“The air of Portugal has a natural happiness in it.”
Escape With Us
Let’s go where shepherds roam, where heritage hangs from the loom, where nature weaves past and present and bears witness to all things miraculous. Here, we’ll gather by lagoons to journal and bathe in sound. We’ll spin poems out of wool and short stories from valley experiences. We’ll picnic in the mountains and observe stars shining over the Portuguese sky. Join like minds, diverse in experience, from every corner of the globe for lively discourse, fresh air, communal solitude, and cultural inspiration at Casa De São Lourenćo.
Discover Quietude
Here, we make space for peace. We take care of you so you can nourish your creativity. Here, you’ll indulge in meaningful reflection. We make room for ideation. Here, you can dive into a new project or find clarity on an old one. Our itinerary is thoughtfully designed and we highly respect our impact on the places we visit. So pack your bags, choose your room and flight, and meet us there.
Get Back to the Nature
We go outdoors in style. Our writing and wellness retreat is curated with nature in mind. For writers who take their cues from the wild. For visual storytellers who revere the beauty found in an untamed world. For screenwriters longing to pull away from their busy city lives. And for authors-to-be wanting to inhale fresh inspiration. All are welcome to meet us in the mountains of Portugal.
Itinerary*
day ONE
From Lisbon, take the scenic train ride along the river to the mountains of Serra da Estrella. Enjoy postcard views and the picturesque landscape en route to Casa De São Lourenço. At check-in, the hotel will introduce you to your room or suite. In the evening, we’ll meet you for a welcome dinner prepared in your honor.
day two
Come morning, we’ll drive to a neighboring lagoon for a sound bath meditation and journaling session. The afternoon invites us to tour the Burel Wool Factory where we’ll witness a heritage tradition of local textile making. We’ll bring the imagery and tactile experiences of wool production into an evening writing workshop at a glacial valley in the heart of the mountain range.
day three
The morning beckons a guided geological tour where we’ll picnic in the company of winding paths and peer the horizon for inspiration. We’ll convene under the valley shade for an afternoon short story writing workshop. Our evening workshop in verse permits time for us to draft poetry out of our peak experiences. When the sun sets, we’ll stargaze Portuguese style.
day four
Indulge in an Ayurvedic spa treatment to rest your creative body and mind. Choose from a diverse array of therapeutic massages or facials that incorporate mountain oils and ancestral herbs. We’ll set intentions for the return home with a closing sound bath and letters workshop against the river banks of a Covão do Ponte. We’ll break bread, one last time, at the finale dinner with a special reading by our co-host.
day five
Depart shortly after breakfast and head home or to your next destination.
*Itinerary may vary slightly.
Early Registration deadline: December 31, 2021.
Regular Registration deadline: April 30, 2022.
Late Registration deadline (pending availability): June 30, 2022.
Prices increase slightly with each new deadline.
Open to a maximum of 9 retreat participants.
Retreat begins September 30th and ends October 4th, 2022.
What’s Included?
Writing Workshops
Guided Sound Bath Meditations
Mountain Picnic + Star Gazing
Ground Transportation to/from Activities
Opening + Closing Dinners
Spa Voucher
Welcome Gift Inspired by the Locale
What’s Not Included
Flight to/from Lisbon
Ground Transportation to/from Hotel
Accommodations at Casa de São Lourenço Hotel
Meals (except opening + closing dinners + picnic)
Health & Travel Insurance
CostS
At the Story Rebels Writing + Wellness Retreat Portugal 2022, both professional and casual writers are welcome. Perfect for creative spirits of all kinds. We’ve hosted filmmakers, designers, memoirists, poets, illustrators, bloggers, art directors, and attorneys. Your investment is €1890 per person, early registration (appx. $2100 USD), or €1990 per person, regular registration (appx. $2200 USD),or €2090 per person, late registration (appx. $2300 USD). This cost includes all writing workshops, guided sound bath meditations, retreat activities, ground transportation to/from retreat activities, a spa voucher, opening + closing dinners, as well as a welcome gift. The option to cover this expense in 3 monthly installments is available at booking. Please be reminded that your flight, ground transportation to/from hotel, some meals, as well as hotel accommodations are not reflected in this price. Additional costs will vary and are dependent on your original location.
Early Registration deadline: December 31, 2021.
Regular Registration deadline: April 30, 2022.
Late Registration deadline (pending availability): June 30, 2022.
Prices increase slightly with each new deadline.
AccomModations
Casa De São Lourenço, a historic 5-star design hotel with panoramic views of the mountains, local villages, and glacial valleys. Set amidst the Unesco recognized Serra da Estrella geopark, in a region that boasts a diverse geological and cultural heritage. Perched above the granite boulders where residents have carved homes out of stone and maintained traditions centuries-old. Accommodations at Casa De São Lourenço are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Meet The Host
Each Story Rebels experience is designed by founder, Malika Ali Harding, an American writer, photographer, and certified sound therapist based in Amsterdam. At the heart of her services is a desire to guide the world’s creative class toward greater well-being. She traverses the globe making visual narratives inspired by her curiosity. Malika earned her BFA from Howard University in Washington, D.C. and an MFA in Screenwriting from the AFI Conservatory in Los Angeles. She has spent the greater part of her adult life crafting indie films, organizing art exhibitions, and raising babies. When you book a retreat, a portion of the proceeds are donated to a Prison Library Project that provides reading materials to people who are incarcerated across the United States.
Testimonials
“This was the highlight of my year - exploring the creative process with a poet, novelist, architect, set designer, and other filmmakers.”
“Traveling with Story Rebels allowed me to have the time and space to be creative. I could relax and focus on writing surrounded by others with a similar drive.”
“...a storybook experience..paths through bamboo, palm and cactus...creating our own meals over coals...every detail carefully thought out. These retreats are soul food.”
“The retreat felt like a dream and it was really fun being transported. I loved the writing exercises and special time for reflection. I’d rather spend money on experiences like this than just a bunch of wasteful stuff.”
“The best traveling experience I’ve ever had.”
“Culinary feasts, sweet treats, sacred patterns, chamber of dreams, couscous, pompons, rebelicious.”
Got Questions?
Feel free to email writeon at storyrebels dot org OR complete the form below.