an Airport Shuttle with us. The cost is at 90 Euros dividable by all participants. Once one person booked, we will contact all retreat participants if they would like to share the ride and cost.
By car:
By road, it is about 1hrs 15-minute drive using the A8 motorway (highway) for most of the distance. This is a toll road, so visitors need to ensure they have cash to pay the tolls. The toll is around 4,85 one way. When you get close to Peniche you will have to take the exit of IP6 which takes you directly to Peniche. Once you are there send us a text or phone us for more directions. We can also give you the exact coordinates for a GPS.
Just send us your full data: name, address, contact data (mobile number!) as well as your height/weight for the surf material should you book a surf & yoga retreat. We appreciate a short info about your yoga and surf experience so we can plan the classes accordingly. Do not worry. You don’t NEED any prior experience in surfing or yoga.
We hold our retreats from Sunday to Sunday. The weekend is free. The program runs Monday to Friday. During the main season (July – September) we only offer full retreats. Sunday – Sunday. You are welcome to come Sunday and stay only until Saturday, if that is more convenient.
Check in: Sunday 14h
Check out: Sunday 11h
Nope. The weekends are there to relax, chill out and sleep in. Be aware that also no breakfast is provided on the weekends. You are welcome to use our fully equipped kitchen. If you still feel like surfing even more, you can rent a board and go surfing at your own risk.
Definition: Re-treat
A place of refuge, seclusion, or privacy
We provide you with a framework, that allows you to leave your worries and challenges behind. Reconnect with yourself, and what life really is about. With yoga and surfing you experience your body. The contact to the ocean brings things into perspective. Connect to likeminded people, enjoy good food and nourishing conversations. Loads of laughter and time to recharge yourself.
If you never have practiced yoga before, an Apura Yoga Retreat is the place for you to start your practice. Throughout the week, we will give you a very good overview of what yoga is really about. Many people have started their yoga practice with us. Others were so inspired on our retreat, that they really started to practice very regularly.
Yes of course. Around about 70% of our participants are beginners in surfing. You are in good company. In one week, we teach you not only the right technique for you to get onto the board and surf a wave, but also a whole lot about the ocean, currents, waves and surf etiquette. After an Apura Surf & Yoga Retreat, you will feel a lot more confident when you go on you next surf trip.
We teach the surfing on at least two levels. Usually the intermediate/advanced classes have a pretty good student/teacher ratio. This allows you to work closely with your surf coach and bring your surfing to the next level. It is always valuable to get some feedback of an experienced instructor who sees what you are doing in the water and on the wave. Let us know, what you want to work on and we help you to achieve your goal.
We often have yoga teachers and other experienced yoga practitioners on our retreats. We teach the yoga as an all-levels class and give you hints on where go deeper according to your level of practice. Different yoga teachers provide different opportunities to learn. In our Apura Yoga retreats, Donovan and Yvonne together draw upon more than 3 decades of yoga asana practice and an extensive experience as meditation practitioners. Also our guest teachers are highly experienced yoga practitioners and teachers that bring a very unique and special flavor into the yoga classes.
We teach a blend of Vinyasa Flow and Hatha Yoga which is suitable to the retreat participants and the other activities we offer at the respective retreat. You will find elements of Yin Yoga, Restorative Yoga, Ashtanga Vinyasa and Kundalini. However, we focus more on the essence of what yoga is about than on the particular style. The most important thing is that you feel better and more alive in your body after the class. And you find more stillness in your own mind than before.
Of course! Most of our guests travel alone. Do not worry. You will not feel alone. You will meet likeminded, interesting people from all over the world and have a lot of fun. Many long-lasting friendships have started in our retreats.
Outside of the main season, we offer single rooms against a single occupancy supplement. During the main season, this is not possible due to the high demand and limited space in the retreat house. If you still would prefer your privacy, you are welcome to book our Off-site option. That means you look for your own accommodation around our retreat house and join us for the program. Contact us for more information about good places to stay, how to get around, and prices.
Every retreat is different. But generally, we can say that people who come to our retreats come from many different countries and backgrounds. On average they are in their late 20s up until their 50 somethings years of age. They all share a love for yoga, the ocean, surfing, a good laugh, nourishing conversations, good food and travelling. Everybody feels at ease and relaxed. Apura Yoga retreats have a feel of hanging out with good old friends, even if the people never have met before.
Relax! No biggie. We have many retreatants who are allergic to certain foods or follow a special diet (vegetarian/vegan/gluten-free/lactose-free/soy-free, …). Just let us know, what you need, and we will accommodate your needs. No extra charge!
In all our retreats, we offer a vegetarian option with every meal. If you want to follow a vegan diet, just let us know, we will provide you with a vegan option with no extra charge.
From the retreat house, you can walk to the cliffs on the north coast of the Atlantic in less than 5 minutes. As these beaches are facing towards the west they can have heavy surf at times, so we teach the surfing at other beaches. These are a 5-minute bike ride away. You will also be provided with a bike for the week to get around.
It is not necessary to have a car while you are on retreat with us. We offer bikes to all of our guests and in the evening if people would like to go out it is possible to walk or take a taxi. If you want to see other things in the area then having a car is a great option, because there is really a lot to check out here in beautiful Portugal.
• Positive attitude
• Towel
• Waterproof Sunscreen
• Shorts or bathing suit
• Cash
• Hat or something to cover your head
• Sandals
• Shoes
• Sunglasses
• Loose clothing for the yoga
• Warm clothing for cold nights or misty mornings
It is not necessary to prepare for our retreats because we teach in a way that allows the body to strengthen and relax each day. If you would like, you are more than welcome to get a regular yoga practice going for yourself at least 2 weeks before coming. You can also work on strengthening the shoulders, the abs and the lower back at home or in the gym. The travel info we send out once you have booked also contains some tips and links to helpful videos with exercises.
Bank transfer is the easiest way to pay. It is also possible to pay with PayPal but we require an additional fee for the payment, which paypal charges us. We also accept cash when you arrive to the retreat, but we would still need a payment for the deposit to be transferred when you book. Just be aware, that in Portugal you are only allowed to withdraw 200 euros per day from ATM’s.
We do not supply dinners. But, you have a fully equipped kitchen at your disposal with shopping nearby. We also have a nice BBQ area which you are welcome to us. Usually, the group organize themselves to cook or together or go out together, but this is not a must – feel free to enjoy your holiday how you want to. On Fridays, we usually go out all together or have a self-made meal together. Loads of fun & good conversations guaranteed.
We offer our phenomenal breakfast from Monday to Friday as well as lunch packs for the beach which include a sandwich, fruit, cereal bar, and a water. Be aware that there is no food provided on the weekends. Again, feel free to use the kitchen or go out to one of the lovely restaurant options close by.
You are welcome to come and do only one activity or just skip some of the classes if you do not feel like surfing or yoga or any other activity on the schedule. We encourage you: listen to what your body needs. Taking a rest is a good way to spend a holiday.
As we only have limited space, however, we do not offer a reduced price should you choose not to take part in some activities. We ask for your understanding.
Unfortunately, we cannot allow pets on the retreat. The local cat does not like dogs too much.
We do offer an off-Site option in case you would like a private room and we are full in the retreat house. Drop us a line or contact us by phone to find out more.
Be aware that you are signing a form that both surfing and yoga is done at your own risk. Therefore, we strongly recommend you getting a hold of your physician to check whether yoga/surfing/SUP/Meditation is a suitable activity for your health condition. In any case, make sure you inform your yoga teacher or the retreat facilitator BEFORE the first yoga session about your medical condition. Feel free to do that in private, we keep your condition confidential, of course. This is to make sure, that we can give you adjustments and specific insights about the practice with your condition, if necessary.
Also: make sure that you listen to your body and take a rest, when needed. We do offer a program of 4 hours of sporty activity a day, which is usually more than you do at home. Take it slow. Neither surfing nor yoga is learned in a day.
The yoga takes place at the break of dawn. Just kidding! We are much more relaxed on our retreats so don’t worry about tight schedules. 🙂 The yoga begins at a reasonable hour each morning depending on the time of the season. We will do Vinyasa yoga in the morning followed by a restorative yoga session in the evening sometime before sunset.
The surfing session will take place either one or two hours after breakfast. We try to schedule the surfing around the tides so you will get the most of your surfing experience.
We have found over the years that our system of surfing and yoga works quite well based on a careful balance of regulating how much exercise the body can handle in one day. If you decide to surf more than one time in the day it might disrupt this balance and you might be extremely sore the next day. With that being said, you can use the surf equipment outside of the classes if you would like to pay for an additional rental. The use of surf equipment outside the classes is not in the package price included.
Here in Peniche we have waves virtually 365 days of the year. There are times where there are no waves for a day or so, but it happens very rarely. There are also times in the winter where the waves are too big to surf unless you had a jet ski. So the best times to surf here in Peniche are between May to October which is why we have our retreats scheduled during these times. Particularly if you are a beginner or somewhat intermediate surfer, the summer season will be much more fun for you. We have waves, but much less powerful and big than the crazy winter swells. 🙂
This area of Peniche was previously a fort to protect the nearby castle of Obidos. There is an opportunity to see the fort, which later became a prison and is now a museum. The nearby picturesque medieval walled city of Obidos is also something to not miss. You can walk around the city wall, enjoy some delicious licor-candys which are typical for this area and have a look at local handcrafts. There is also the Buddha Eden, an illustrious park situated in a spacious vineyard with amazing Buddha statues from all over the world. Just 45 minutes north of Peniche you can also visit the town of Nazare home of the world famous 100-foot wave surfed by Garret McNamara. The world’s biggest waves have been documented here. On a more cultural side of things, there are various UNESCO World Cultural Heritage sites nearby, such as the monastery of Alcobaça, the wonderful Manuelinic-Goth Church of Batalha, and the sacred pilgrimage site of Fatima. If you are interested in some more stuff to experience off the beaten track: have a chat with Yvonne or Donovan.