Al lado del mar {By the Sea} Retreat

Join hosts Maria and Alexandra for a three day retreat in Valencia and Sagunto, Spain from midday on Thursday, July 18 until midday on Sunday, July 21, 2024.

With the backdrop of historic and beautiful Valencia, and also the seaside village of Sagunto, the retreat will allow you to make space to reflect, pause and connect.

Activiites will include:

• A facilitated journey of self exploration, including defining one's vision, values, purpose and passions
• An array of wellness practices including daily yoga, mindfulness and meditation
• A guided tour of historic and beautiful Valencia
• A morning of hiking in and around the orange groves in the seaside town of Sagunto
• A paella cooking class with a local professional chef
• An assortment of nature walks
• All meals, including an abundance of local nutritious cuisine, paired with outstanding Spanish wines
• A gift bag stuffed full with local treats, unique to each retreat
• Transport from the meeting point in Valencia on day one and back to central Valencia

Accommodation is NOT included, however we will share with you a range of excellent accommodations in both Valencia and Sagunto. We are also working to secure special rates.

Your Hosts:

Maria and Alexandra have been great friends since they first met while working the same part-time job while studying for their respective undergraduate degrees at the University of Calgary in the ealry 1990s. Both Maria and Alexandra were born in the UK and emigrated to Canada when they were about six, subsequently growing up in Calgary. These foundations made for a solid friendship that has endured over the course of decades and numerous continents!

Today Maria and Alexandra find themselves both drawn to the leadership and wellness space and have decided to team up to offer exceptional and unique destination retreats, primarily in eastern Spain, where Maria currently calls home -- and where Alex loves to visit!

Read on to learn about more about both hosts:

Maria Robertson is a Princeton-educated professor, author, global citizen and mother, who brings a unique and intriguing perspective to the world of retreats.

Maria was born in England to a Valencian mother and an English father. Raised in Calgary, Canada, Maria has traveled extensively and enjoys discovering new places and people.

Maria has dedicated her professional life to teaching Spanish literature at various universities in Canada and the US. She has taught at the University of Western Ontario, Princeton University, George Washington University, the University of Chicago and Loyola University Chicago. She has published a book and several papers, but her main focus during her tenure as a professor was teaching. She has taught a diverse range of courses from Golden Age Theatre to honours courses.

Today, Maria brings her passion for teaching, leading and facilitation to the world of retreats, aimed at helping people grow and shine.

Maria holds two bachelor degrees from the University of Calgary in English Literature and Spanish Literature; a masters from the University of Western Ontario in Spanish Golden Age Literature; a masters in Spanish Golden Age Literature (with a speciality in Góngora) from Princeton University; and a Phd from Princeton University with a speciality in Golden Age Literature. She published her thesis as a book: The Architecture of the Margins.

After losing her husband in 2018, Maria changed course, and in 2020 made the bold decision to leave her job at Loyola University Chicago, sell everything and move to Valencia, Spain, her home-away-from-home. Today she dedicates her time to wellness and mental health.

Presently, Maria lives between Valencia and Almardá, Spain with her son Lucas and their dog Peanut, an energetic Chocolate Labrador.

Maria is currently working on her second book when she is not taking long walks in the orange groves close to her house in Almardá or along the river Turia in Valencia, with her favourite walking companions.

Alexandra Wright is a strategist, communicator, facilitator, a certified executive and leadership coach, and certified yoga instructor, who has worked globally for some of the world's largest organizations, and equally, an array of boutique organizations.

Today, Alexandra draws upon this global corporate experience — along with an understanding of organizations and people — to deliver boutique leadership and wellness trainings and retreats.

Alexandra holds a Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics, a Diploma in Public Relations and a Graduate Certificate in Executive Coaching (CEC, ACC). Alex is also a Certified Yoga Instructor (YTT260), a Certified Resiliency Coach and a Certified Tetramap® Facilitator. In the autumn of 2023, Alexandra embarked on a Masters of Arts in Leadership.

Alexandra loves to travel, hike, ski and play tennis. She is a mom, a news junkie and a lover of architecture and design.