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September 25-28 | Starting at € 1380Digital detox & burnout retreat, with great food & wine in.
What to ExpectWe understand that burnout is real, and too many obligations in our daily lives can bring us down and stop us from living our best life; that is why we have designed a retreat where you can slow down and rediscover what is important to you. The retreat at la Masia Alt Penedès offers the old world charm of a 17th century rustic dwelling with the luxury of all modern comforts. Our stunning rural Masia only 1 hour from Barcelona city, is situated amongst six hectares of protected forest with spectacular panoramic views of the Penedès mountains.
❋ IntentionReset your nervous system with a digital detox, meet real people in real time, and reconnect with yourself in nature.
Put your phone away and give your brain a break from the constant stream of information, notifications and decisions.
Create some space to hear yourself think again.
❋ Eat, Drink & RepeatThree sumptuous meals a day are prepared by our in-house chef and accompanied by carefully selected wines from the Penedès region.
You'll also have the chance to cook with local organic ingredients, share meals around the table and rediscover the simple pleasure of breaking bread with other people.
❋ Get OutsideOur doorstep opens onto six hectares of protected forest and spectacular views of the Penedès mountains.
Enjoy guided mountain hikes, forest bathing, yoga, swimming in our natural pool, moonlight walks and stargazing. Nature does most of the heavy lifting.
❋ Do More. Or Do LessJoin a cooking class. Try yoga. Journal. Paint. Take a nap. Start writing that novel you've been thinking about for twenty years.
Enjoy a massage or wine tasting, or let us arrange a winery tour, horse riding through the vineyards, a restaurant booking or another local experience.
Your Home Away From Home.
Reconnect with your body and mind as you escape the noise of everyday life.
Day OneArrive & Meet
Arrive at La Masia, enjoy a welcome drink in the gardens, and get to know your fellow detoxers. After settling in, we invite you to the communal kitchen to get to know each other a little better and enjoy a delicious three-course dinner. After dinner, gather around the open fire for a casual chat and a nightcap before bed.
Check-In17:00
Meet-up19:00
Dinner
20:00
Day TwoEat, Walk & Breathe
Wake up at your own pace. Enjoy the peace and quiet and a slow beginning to the day, and help yourself to our selection of breakfast treats in the comfort of the guesthouse.
Mid-morning, for those interested, join our dog Paco on a guided mountain hike to an 11th-century stone hermitage perched on the side of the mountain. The walk is easily manageable even if you only have moderate fitness, and the views are stunning.
Use the downtime before lunch to do some yoga, have a swim, read, draw, journal, have a chat, or just stare into the middle distance - it's your time, so use it as you wish. Lunch is served buffet-style and can be enjoyed between 1 and 2:30 pm.
A few more hours of downtime to yourself to have a siesta or do what feels right, then early evening we reconvene to have a cooking class with Sophie Ruggles, your host and resident chef and cookbook writer.
Dinner is followed by a games night.
Breakfast7:00 – 11:30am
Hiking 11:00am
Lunch Break12:30pm
Creative Workshop2:00pm
Dinner6:30pm
Day ThreeGet Lost in the Moment
Breakfast is enjoyed in the guesthouse at your pleasure. After a slow start, Paco will join those interested in another guided walk through the vineyards to yet more stunning views of local wine country.
Again, you are welcome to use the downtime before lunch to do some yoga, have a swim, read, draw, journal, have a chat, or just stare into the middle distance - it's your time, so use it as you wish. Lunch is served buffet-style and can be enjoyed between 1 and 2:30 pm.
After lunch, join in on a watercolour painting class using wine as the medium and a wine tasting of 3 local wines as your artistic inspiration.
A BBQ dinner is served on the patio at 7pm followed by a round-table informal chat on aspirations and hopes using conversational cards as prompts.
If the stars are out, why not lie on your back in the garden before climbing into bed and soak up the immense beauty of the night sky.
Breakfast7:00 – 9:30am
Walk through the vineyards11:00am
Lunch Break13:00 - 14:30
Watercolour painting class16.00
Dinner19:00
Day FourTake the Feeling Home
Breakfast is enjoyed in the guesthouse before check-out at 10am. Hopefully, you'll simply leave feeling a little lighter.
With a clearer head, a fuller belly, some new stories to tell and perhaps a renewed appreciation for the things that were there all along, and we say hasta luego - until next time.
Breakfast7:00 – 9:30am
Check-out10:00am
Make Your Reset Even Deeper
During your stay, you can add an on-site massage to your retreat experience and enjoy some dedicated time to completely switch off.
There's no need to travel anywhere or squeeze an appointment into an already busy schedule. Your massage takes place right here at the Masia, surrounded by the peace and quiet of the countryside.
Lie back. Breathe deeply. Let someone else take care of you for an hour.
Massage packages can be added to your retreat when booking.
Come for the Detox. Stay for the Food.
Meet Your Host
Hi, I am Sophie Ruggles, your host at La Masia Alt Penedès. I am also a food writer & interior design enthusiast.
In 2003, I took a leap of faith and moved with my husband and twelve-year-old daughter from Sydney, Australia, to Barcelona in search of long lunches and better Spanish.
I had with me my favorite chopping board and chef’s knives, some clothes, of course, and no idea how I was going to make a living.
Four months later, during an evening stroll around our new suburb, Gracia, we passed a small, rundown local with an ‘En Traspaso’ sign out front, and the next thing we knew we were the somewhat daunted owners of our own tapas bar.
In 2016, my husband and I decided to leave Barcelona in search of something slower. Once again, we found a dilapidated old building that needed rescuing.
And once again, we bought it.
Why this retreat?
I’ve spent much of my life bringing people together around food.
I've seen what happens when phones go away, food arrives at the table and people actually have time to talk.
I've also experienced the exhaustion that comes from constantly doing, organising, achieving and keeping up.
So this retreat isn't about telling you how to live your life better.
It's about creating the space for you to figure that out for yourself.
I'll be here to make sure you're well fed, comfortable, welcomed and never quite sure whether the next thing we're doing is going to involve a mountain, a bottle of wine, a cooking pot or a fire.
How It Works-
Browse our upcoming events to find the one that feels right for you. We host events year-round in all different locations and climates.
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Sign up and pay all required fees to reserve your spot. If plans change, you can cancel up to 14 days before the retreat start to receive a 50% refund.
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After booking, we'll send you a Welcome Packet with everything you need to know—detailed schedules, packing list recommendations, add-ons to consider, and more.
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We'd recommend booking your transportation to and from the event as soon as possible, to ensure you can arrive without any complications or delays.
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Now all that's left to do is pack your bags and get excited for your new adventure.