Our first Joyful Heart Yoga Retreat in Spain will be May 27 - June 6, 2011. This is a 10-night trip, designed so that you can see a lot of Spain but truly enjoy your time there rather than spend it simply racing from one place to the next. I've chosen lovely hotels that are centrally located so we can explore by foot and really get a feel for life in Spain. We will practice yoga at least once per day (some locations are outdoors, which may be hot in the afternoon), have a cooking lesson, enjoy a flamenco show, have several guided tours, visit olive oil mills, cathedrals, castles, art museums, and immerse ourselves in the beauty and culture of this fascinating country. There is space for up to 20 people. Here's the basic itinerary and lots of photos. There are some videos on the left.
(Sign up soon -- only 6 rooms are left!!)
Madrid - 3 nights
We will arrive in Madrid mid-morning and will be greeted by our guide and driver at the airport. As in Costa Rica, I've chosen a company that prides themselves on customer service. Our guide will be with us throughout the entire trip to show us the way and teach us more about Spain, its people, and its culture. We will check into our lovely hotel in Madrid, where we will stay for the next 3 nights.
Madrid is a lively city. People fill the streets, yet there is a small-town feel. It is very walkable, and Jorge and I have gotten to know it fairly well, and we have some favorite places we want to share with you in addition to what's included in the package. There are many lively plazas where people sit outside at all hours of the day and night enjoying drinks, people-watching, and live music.
The famous Prado Museum is here, and definitely worth visiting. Tapas bars are everywhere, and we have a tapas dinner included on the first night to introduce you to the custom. Chocolate lovers must come to the Chocolateria with us one evening to try the custom of dipping churros into cups of thick, melted dark chocolate -- yum!! Yoga will be inside the hotel, and it will feel great to stretch out and restore our energy after traveling. If you're a night owl, you'll find plenty to do here as the city never seems to close down -- music, dancing, tapas-hopping, people-watching, walking 
from plaza to plaza...
On our second day we will have a guided walking tour of Madrid to see some of the most important sites of the city. On the 3rd day will take a short drive to El Escorial, where we'll visit a 16th century palace built by Phillip II, who created a unique combination of royal grandeur and monastic austerity. From there, we'll continue to Segovia, the capital of Castillian cuisine. We'll have lunch and then a walking tour to see the Roman aqueduct, cathedral, and the famous Alcazar. We'll return to Madrid in the late afternoon.
Sevilla - 3 nights
On day 4, the high-speed Ave train will take us to Sevilla in 2 hours. (The ticket is included in your package.) Now we are in Andalucia -- the south of Spain -- and you will instantly notice a difference in architecture, food, and culture. Sevilla is rich with history: the Moors and the Catholics, bullfighting, flamenco, Carmen & Don Juan, the Jewish Quarter, etc.
The weather is warm and sunny, and again, we will be centrally located in a very walkable city. We are staying in a beautiful hotel for the next 3 nights, and will do morning yoga on a rooftop deck. During our stay we will enjoy a guided tour, a flamenco show, and a 3-hr cooking lesson and lunch with one of Sevilla's most famous chefs. Must-see sights here include the cathedral, the Alcazar with it's lovely gardens, and the bull-fighting ring (we'll visit when it's empty). Art lovers take note: nearly every church and castle in Spain is filled with incredible pieces! Sevilla is full of beauty and charm; you can walk as much as you want or park yourself in a plaza and enjoy the fresh air and beautiful surroundings. If you want to bring home an abanico (fan), flamenco dress, castanets, or even a custom-made Spanish guitar, this is the place to find it! This is a good town to learn the art of siesta -- taking a long lunch (maybe a paella and sangria) and a little nap during the hottest part of the day. Our hotel has an outdoor pool, refreshing courtyards, and an indoor pool and hydro-therapy spa to use whenever you feel like relaxing. We know a nice rooftop bar with a fresh breeze and a beautiful view of the cathedral that's perfect for evenings.
Ronda - 2 nights
Not far from Sevilla is a series of charming little white towns -- Pueblos Blancos -- that are kept in pristine condition. Over the next few days we will visit some of these towns at a leisurely pace. First we'll visit Arcos de la 
Frontera.
Dating from the time of the Moors, this gleaming white town is a maze of narrow streets perched high on a rock face overlooking the Guadalete River. It's a prime example of Andalusian architecture and has been declared to be of Artistic and Historic Interest. When we are satisfied with Arcos, we will head to Ronda, where we will stay in a charming hotel in the center of the city for 2 nights. No photographs can prepare you for the breathtaking site of this city built over a steep gorge. The bridge in Ronda is legendary, and you will see why. If you want to shop, this is a good place to find ceramics, and there is an interesting toy store here as well as the full range of shopping that the residents of Ronda enjoy. We will have morning yoga in the hotel gardens here, and a day of free time to wander. If you are an artist, this is a good place to get out your paints or pencils!
Malaga - 1 night
On day 9, we will leave Ronda, soon coming to the white town of Zahara, where we will visit a nearby olive oil mill. We'll learn how olive oil is produced today, and we'll have a tasting. Then we'll visit another mill that dates back to 1755 to see (and taste) the old methods of producing olive oil. We'll spend a little time in Zahara, and then take one of the most spectacular roads in Spain, where we will find another gleaming white town, Sierra de Grazalema. Lunch is included in one of the best restaurants of the area. We will have time to stroll around town before heading to Malaga -- the capital of the Costa del Sol and a city with many contrasts: high rises, quaint sections, and old mixed with new.
Our hotel is right in the cultural center of Malaga, and offers a rooftop pool for relaxation and great views. We will have a guided tour of the city in the morning, visiting the Alcazar, the Cathedral, and the Picasso Museum, which contains the art that Picasso wanted to keep for himself and his family. In the afternoon we will take a high-speed train to Madrid for our last night.
Madrid - 1 night
In order to take advantage of better airfares, we will spend our last night in lively Madrid where we will have our farewell dinner together. The next day there will be time for a little exploring, and then we will head to the airport and say "hasta luego" to Spain. If you're not ready to go home yet, don't worry: We can arrange extensions to Granada, Barcelona, etc. Let me know, and I'll make the arrangements.
PRICE: 2,560 euros per person (we will convert to dollars at time of payment). Single supplement is 550 euros, but we will try to help you find a roommate if you wish.
Package includes: 10 nights accommodations in excellent hotels, yoga at least once a day, all breakfasts, 2 dinners, 2 lunches, 4 private walking tours, flamenco show, cooking class, admission fees to sites while with guides, full-time bilingual guide, driver, all ground transfers by bus, round-trip AVE high-speed train tickets, restaurant recommendations and reservations for meals not included, taxes, portorage at hotels, extra assistance from our unofficial guide, Jorge, who knows Madrid and Sevilla well and can provide translations. Not included: air fare to Spain, anything not listed above, tips to guide and driver.
A $500 deposit per person is required to hold your space. This deposit will be refunded only if the trip is canceled due to lack of participants, etc. Travel insurance is available. You can make your deposit by check or by credit card via the PayPal option below.
I've taken a lot of time and effort to arrange this trip, and I'm very proud of it. This trip is designed to flow well, minimize travel time, and give you time to experience Spain -- not just see it. A lot of the other itineraries I see are just plain crazy: zig-zagging all over the country in way that makes no sense and is guaranteed to keep you in a vehicle most of the time. Bring your walking shoes and your yoga mat -- we are going to explore inside and outside!
A word about air fare: Our plan is to fly into Madrid and out of Malaga. There are direct flights to Madrid from D.C. on Thursday nights, thus the Friday start date. Fares for next May are not listed, but Iberia often has tremendous sales. For example, we just flew directly to Spain for $530. My previous trip was $800. I will keep my eyes open for the best air fare possible, and will check into group rates as well.
Please join us -- I can't wait to share Spain with you! If you have questions, write to me at sandy@joyfulheartyoga.com