
Welcome
2027 marks ten years of Golden Circle Retreats — a decade of gathering women in community to remember who they are. From the very first retreat, our intention has stayed the same: to create a deep and meaningful experience for our guests, women who quickly become friends, and often, lifelong sisters.
Next year, we are heading somewhere truly special — the wild Atlantic coast of Aljezur, Portugal.
This retreat is a journey deep inside yourself — out of your head, and into your body. Through delicious, wholesome food, joyful movement, and a real connection to the land, your senses will be saturated and your heart uplifted. We create the container for restoration on a deep level: slow, shared meals; mindfulness practices; meaningful connection; and inspiration for how to live a more balanced, holistic life. Our five-day experience will bring relaxation and vibrancy to every level of your being — body, mind, and spirit — and we can’t wait to learn and grow alongside you.
We look forward to meeting you in Aljezur, Portugal this October 2027. If you feel called to join us, trust that — this opportunity is meant for you.
With love,
Sarah & Mikkala

The Retreat
This 6-night revitalizing retreat will restore your balance, cultivate inner peace, and nourish your body from the inside out. Learn to care for yourself on a deeper level, and leave feeling empowered — carrying a renewed sense of what optimal wellbeing looks like in your life, long after our week together ends.
Each day begins with a centering, invigorating physical practice led by Mikkala Marilyn Kissi of Living Yolates, flowing into an intimate cooking class or nutrition workshop with Sarah Britton of My New Roots.
Afternoons are yours to enjoy — a refreshing dip in the pool, a restorative walk to the ocean, a Breathwork class, quiet rest and reflection, or simply connecting with fellow retreat guests. Meals are slow and delicious, and we’ll offer after-dinner experiences to celebrate our time together.
Join Sarah and Mikkala for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity on the southwestern coast of Portugal, to connect with yourself and like-minded women from around the world. We can’t wait to welcome you to this special Golden Circle Retreat.

Itinerary
ARRIVAL
1:30 pm | Shuttle to Amaria from Lisbon or Faro Airport
3:00 – 4:45 pm | Check in
5:00 – 7:00 pm | Opening Circle
7:00 pm | Dinner
DAY 2 – 6
8:00 – 10:00 am | Living Yolates with Mikkala
9:30 – 10:30 am | Breakfast
11 am – 1:30 pm | Morning Workshop with Sarah
1:30 – 2:30 pm | Lunch
4:00 – 6:00 pm | Afternoon Class with Sarah or Mikkala
6:30 – 8:00 pm | Dinner
8:00 – 9:30 pm | Evening activity
DEPARTURE
9:30 – 10:30 am | Breakfast
11 am | Shuttle from Amaria to Lisbon or Faro Airport
The Retreat Package
From the moment you land in Portugal, everything is taken care of.
- Transportation to and from Lisbon or Faro airports at designated arrival and departure times.
- 6 nights accommodation in a room of your choosing.
- 3 fresh, delicious, nourishing meals per day, including snacks, tea, and coffee.
- Access to Amaria’s amenities, including saltwater pool and lounge area, wood-fired sauna, yoga deck, vineyards, and organic garden.
- Daily classes led by Sarah Britton, including cooking workshops, nutrition, and Breathwork.
- Daily movement sessions led by Mikkala Marilyn Kissi, spanning all the styles of the Living Yolates Method.
- Golden Circle Retreat cookbook and lifestyle guide.
- Exclusive Golden Circle Retreat tote filled with some of our favourite goodies!
- Complimentary access to My New Roots Grow and the Living Yolates Circle the month before our retreat, so you can arrive ready and prepared for our time together.

Thoughts from Past Participants
“This retreat came into my life at exactly the right moment, when I needed to rest and recharge – it was deeply nourishing in every way. Most importantly, the experience helped me reconnect with myself and my feminine energy, and to listen to my intuition, something I have struggled with for too long.”
L.L., Canada
“After the Golden Circle Retreat, I have continued to feel much more connected to my body in a positive way. I feel like I have some new tools to process life experiences. I have been cooking even more than I did before. I feel like I know how to better take care of myself – body, mind, and soul.”
B.D., USA
“My posture has changed, the lines in my face have changed, my whole perception has changed. There are not a lot of retreats out there, besides this one, that have such a holistic approach to health.”
S,W,. Australia
The Location
Amaria is perched on a cliff above Portugal’s wild southwest coast, tucked into the Costa Vicentina Natural Park just outside the town of Aljezur. This stretch of coastline is one of Europe’s last untamed shores — rugged cliffs, hidden beaches, and windswept trails that wind through fragrant coastal scrub down to the Atlantic.
Set among ten hectares of gardens and vineyard, Amaria was designed to disappear into its landscape. Mornings greeted by birdsong and the sound of the ocean below, afternoons spent floating in the saltwater pool with sweeping sea views, evenings warming by the wood-fired sauna as the coastal air cools.
You’ll stay in one of Amaria’s minimalist, thoughtfully designed suites, each with its own private patio and garden views — a quiet, grounding space to retreat to after each day’s practices and meals. The property’s understated architecture and natural materials let the beauty of the Costa Vicentina take centre stage.
Amaria is roughly a two-and-a-half hour drive from Lisbon Airport, and one-and-a-quarter hour from Faro Airport. Transportation will be provided to and from these airports at select times.



Sarah Britton
The creator of My New Roots and My New Roots Grow, Sarah Britton is a Holistic Nutritionist, whole-food chef, retreat leader, certified Breathwork Facilitator, and movement instructor. Since 2007, her blog has inspired eaters worldwide, alongside two cookbooks and the mini-series The Substitute Baker on Food Network Canada. Sarah’s deep love of nature’s bounty and seasonality shines through everything she creates.
Sarah is a passionate, hands-on educator who lights up in the kitchen. This retreat’s cooking classes are intimate and participatory, featuring mostly plant-based and gluten-free recipes with plenty of room for questions, conversation, and laughter. Her wellness workshops offer real, practical skills to understand your body and deepen your own wellness practice — energetic, joyful, and designed to stay with you well beyond the week.
As a trained Elemental Rhythm Breathwork Facilitator, Sarah has guided dozens through transformative breathwork journeys, holding space with love, compassion, and skill.


Mikkala Marilyn Kissi
Mikkala Marilyn Kissi, founder of Living Yolates, brings training in professional dance, yoga and pilates instruction, certified nutrition therapy, kinesiology, and more. Her holistic movement method weaves together the best of yoga, pilates, dance, meditation, and energy work — all inspired by the wonder of nature’s rhythms and cycles.
Full of vitality, bursting with energy and softness, Mikkala has a keen understanding of balance within body, mind, and spirit, and leads her classes with nothing but pure joy and love. Movement, meditation, breathwork, and restoration during her sessions will revitalize you from the inside out. Mikkala believes you are your own greatest teacher and your life’s creator — and that by tapping into this power, you can live more fully from a place of trust, intuition, and celebration.

The Food
The week’s menu is prepared in collaboration with Amaria’s in-house kitchen and Sarah Britton, built around local, whole-food ingredients — think My New Roots, reimagined on the coast of Portugal. Expect vibrant, plant-forward, low-sugar, largely organic dishes, drawing on the property’s own garden, and the region’s abundant produce, wild herbs, and fresh seafood traditions, with options like farm eggs and local cheeses for those who prefer them. True to the spirit of slow, shared meals, food is served family style, meant to be lingered over.
Sarah’s approach to cooking is creative, fresh, and vibrant — her passion is coaxing out the natural flavour of each ingredient while preserving its nutrients. She draws inspiration from travel, and from humbly learning from other cultures and kitchens — Portugal’s coastal pantry will be no exception.
All food and non-alcoholic drinks are included throughout your stay, and dietary accommodations can be made as long as we know at least one month before the retreat.



Accommodation
Amaria is spread across two buildings, offering 11 uniquely designed guest rooms — 4 suites, 7 junior suites, and a spacious three-bedroom apartment — alongside beautiful communal indoor and outdoor spaces. Every room and suite is designed with nature in mind, honouring the wild beauty of Portugal’s southwest coast.
Each guest room opens onto its own outdoor patio, with views over the surrounding gardens and out to the ocean. Every room comes with its own ensuite bathroom — suites offer the added luxury of a bathtub or a wood-burning fireplace. Interiors are thoughtfully curated to make the most of the natural light streaming through panoramic windows, with generously sized rooms that leave plenty of space to relax and unwind. You’ll also find air conditioning, underfloor heating, wood-burning fires, high-speed WiFi, a safe, and a minibar.
For this retreat, we offer a few lodging options. If you’re joining with a friend or family member, you can share a room (two separate beds); if you’d prefer your own private space, 2 private suites are available. If you’d like a shared room and are joining us solo, we’ll match you with another woman seeking the same — many of our retreat roommates have stayed in touch long after their Golden Circle Retreat ends.


Rooms and Rates

Each of Amaria’s guest rooms hosts an outdoor patio, with views of the surrounding gardens and ocean. All rooms are complete with en suite bathrooms, while the suites offer the added luxury of bathtubs or wood burning fireplaces.
The carefully curated interiors are designed to maximize the natural light through the panoramic windows, and room sizes are generous, ensuring ample space for relaxation and enjoyment. Additional amenities include: air conditioning, underfloor heating, wood burning fires, high-speed WiFi, a safe and minibar.
*Please note that the room photos below show the configuration with one king-sized bed, instead of two twin beds, as they will be for our retreat.
Accommodation Options
Prices are per person, space limited to 18 participants

Apartments
Two twin beds, shared bathroom
$4,200 USD pp
The apartments offer two, double-occupancy rooms each sleeping two guests in twin beds. Positioned in the tranquil south-west corner of the hotel, the apartment offers a serene retreat with delightful views of the gardens and ocean valley. Step onto your private veranda, where you can enjoy breathtaking sunsets and hear the soothing sounds of the nearby ocean waves. These rooms share a bathroom between four guests.

Shared Junior Suites
Two twin beds, private bathroom
$4,600 USD pp
Each of the junior suites sleep two guests in twin beds, and offer their own unique décor, layout, and furnishing. All rooms include an ensuite bathroom, rain shower, and patios with breathtaking ocean and sunset views, stretching across the western side of our lush gardens.

Shared Suite
Two twin beds, private bathroom
$4,900 USD pp
The suites sleep two guests in twin beds, and feature wood-burning fireplaces, distinctive bathtubs, or outdoor showers. Enjoy the scenic beauty of the surroundings through panoramic sliding windows that open onto private outdoor patios, offering views of the ocean and picturesque gardens.

Private Junior Suite
One double bed, private bathroom
$7,300 USD pp
The private junior suites sleep one guest in one double bed, and offer their own unique décor, layout, and furnishing. Each room includes an ensuite bathroom, rain shower, and a patio overlooking the olive grove and ocean.

Book Now
Dates:
Week 1
October 17 – 23, 2027
Check in 3 PM on October 17th
Check out 11 AM on October 23rd
Week 2
October 24 – 30, 2027
Check in 3 PM on October 24th
Check out 11 AM on October 30th
Payment Terms & Conditions
A non-refundable deposit of $1000 USD is required at time of booking.
Final payments are due June 1, 2027 and are 100% non-refundable from final payment date to departure date.
Airfare is not included. Transportation to and from Lisbon or Far airports at designated times is included. Other transportation arrangements outside of these offerings are not included.
Bookings for this retreat are handled via email to our travel coordinator Cathy Wassermann of Wassermann Retreats.
Click below to email Cathy who will provide expert support as you fill out your registration forms, choose your room, and to pay your deposit for our Portugal adventure, October 2027.
For any questions you may have about the location, programming, or any other concern, please feel free to contact our team directly at info@goldencircleretreats.com, we’ll be more than happy to support!
(clicking above opens an email window)
Additional Details
In order to create an intimate and relaxed atmosphere for all, this retreat is for women-identified people only, and participation is limited to 18 guests.
Our retreats respect and honour where you are right now in your health journey. The classes and workshops are for women of any culinary skill level and any physical condition. We welcome everyone with open arms. Please write to us with anything we may need preparation for in order to make your retreat as comfortable as possible!
Prices are per person. A separate booking must be made for each person in a group, please note if you wish to share a room with a friend or relative. If not, and you choose a shared room, you will share it with a friend you haven’t met 🙂
All bookings are final with no refunds. We require a $1000 USD deposit at sign up which is non-refundable. The remaining balance of your retreat price will be due June 1, 2027. There is no refund after the balance is paid.
In case of illness or force majeure, we will do our best to find a solution / have another participant take the space and trip insurance is available through our retreat planning company, Wassermann Retreats. It is possible to give your space to a friend, just inform us at least 1 week before the retreat takes place via email info@goldencircleretreats.com.
Flights to Portugal are not included.
Additional food and beverages, and additional services outside of our retreat offerings are not included. Gratuities are not included.
When signing up for a retreat you agree to our general terms and conditions. Have any questions? Please write us an email at info@goldencircleretreats.com
Location: Aljezur, Portugal
Venue: Amaria Hotel
Check-in: 3pm
Check-out: 11am
Please note: Early check in is not possible. If your flights do not match our check in time, nor our transportation times, we recommend staying a night in Lisbon or Faro before or after the retreat.
Questions?
Contact us with questions about the classes and retreat programming at info@goldencircleretreats.com
Bookings will be made through our travel partner Wassermann Retreats, an affiliate of Direct Travel, 93 Main Street S, Georgetown, ON L7G 3E5,
TICO 50023504
Contact: Cathy Wassermann
Email: cwassermann@dt.com
Phone: +1 905.873.2000 ext. 1232
(EST – please respect the time zone)
