Ostara's Promise - Spring Algarve Retreat

Casa Fuzetta, Travessa Heliodoro Salgado 7 8700-558 Olhão Portugal

MB
Mandy Brinkley
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1 review
Mar 26 - 31, 2025
Group size: 11 - 13
Ostara's Promise - Spring Algarve Retreat
Casa Fuzetta, Travessa Heliodoro Salgado 7 8700-558 Olhão Portugal

Mandy Brinkley
  • Email address verified
1 review

Mar 26 - 31, 2025
Group size: 11 - 13

About this trip

Enjoy some Spring warmth and light in southern Portugal!


We will gather just after the Spring Equinox, Ostara, which is a celebration of renewal. The Spring sun warms the earth and the birds sing to a different tune. Everything is starting to bloom and grow.


Spark your energy and creativity and recharge your vitality. This is Ostara's promise.


During this 5 night luxury retreat in the stunning Casa Fuzetta you can immerse yourself in daily yoga and meditation and relax with time and space to enjoy the house, wonderful food and surrounding area.


I will offer morning meditations focussing on cultivating the heart through joy and equanimity. Asana practice will follow weaving breath work into classical namaskars and creative vinyasa practice. In the afternoons there will be a variety of offerings: talks and workshop style classes, yoga nidra, a cacao ceremony and a sound bath. 


All levels of experience are welcome, whether you are just beginning your yoga explorations or have been teaching for many years. If you are a complete beginner I do recommend joining some online sessions with me before the retreat. In the words of a previous retreat participant:


"Mandy is a brilliant teacher, so well prepared, every session a delightful journey for the mind body & spirit.  She has a wonderful skill for reaching everyone in the group & offering different ranges & levels of practice for each individual to choose from."


All the sessions, planned activities and meals are optional, so you are free to choose how much to join in. However, over the years, I have found that most people love not having to decide or choose what to do each day and participate fully.



ACCOMMODATION


Casa Fuzetta is a lovingly restored 12 bedroom luxury townhouse only 15 mins from Faro airport. Located in the traditional fishing town of Olhão in the unspoilt Eastern Algarve - a gateway to beautiful beaches, islands and natural parks.


The house has plenty of space to escape to if not visiting the town or nearby islands. As well as the rooftop pool, with spectacular views, there are indoor and outdoor Yoga spaces, a dedicated meditation room, treatments rooms, a games room with pool table and a library opening on to an internal courtyard. Though you may not want to leave your room! All the bedrooms are beautifully appointed with large, en-suite bathrooms. 11 of the rooms are offered as single occupancy - one person in a double bed and one is a twin for two people in one room each in a large single bed. 


Casa Fuzetta is an exceptional private home listed in several publications as one of the top 10 retreat venues worldwide. This is a recent article from CN Traveller.


At Casa Fuzetta they are proud to have been accepted as a member of the TreeSisters tribe and they make a donation to enable 100 trees to be planted for every group that stays with them. You can also directly make a donation to TreeSisters work via this link.


This is the first of the very special retreats I have planned for 2025 as I celebrate beginning my third decade of teaching yoga!

What's included?


  • Daily Brunch and three dinners prepared by the Casa Fuzetta team at the house
  • A trip to one of the islands with dinner there
  • Dinner in Olhão
  • Daily yoga and meditation with Mandy
  • Cacao ceremony with a guest teacher
  • Sound bath with a guest teacher
  • All the wonderful spaces, including rooftop pool (heated when needed), to enjoy at the house
  • Time to explore the quaint, fisherman’s village and harbour. Saturday morning market is highly recommended!
  • Time and space to be as active or as quiet as you wish
  • Bespoke welcome gift
  • Yoga mats and props to use in the indoor yoga space and roof top deck
  • LaEva gold standard organic units of well-being (wash, lotion, shampoo & conditioner)
  • Stylish hammam towels and umbrellas for the beach
  • Hand made local wicker baskets for trips to the beach or the market

What's not included?


  • Travel 
  • Taxi transfer (just 15 minutes from Faro airport) - Mandy can help you to meet others arriving at the same time
  • Massages and acupuncture treatments (to be booked before arrival-please indicate interest when booking)
  • Travel insurance
  • Alcohol
  • Ferry to the beach (about 5 Euros each way).

Travel

Arrivals from 4pm on Wednesday 26th March.

Check-out by 11:00 Monday 31st March. You are welcome to leave your bags at the house while you continue your adventures in Olhâo if you have later onward travel that day.


The journey from Faro airport should be no more than 20 mins. 


There are always plenty of taxis outside the arrivals terminal. The cost per car is 20-25€.


The house is in the old town of Olhão. Many of the taxi drivers know the house, but not all. If you put Casa Fuzetta into google maps, it will pop up and if you use What3words /// politics.times.mergers it will bring you straight to the front door. 


Otherwise, the GPS coordinates are 37.026272 -7.842708.


When you book you will have access to the  Casa Fuzetta app which contains dynamic maps.


If you are travelling from LISBON

Transport options are: coach, train, or private transfer all of which need a minimum of 3-3.5hrs.


NOTE: trains will be to Faro, from where a taxi on to Olhão will be needed for last leg of the journey (approx.20min).


The public bus/coach, which is highly rated,  goes from Lisbon Sete Rios (central area) to just around the corner from Casa Fuzetta  in Olhão- price currently approx 10-20€pp - see: https://rede-expressos.pt/en/timetables ). This is definitely the cheapest option. Takes the same amount of time as any of the other options and usually operates several times per day. 


For a private transfer from Lisbon Casa Fuzetta suggest speaking to Joao Cordeiro at Domitur Transfers.

Email: transfers.domitur@domitur.pt

Mobile: +351968711581 


Food

Daily brunch and dinner is included.

We will mainly be looked after by the Casa Fuzetta house team.

On one of the days we will take a boat trip to one of the islands and have dinner there - we may be lucky enough to see dolphins!

Another evening we will wander into Olhão to a local restaurant.

All your dinners are included. 

Juice, teas, coffee and water are included at brunch.

Filtered water is freely available at the house.

Alcohol is not included.

Cancellation policy

Your €650 deposit is not refundable.


Balance payments are due by February 2nd 2025. If booking on or after February 2nd, full payment is required at the time of booking.


Please ensure you have travel insurance. Deposits cannot be refunded. Balance payments can be refunded up to 8 weeks before the retreat. After that I can only refund you if I am able to fill your space - minus your deposit.

What’s included

  • Daily brunch and dinner
    Daily brunch at the house, 3 dinners at the house and 2 dinners out.
  • All sessions with Mandy
  • Sound bath
    With a guest teacher
  • Cacao ceremony
    With a guest teacher
  • Much more!
    Please see full retreat description for details

What’s not included

  • Travel
  • Insurance
  • Treatments
  • Alcohol

Available Packages

Single suite with 2 balconies, en-suite
Available until March 12, 2025only 1 left

Large Suite with a bath, in addition to a shower, plus two Juliette balconies. Super king sized bed for one person.


€2,700
Deposit: €650
Single room, double bed, en-suite
Available until March 12, 20258 left

Beautifully appointed double rooms for single occupancy, some on the ground floor and some on the first floor. If you have a room preference please let Mandy know when booking - subject to availability. One person per room.


€2,500
Deposit: €650
Twin room en-suite
Available until March 12, 2025only 2 left

Twin occupancy. Large single bed in the lovely Buddha room on the ground floor of the house, sharing with one other person. If booking just for one you will be allocated the space with someone of the same sex.

€2,000
Deposit: €650
Cozy single, double bed, en-suite
Available until March 12, 2025only 1 left

The smallest bedroom in the house but with a large bathroom- offered at a cheaper rate because it opens on to the central courtyard. King sized bed for one person. All the other special details as the rest of the rooms.


€2,000
Deposit: €650


Who’s Going

Your Organizer


MB
Mandy Brinkley
1 review
I am registered as a Senior Yoga Teacher with Yoga Alliance Professionals UK with more than 1500 teacher training hours . My original training was with the British Wheel of Yoga. I also have extensive trainings in meditation, vinyasa yoga with Shiva Rea & Claire Missingham, yin yoga (including 6 + years mentorship with Sarah Powers' Insight Yoga), Yoga Nidra and pre and post natal yoga. Breathwork is an important component of what I offer and I am a level 3 Breath Body Mind ™️ teacher and an Oxygen Advantage ® Advanced Instructor.

Reviews

Great accommodation, it was like staying in a friends home with plenty of space and character. food was fantastic. We were so lucky with the weather for our particular time staying which all helped to enjoy the scenery and walks in the area. We also had wonderful and rewarding sessions in the big barn with Mandy. Thank you
By Sarah P for Sacred Earth - a Mother Goddess Yoga retreat on Apr 25, 2024