Azores, 7-Day Retreat: Mindfulness & Creativity

Retreat Highlights

• DAY 1
• Arrival | Landing | Setting an intention
• You’ll arrive on the lush Island of Faial, where a short drive brings you to the peaceful PÁTIO-Ecolodge. Take your time setting in. Soak in the warmth of the saltwater pool, unwind in the sauna, or simply breathe in the fresh Atlantic air.
• In the evening, we’ll gather for a relaxed welcome dinner. It’s a chance to meet fellow retreat guests, connect, and receive a gentle introduction to the flow of the week ahead.
• DAY 2
• Grounding in nature: Slow down | Arrive in your own body
• After breakfast we will have a gentle walk to the coast. Here we’ll begin the day with a cleansing ritual by the ocean - using the rhythm of the waves to return fully to the present moment. It’s a beautiful invitation to arrive within yourself and open up to the experiences ahead.
• After lunch, enjoy free time to relax. In the late afternoon you’ll join a 90 minutes breath- coaching session. With mindful guidance, you’ll explore the power of your breath as a tool to restore balance. Find your strength and reconnect with your centre.
• In the evening, we’ll gather for a delicious dinner.
• DAY 3
• Communicating with nature: Deep listening through nature | Creative expression
• Before breakfast we will start the day with a gentle morning stretching and a short meditation.
• This morning, we immerse ourselves in the calming practice of Forest Bathing - inspired by the Japanese tradition of Shinrin- Yoku. On this mindful walk, we slow down and awaken all our senses, letting the forest guide us into a space of quiet presence and deep relaxation.
• After lunch, we shift from nature in nurturing creativity. You’ll craft your personal mood board, using a variety of natural and artistic materials. This is a powerful way to explore your deeper longings and give visual form to what’s emerging from within.
• You’ll have dinner at Pátio.
• DAY 4
• New Beginnings: Self-Awareness | Integration
• After breakfast, you’ll meet Angélique in the studio for a vocal empowerment session. Her unique coaching method helps you strengthen your voice, deepen your presence, and improve your ability to express yourself with clarity and confidence.
• After lunch, we journey to the Capelinhos volcano. In 1957/1958 a marine volcano erupted off the coast of Faial. We take a look at this mystical and raw landscape. We’ll visit the impressive Interpretation Center.
• After dinner, another great day will finish by sitting together at the fire, listening to our inspirational stories.
• DAY 5
• Creativity & Intuition
• This morning begins with a scenic drive to the top of the island, where we arrive at the breathtaking Caldeira of Faial. Here we’ll begin our meditative walk along the crater rim. Surrounded by panoramic views, we’ll enjoy a peaceful picnic in the wild.
• After a short rest back at the Ecolodge, the afternoon invites you into creative exploration. Try or reconnect with something you love - be it painting, dancing, singing, crafts, or even improv-theatre. No pressure, just playful expression and joyful curiosity.
• Before dinner, we gather for a relaxed apéritif at the bar.
• DAY 6
• History: Find new paths.
• Let’s start the day with ecstatic dance. This is a free-form, intuitive movement practice where you are invited to express yourself through dance with without judgment, cheogrfy, or spoken words.
• After breakfast, your guide takes you on a relaxed tour of Horta, the islands colorful harbor town. We’ll explore its charming streets before heading to the historic heart of Horta. The Marina buzzes with people from all over the world - a place where new adventures begin and fond farewells are made. You’ll hear fascinating stories about whalers, Pico wine, and undersea cable companies.
• We will have lunch in town.
• After lunch you’ll have some free time, to explore, shop for , or simply soak in the atmosphere. Later in the afternoon, we’ll gather at the iconic sailing pub, Peter café sport, known around the world.
• In the evening we’ll come together one last time for a farewell Dinner at Pátio, where we’ll share highlight and memories from the week.
• DAY 7
• Departure: The inner journey reaches its destination.
• After this seven-days retreat, you‘ll return home feeling renewed, re-energized, and refreshed in spirit.If you’d like, you can also choose to extend your stay for a few more days - either to explore the nearby island of Pico or to continue relaxing with us.

About this Retreat

Your Guides

Angélique

Angélique Verdel

Your Hoast and Coach will be Angélique Verdel. English | Dutch | German | Portuguese spoken The motto of Angélique is: „Everyone has all the knowledge within them, I just help people to remember it again.” Angelique has been working with people for over 30 years as a therapist, teacher, and creative guide. With a background in psychotherapy (licensed as a Holistic Practitioner), bioenergetic therapy, and creative body-based work, she bridges both worlds: conventional therapeutic knowledge and intuitive, holistic, and spiritual approaches. Alongside her therapeutic work, Angelique is a trained actress and singer. Through decades of working with breath, voice, emotion, movement, and the psyche, she has supported people in understanding and gently releasing inner blocks — not by force, but through awareness, expression, and embodied experience. As a drama and singing teacher, Angelique observed how deeply creativity can reveal where energy is blocked and where true potential lies. This led her to deepen her therapeutic training, integrating approaches that address both the analytical and intuitive sides of the human being — mind and body, structure and intuition, left and right brain. Her passion lies in accompanying people back to their unique gifts, talents, and life direction. Angelique believes that every person is fundamentally unique, and that the world becomes richer, more colorful, and more connected when individuals live and express their true nature. This retreat is the place where all her paths come together. Held on a powerful volcanic island in the Atlantic Ocean — surrounded by nature, sea, and silence — Angelique has created a space where creativity, mindfulness, therapy, and nature merge into one holistic experience. Here, she brings together everything she loves: creativity, movement, voice, stillness, nature, and deep human connection — supporting participants in reconnecting with themselves in an authentic and grounded way. Angelique was born in the Netherlands, lived and worked in Germany and Portugal for many years, and now offers her retreats in English, German, and Dutch.

Details of this retreat