Join us for our Silent Spring Retreat by the beautiful river Alva in Portugal, from 3rd to 9th of May 2026
To enter into spring, we invite you to one week of silent practice. By this, we do not only refer to sitting on your cushion, which proves to be quite a challenge for a lot of us.
During this week, we will do silent movement meditations, walks, and other ritual practices.
“I was fortunate to take part in this beautiful retreat when I first arrived in Portugal in early spring. The sense of companionship, openness, and trust that unfolded in this space was truly magical. I found myself both deeply alone, able to sink fully into my own practice, and yet profoundly connected to a greater whole.
A very special place, held in the heart of nature. I would go again in a heartbeat.”
James, Spring Silent Retreat 2025
The location
The location is overlooking the River with its own river beaches
You will be guided through the day, work with clear scores for your meditations, and we allow for enough variation for your body to feel welcomed into the work, and for nature to support your practice.
“The silent retreat I participated with Robin was a life changing experience. It was exactly what I needed. I left the retreat with tools and motivation to re-establish and deepen my meditation practice.
The space itself was super cozy, the surroundings were green and beautiful and generally the environment felt healing in many ways.
I felt safe and held when needed.
I highly recommend”
Debbie, Autumn Silent Retreat 2025
Practicals
Arrival: on Sunday, the 3rd of May, by 5 pm
End of the week: Saturday, the 9th of May, after lunch
Price/retreat: 242 euros.
Accommodation:
+ 22 euros per night in shared space
+ 10 euros per night sleeping in a tent or camper van
+ If you want a private room there is a B&B in the village (15 min walk). Contact us for preferrential rates.
Food: We prepare vegan food, and share the costs (100 euros per person)
Non-residential: 50 euros per day, + 16 euros for food daily.
If you are non-residential, we kindly request that you attend each day for the entire duration, arriving at least 15 minutes before the first meditation. To make it possible to work comfortably together in silence, we also ask you to come on the first day (Monday) at 6 pm for the general introduction to the week.
Living and working together in silence brings the practice much closer to home. You are no longer the consumer of an offering, but you take part in creating it. You work on intimacy with people you share a space with for a whole week. This allows the work to gain in strength, as does the natural setting, and the privacy.
If you want to come, make sure to reserve a spot in time (maximum 8 people)…. If you’re coming from afar, we try to all arrive in Coimbra around the same time to make transport easier to organise.
For any questions and to reserve send an email to: silentretreatsportugal@gmail.com
Sample of a Day of Practice
7.00: First meditation and mantra
8.00: Breakfast
9.30: Movement, walking, sitting Meditation.
11.00: Break
11:15: Silent ritual practice
12.00: Lunch (preparation)
14.00: Free movement, then sitting meditation
15.15: Break
15.30: Outside individual ritual meditation. (Optional)
16:45: Sitting meditation
17.30: Silent walk/ somatic therapy/ teacher guidance
18.30: Light dinner
20.00: Evening ceremony/last sitting.
This Silent Retreat provides a silent space for people to deepen their meditation practice, whatever tradition they come from. This environment provides a temporary community which allows for integrating a spiritual practice into daily life.
During this retreat, if need be, participants can also receive individual guidance on meditation practice from Robin Amanda, informed by her clinical training in Mindfulness & 20 years of contemplative practice.
The Facilitators
Robin Amanda
Robin Amanda is a mindfulness practitioner and teacher with deep roots in both personal contemplative experience and formal clinical training.
She completed a Master of Science (MSc) in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapies and Approaches at the University of Exeter, where the programme encompasses teaching mindfulness as informed by neuroscience, cognitive behavioural frameworks, and Buddhist Psychology, as well as providing an extensive experiential training in teaching mindfulness-based interventions, including Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and other related approaches.
In addition to her academic training, Robin Amanda brings over 20 years of personal mindfulness practice, including 10 years under the teacher Thich Nhat Hanh in the Plum Village tradition.
Alice
Alice Van der Wielen-Honinckx is a certified somatic practitioner, artist, and researcher whose work is rooted in bodily perception and the cultivation of non-dual presence.
Alongside a sustained meditation practice of over ten years, she is trained in Fascia and Somato-Psychopedagogy (Danis Bois Method), an approach that works with the movement of connective tissue to enhance the body’s capacity for self-regulation.
During the retreat, she offers individual sessions to allow the body to become an ally in stillness rather than an obstacle.
This work is offered to those seeking a quiet, structured, and well-supported environment in which to explore their meditation practice in depth.