Mornings and evenings of meditation and yoga, free afternoons in the sun
Join us for a 6-day Buddhist meditation retreat in the hills of Andalucía, in a valley looking out to the Mediterranean sea
Join us for this relaxing and invigorating Buddhist meditation retreat at Santillan, a beautiful Andalucian retreat centre set at the top of a countryside valley, five kilometres from the sea and 35 minutes from Málaga airport.
We meet in the mornings and evenings for meditation, teaching and yoga, while free afternoons invite you to enjoy your retreat how you wish.
Mornings include Buddhist teachings and workshops, with each session having one or two guided meditations. The teachings will explore the practice and theory of Buddhist meditation in a down-to-earth, easy-to-follow way.
Teachings will also cover the inner causes of stress and anxiety, offering practical tips, techniques, and ways of thinking to help you de-stress and find greater calm and wellbeing in your everyday life.
For relaxation time, you can enjoy the gardens, tennis court, salt-water pool area, and the many spaces to enjoy a nap, nature, the sun, company, or a good book, and wonderful star-gazing at night due to the reduced light in this location. This is also time for local excursions and trips.
You don’t need any experience to join this retreat. We hope that by getting away, enjoying the serenity of this location, and exploring these teachings, this week will offer you the space to gain practical understanding and experience of these transformative practices, for your own wellbeing and for the benefit of those around you.
We’re sure you will leave feeling refreshed, nourished, and stress-free, equipped with new tools to manage stress and anxiety for a more positive and peaceful mindset.
An Andalucian cortijo with gardens overlooking the valley and the sea
Santillan Yoga and Wellness Retreat is an expansive Andalucian cortijo with gardens overlooking its own valley and on to the Mediterranean sea. There are multiple yoga and meditation salas, including a Garden Sala with views all around to the gardens, the valley and hills, and on to the sea.
Santillán sits at the top of a countryside valley five kilometres from the Mediterranean, and is conveniently only 35 minutes from Málaga airport. Thanks to the micro-climate and the owners’ love of flora, the gardens have matured into a tropical Mediterranean paradise, bursting with rare and colourful plants, shrubs, trees and flowers. Read more about the grounds.
There are 20 rooms at Santillan, each one styled individually with attention to colour, harmony and balance with the environment.
A balcony or patio with sea, garden or mountain views
All rooms have en-suite bathrooms with a bath and/or shower, magnifying mirror, hair dryer and welcome products. Each room has air-conditioning or a powerful ceiling fan, heating, a work desk, and a balcony or patio looking out over the sea or the gardens and mountains.
Rooms are single occupancy unless you are booking with someone you would like to share with. If you would like a twin or double together, please indicate this when booking.
Mediterranean, vegan and grown on site
Santillan’s Mediterranean vegan menus are created with organic produce sourced from local farmers and from the venue’s own organic vegetable gardens, fruit trees and herb garden. The cooks enjoy sharing their popular Spanish-influenced healthy Mediterranean cuisine.
The avocado, orange, lemon, mango, apple, mandarin and tropical fruit trees offer their gifts for much of the year.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are buffet style and included. Still water, caffeinated and non-caffeinated coffee and teas are available 24 hours and free of charge. Soft drinks run on an Honesty Bar. The venue can cater for genuine food allergies and intolerances.
In the spirit of the Buddhist principle of non-harm, all food served on retreat is plant-based and vegan.
Peaceful tropical gardens and the hills all around
Immerse yourself in nature within Santillan’s peaceful tropical gardens and surrounding hills. It is the perfect setting for some time away from the hustle, bustle and noise of modern life. Many guests say Santillan offers the experience of being ‘home from home’.
There is a salt-water pool and a paddle tennis court, both free for guests to use. Around the gardens and surrounding land you can find many peaceful places to simply sit and enjoy the peace and splendour of the molino, the countryside and the sea. At night, the reduced light in this location makes for wonderful star-gazing.
We'll give you plenty of free time to swim, play tennis, walk in the hills, lounge, sleep or read - or head out to one of the towns along the coast.
A salt-water pool, 12.5 x 5 x 1.5 m, with a pool patio and sun beds, and one paddle tennis court which is free for guests to use. Around the gardens there are hammocks, thatched shelters and a growing multi-language library.
The sea is about 7 km away by road; a taxi or minibus to a local beach can be arranged.
Visit Rincón de la Victoria, Nerja, Frigiliana, or Málaga’s historic centre - the Roman theatre, La Alcazaba, Gibralfaro Castle, Muelle Uno or the Botanical Garden. There is a golf course five minutes away and a go-kart track around 20 minutes towards the beaches.
A range of massages is offered daily by the venue: relaxing, Ayurveda, deep tissue, cranial sacral, trigger point and myofascial release. Sessions are booked on arrival and paid in euros directly to the therapist.
The price excludes flights, transfers, massages and excursions. You can make your own way to the venue, or we can help with taxis and taxi shares if you share your travel plans with us as early as possible.
It is a condition of booking that you take out full travel insurance to cover cancellation, travel costs and other eventualities.
David will lead this retreat, run the workshops and guided meditations, and be on hand as a mentor to support you.
David is an experienced Buddhist contemplative and meditation guide who has studied and taught internationally for several years. He is the Co-Founder of Samadhi and a qualified mindfulness teacher, and an active member of the Association for Spiritual Integrity. His teaching style is clear and practical, and his warm and humorous approach makes him a popular mindfulness teacher.
Manu is our retreat co-ordinator and accredited yoga teacher. He will guide our morning and evening yoga sessions and the closing gong bath, and alongside our venue hosts will be around to assist you during your retreat and make sure you have a wonderful experience.
He is the Co-Founder of Samadhi and a Mental Health First Aider. Manu’s laid-back approach and kind heart has a warming and inspiring impact on our retreatants and he is much loved by all.
You will receive a copy of the final schedule during our orientation session on day one. The below is an example schedule.
Arrivals are from 3.30pm on the first day, and the retreat begins at 5.30pm with a welcome and introduction, followed by dinner at 7.00pm. Please check out of your room by 10.30am on the final day, with our official departure time of 12.00 noon. You will be provided with a finalised schedule on arrival.
Prices shown are per person. If you would like to share a room with a partner, friend or family member please mention this in the ‘Any other comments’ box and a twin or double room can be allocated to you. We never place strangers in a shared room.
The price excludes flights, transfers, massages and excursions. The course fee covers the costs of running the event, and any surplus supports our activities and fundraising for our own Retreat Centre.
Book now, pay laterBook with a £250 deposit, with the rest due two months before the retreat.
This retreat is all-inclusive, and includes everything listed here.
When booking with us you are accepting our retreats terms and conditions.
Santillan is about 36 km east of Málaga, up a valley above Macharaviaya. Flights and transfers are not included in the retreat price.
Santillan is about 36 km east of Málaga, which has an international airport. The drive from the airport takes around 35 minutes.
You can make your own way there, or we can help with taxis and taxi shares - please share your travel plans with us as early as possible so we can match you with others arriving at a similar time.
The drive from Málaga airport is straightforward. Leave the airport in the direction of Málaga. Follow signs that say ‘Almeria’ and ‘Motril’ on what will become the A7 motorway heading east toward Almeria and Motril. Do not go towards Granada, Cadiz or Seville.
Stay on the A711 and after about 20 minutes take EXIT 967 off the motorway, in the direction of Macharaviaya (Torre de Benalgabon). Please note that the motorway exit signs are not in strict numerical order.
Then turn left and follow the road underneath the motorway and up the hill towards Macharaviaya, following the signs painted on the rock.
If you are making your own way by car, get off the motorway at EXIT 967 in the direction of Macharaviaya and follow the road up the hill towards Macharaviaya. Here you will start to see ‘SANTILLAN’ signs painted on the rock in green and red letters against a white background. Be sure to take the right fork next to the school at the beginning of the mountain road, as signposted.
The painted signs will guide you along a serpentine road up the hill for 3 kilometres, with spectacular views north over the mountains and the nearby white villages, and southward to the Mediterranean. Just after 3 km on this mountain road you will see a big black-and-white sign with red letters at a sharp right-hand turn. Take this turn to the right and follow this second, narrower mountain road for about 1.2 km - Molino de Santillan is at the end of a right-hand turn off this road.
Arrivals are from 3.30pm on the first day. At check-in the venue will register your name and passport number, take a swipe of your credit card and give you two room entry cards. No charges are added to your card without your signed approval, except in the case of unreported damages discovered after departure.
Have another question? Please send us an email or a message us using the chat in the corner of the screen.
By booking you agree to our cancellation policy and the booking terms and conditions.
Please note that our cancellation and refund policy for overnight retreats abroad differs from that for retreats hosted in the UK.
For retreats abroad:
A non-refundable £250 deposit is required to secure your spot. The remaining balance is due two months before the retreat.
For cancellations up to and including November 30, 2026, we will refund any remaining balance paid, minus the £250 deposit.
It is a requirement that guests purchase appropriate travel insurance to cover their activities, their place on the retreat, travel, and any other unforeseen circumstances.
While we are deeply sympathetic to those who may have to cancel at short notice, unfortunately, we are still required to pay the venue in full for your place, no matter the circumstances. Our venues enforce their cancellation policies strictly, and therefore we're unable to be flexible on refunds in the case of cancellations. We also may be unable to fill your space at such short notice. This is why adequate travel insurance is essential.
Please read our health and safety information carefully.
While meditation, yoga and Buddhist psychology have been proven to be beneficial for mental health and wellbeing, our events are not presented as a treatment for serious mental health problems or addiction. Exploring the realm of the mind and emotions can be in itself an emotional experience and we always strive to create a safe, supportive environment for participants to embark on this exploration. However, for certain individuals experiencing psychological or emotional difficulties, this event may not be appropriate at this time. Read more.
Before booking, please read our full terms and conditions and contact us via [email protected] if you have any doubts.
Meditation and teachings each morning, yoga morning and evening, and free afternoons in the gardens, the pool or the hills. Accommodation and all meals included, with a £250 deposit to reserve.
Samadhi is an inclusive organisation and we welcome people of all ages, genders (including gender identity), sexual orientation, abilities, race (including colour, nationality and ethnic or national origin), religion or belief.
As an LGBTQ-led Buddhist organisation, we strongly believe that no one should be discriminated against for any reason at all and subscribe to the ideals of non-harm and loving-kindness. You’re welcome no matter who you are and you’re free to express yourself authentically.
