Looking for meaningful travel?

Join Rachael and Kelly at the stunning Santa Bárbara Eco-Beach Resort, a 5-hour direct flight

from Boston or NY. Start each morning with yoga overlooking the breathtaking ocean vista.

Your days will be filled with hiking (suitable for all levels) to the island's most stunning views,

soaking in natural hot springs, exploring coastal towns, and relaxing amongst the gorgeous,

peaceful grounds of the oceanfront beach resort. All meals (with the exception of 2 lunches)

are included, and will be nourishing, locally sourced, and delicious.

Please read on for important info on:

• Selecting your Room Type

• What is Included

• What is not Included

• Passport & COVID-19 Entry Requirements

• Cancellation & Refund Policy

• Required Travel Insurance

Rachael Whitworth:

Rachael is the Co-Founder of Love Defeats Fear and an E-RYT 500 yoga teacher, trained in

Vinyasa, Restorative, Kundalini & Ayurveda, Yin Yoga & Meditation, as well as a Level III

Advanced Reiki Practitioner in the Usui Holy Fire Tradition.

Kelly Gurdeniz:

Kelly is a RYT 200 yoga teacher trained in Vinyasa, as well as a Level I Reiki Practitioner in the

Usui Holy Fire Tradition.

Below you'll find all our available accommodation packages.

By selecting a single occupancy room type you will have a private bedroom and bathroom,

while selecting a double occupancy room type you will have a shared bedroom and bathroom

with your travel buddy.

If you are wondering which is the best type for you, and possibly your travel buddy or group of

friends, please follow this link to our handy ROOM SELECTION FLOW CHART.

All Villas and Studios are equipped with:

• LCD TV

• Independent air conditioning

• Wi-Fi

• Hair dryer

• Bathrobes

• Electronic safe

• Kitchenette equipped with microwave, fridge and utensils

• Coffee machine with capsules

ALL PRICES LISTED ARE PER PERSON and a €500 per person non-refundable deposit is due to

reserve your spot on the trip. Trip balances are due 120 days prior to departure, on May 5th. If

you'd like to inquire about payment plan options or have retreat related questions, please

email [email protected].

• 5 nights / 6 days lodging at Santa Barbara Eco-Beach Resort

• Daily yoga led by Rachael & Kelly, mats + blocks provided

• 2 guided half day excursions with picnic lunches to the island’s best hikes, relaxing hot springs, and local towns

• 2 free days to explore or rest at your leisure

• Daily breakfast + dinner

• Lunch on arrival day and both excursion days

• Early check-in on arrival day

• Roundtrip airport transfers from Ponta Delgada (PDL)

• All base gratuities & taxes for resort staff, taxi drivers and tour guides

• Airfare to Ponta Delgada (PDL). We fly SATA (Azores) Air direct from Boston.

• Lunch on your two free days

• Alcoholic beverages

• Additional excursions or cab rides

• Massages & spa services (can be booked directly at the resort front desk)

• Required Travel Insurance

You will be flying into Ponta Delgada Airport (PDL).

For non-stop flight options, we recommend booking flights directly through Azores Air out of New York (JFK), and Boston (BOS). If you are originating from another US airport, you will need to connect through either JFK or BOS to take advantage of these direct flights to and from Sao Miguel island. We recommend allowing 3 hours minimum between your connecting flights. 

Feeling adventurous, and have some extra PTO? Look into "stop over" packages which would allow you to continue on to Lisbon or Porto for very little extra money on Azores Air.

Retreat departure date: Thursday, September 12th

Yes, this is correct - the direct flights are red-eye flights, so you leave one calendar day prior to the start date of your retreat. Everyone's rooms are held for an early check-in, so you will have an opportunity to get settled and take a nice nap. The first event of the retreat is a lunch at the resort at roughly 1PM. If you are arriving on a flight other than the direct options from BOS and JFK, you should arrive at Ponta Delgada by 11:30am in order to attend this meal.

Retreat return date: Wednesday, September 18th

Check out at the resort is noon. The last programmed events are in the morning leading up to and including breakfast. We will offer multiple shuttles to Ponta Delgada airport, and/or hotels in Ponta Delgada, during the day according to people's travel itineraries. The resort will safely store luggage, and you are welcome to enjoy the restaurant and grounds if you schedule an evening flight.

If you book flights outside of these dates, you may be responsible for paying for your own taxi (budget about 35 Euro for this each way), but we can still help to coordinate a taxi for you.

Once you have secured your flights, please forward your flight confirmation email itinerary to [email protected].

You must have a valid passport to travel to the Azores. Please check your passport expiration date and make sure it is valid for at least 3 months after the end date of your retreat.

Currently, there are no COVID testing or vaccination requirements to enter the Azores or mainland Portugal. We will keep you posted if this changes prior to your retreat. However, registrants are personally responsible for complying to local laws, at their own expense. Such expenses may include, but are not limited to:

1. Proving adequate vaccination status
2. Providing a negative PCR test(s)
3. Showing proof of travel insurance

All retreats include a €500 non-refundable / non-transferable deposit, which is required to hold your spot on the trip. Any balance payments made are also non-refundable / non-transferable. SolSeed Retreats can only make an exception to these terms if:

1. The host government forbids us to visit as tourists.
2. The host government forbids our vendors from hosting us as tourists.
3. The US government forbids us to travel to the host country as tourists.

If SolSeed must further postpone or cancel the trip for any of the above reasons, all registrants will receive a refund of all deposits paid less €200.

If you refuse to comply with the entry laws of the host country, region, town, etc; SolSeed will not consider this a valid reason for receiving any refund. SolSeed will ensure to the best of their abilities that all registrants comply with all then current laws and regulations.

The purchase of travel insurance is required for this trip.

Most policies protect you against potential trip delays or cancellations due to airline issues, family emergencies, illness, injury, etc. The travel insurance will also demonstrate to the host country that you are able to pay for any emergency services which may be necessary during your stay.

SolSeed is not authorized to sell travel insurance. Any offer to purchase travel insurance that you encounter during the checkout process are third party offers. You are free to select your own policy provider. If you would like to review options in a convenient online marketplace, we like what www.insuremytrip.com has put together. We have also had great experience with Trawick International and their customer service, and heard very good things from AAA and AMEX Members who have purchased their travel insurance through those respective agencies.

We strongly encourage you to speak with a travel insurance agent to discuss your specific coverage needs, and to clear up any questions you may have relative to travel insurance coverage, including questions about COVID-19.

Please make sure you purchase a plan that includes coverage for COVID-19 related trip cancellations and trip interruptions as not all do. 

To learn more about Travel Insurance and review some FAQs, please visit this helpful blog post that we put together on the topic: https://solseedretreats.com/travel-insurance-faqs/