Picture this
Imagine yourself waking up at a farmstead in a verdant valley, close enough to explore neighbouring towns and nearby beaches, yet far enough to let you unwind. A place where the sun rises early over wine groves, and dips behind a beautiful sloped hill late in the evening, leaving a burnt orange and purple sky in its wake. During this week we’ll enjoy the simple Portuguese life to the fullest. Immersing ourselves in a culinary experience. Think of beautiful shared lunches, traditional Portuguese cooking class, pizza night at our outdoor pizza oven or a romantic Fado music night under our olive trees. This week is for women who want to reconnect with their creativity through food and nature’s elements.
Picture this
Imagine yourself waking up at a farmstead in a verdant valley, close enough to explore neighbouring towns and nearby beaches, yet far enough to let you unwind. A place where the sun rises early over wine groves, and dips behind a beautiful sloped hill late in the evening, leaving a burnt orange and purple sky in its wake. During this week we’ll enjoy the simple Portuguese life to the fullest. Immersing ourselves in a culinary experience. Think of beautiful shared lunches, traditional Portuguese cooking class, pizza night at our outdoor pizza oven or a romantic Fado music night under our olive trees. This week is for women who want to reconnect with their creativity through food and nature’s elements.
Imagine yourself waking up at a farmstead in a verdant valley, close enough to explore neighbouring towns and nearby beaches, yet far enough to let you unwind.
A place where the sun rises early over wine groves, and dips behind a beautiful sloped hill late in the evening, leaving a burnt orange and purple sky in its wake.
During this week we’ll enjoy the simple Portuguese life
to the fullest. Immersing ourselves in a culinary experience. Think of beautiful shared lunches, traditional Portuguese cooking class, pizza night at our outdoor pizza oven or a romantic Fado music night under our olive trees. This week is for women who want to reconnect with their creativity through food and nature’s elements.
During this retreat, Maya, the founder and chef of Maristi Creative, will take you through a calm culinary experience.
Together, we’ll showcase fresh flavours during all meals. We will enjoy nourishing meals together with a Farm to Table approach, where we use as much as possible our own grown vegetables from the garden. This retreat is for the creative food enthusiast. Someone who wants to immerse herself into learning new dishes while having the time to tap into their own creativity.
Each day will have creative free time for you to rediscover your craft. With guidance from Alyssa, painter and photographer, we’ll cultivate a space for your creativity to thrive. On the last morning, we’ll all create a beautiful group exhibit on the farm, group, showcasing our inspirations and collaborations.
Food & Creativity
Stay
Stay at our rustic farmhouse in a small valley called Montinho do Gois. Wake-up with the sound of the birds overlooking the vegetable garden while a nourishing breakfast spread can be enjoyed together.
This is an intimate retreat where we offer six self sufficient studios with each their own bedroom, bathroom and kitchen. The two farmhouses accommodate up to 12 women. 5 rooms will be shared and offer shared beds. 1 room can be shared with a close friend or functions as a private room, this bed is not separable.
Stay at our rustic farmhouse in a small valley called Montinho do Gois. Wake-up with the sound of the birds overlooking the vegetable garden while a nourishing breakfast spread can be enjoyed together.
This is an intimate retreat where we offer six self sufficient studios with each their own bedroom, bathroom and kitchen. The two farmhouses accommodate up to 12 women.
5 rooms will be shared and offer shared beds. 1 room can be shared with a close friend or functions as a private room, this bed is not separable.
During the retreat you can expect yoga lessons, cooking workshops led by Maya, refreshing dips into the ocean, time to tap back into your own creativity and long conversations during our garden dinners.
Daily schedule example
-
Morning yoga flow
-
Breakfast spread with fresh local ingredients
-
Creative time; explore, rest or create
-
Lunch workshop; prepare salt-bake fish
-
Afternoon swim by the ocean
-
Sunset garden dinner by Maya
A day at the retreat
Meet the host
Esmee Brandwijk
Co-founder of Helder Farm Studios
Meet our 25-year-old art/fashion photographer, a Dutch Photo Academy Amsterdam graduate. With experience in producing photo and video projects, she brings a keen sense of content creation to Helder Farm Studios.
Specializing in human and natural forms, she’s developed an unique artistic style within photography and pottery. She’ll play a crucial role in organizing events on the property and contributing fresh ideas to enhance our farmstead experience.
Besides that, she is taking care of the landscaping, can often be found in the vegetable garden and greenhouse or preparing nourishing meals in the kitchen.
Meet Maristi Creative
Maya Aristimuño & Alyssa Hannah
Maristi Creative
Meet our chef and artist duo for the week, 23-year-old creatives from NYC. Maya often hosts pop up dining experiences for creatives & food lovers in places like Barcelona, Paris, New York, Milan, and Mallorca with her creative studio Maristi Creative.
Maya’s cooking style is inspired by seasonal ingredients and her multicultural family, nourishing Ayurvedic practices and the simplicity of Argentine/Italian cuisine.
After living in Italy for about 2 years and recently moving to Barcelona, her love for fresh Mediterranean cuisine has inspired the menu and cooking workshops of the retreat.
Alyssa is a painter and photographer living in Brooklyn, NY. Her art aims to capture the natural beauty of quotidian life. Her work captures the intimacy in casual moments and is inspired by her passion for bringing people together through artistic expression.
Together, Alyssa & Maya have collaborated in Mallorca, NYC, and Florence on creative experiences centered for women.
-
Check in is on sunday at 3PM
-
Check out is on saturday at 11AM
-
Upon your booking you will receive a guest intake form with a more detailed information letter
-
It’s an international retreat, communication will be in English
Good to know
During the retreat you can expect yoga lessons, cooking workshops led by Maya, refreshing dips into the ocean, time to tap back into your own creativity and long conversations during our garden dinners.
Daily schedule example
-
Morning yoga flow
-
Breakfast spread with fresh local ingredients
-
Creative time; explore, rest or create
-
Lunch workshop; prepare salt-bake fish
-
Afternoon swim by the ocean
-
Sunset garden dinner by Maya
-
6x night stay at Helder Farm Studios
-
6x nourishing breakfasts
-
5x flavorful lunches ( 1x lunch off site on own costs)
-
6x garden dinners
-
1x traditional Portuguese cooking workshop with a local chef
-
3x cooking workshops by Maya
-
2x yoga sessions on the farm
-
1x excursion to a small coastal town + seafood market
-
Daily creative time to rediscover your craft in nature
-
Activities like ocean dips, hikes and a candlelit fado night
-
-
Flight to/from Portugal
-
Transport from airport to Helder Farm Studios (provided for additional fee)
-
Travel/medical insurance
-
-
Shared room
This room is a spacious studio with bedroom, private bathroom and kitchen. Will be shared with another participant. This bed can be separated.
-
Private or shared friend room
This room is a spacious studio with bedroom, private bathroom and outdoor kitchen. This room is for the one who wants more privacy or comes together with a close friend. This bed is a fixed bed and can’t be separated.
-
FAQs
Helder Farm Studios is located in the South of Portugal. The closest airport is Faro, 1 hour and 25 minutes.
Lisbon airport is also an option, 2 hours and 30 minute drive.
Both Faro and Lisbon offer a train to Santa Clara Saboia, 20 minutes from the property, pick-up by us for a small additional fee.
Yes you can come with a friend, but traveling alone is also an option. This retreat is about connection and making new friends along the week.
If you come together with a friend, please let us know, so we can give you the same room.
Yes, we will take allergies and dietary into account.
There is a non-refundable deposit of 30% to pay when booking. The remaining amount is due 6 weeks before the retreat.
You can choose to pay the full amount straight away.
There is a non-refundable deposit of 30% to pay when booking. You can cancel your stay up to 6 weeks before the start of the retreat,
after this no refund will be given.
If you do want to cancel, please get in touch immediately and we will do our best to help.
Please make sure you have travel insurance in case any unforeseen circumstances occur that might affect your travel plans.
Terms & Conditions
Every booking means a lot to us, so please read our terms and conditions before booking.
By making a reservation, you acknowledge and agree to the following terms:
A non-refundable deposit of 800 euro is required to secure your place.
The remaining balance must be paid in full 6 weeks before the start date of the retreat. Failure to do so may result in losing your reservation.The deposit is non-refundable under any circumstances.
If you cancel more than 6 weeks before the retreat, you will receive a refund minus the deposit.
If you cancel within 6 weeks of the retreat start date, no refund will be given.
If the retreat is canceled by the organizers, you will receive a full refund, including the deposit.Participants are responsible for arranging their own travel to and from the retreat location.
We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance to cover unforeseen circumstances such as illness, flight cancellations, or emergencies.
The retreat organizers are not responsible for any travel disruptions or delays.Please inform us in advance of any food allergies, dietary restrictions, or medical conditions that may affect your participation.
While we strive to accommodate dietary needs, we cannot guarantee a completely allergen-free environment.Participants acknowledge that they take part in the retreat at their own risk.
The retreat organizers are not liable for any personal injury, illness, loss, or damage of personal belongings.
Guests are responsible for respecting the property, staff, and other participants. Any damage caused must be covered by the guest.The retreat schedule is subject to change due to weather conditions, availability of local ingredients, or unforeseen circumstances.
We reserve the right to modify the itinerary to ensure the best possible experience for our guests.We foster a respectful and inclusive environment. Any disruptive behavior may result in removal from the retreat without refund.
Guests are expected to respect local customs, staff, and fellow participants.
By booking your place, you confirm that you have read and agreed to these terms and conditions.For any questions, please contact us at. We look forward to welcome you!
Every booking means a lot to us, so please read our terms and conditions before booking. By making a reservation, you acknowledge and agree to the following terms:
