Week Long Writer’s Retreat in Lousa, Portugal
For writers of all levels and experience, join the Writer’s Retreat at Vale d’Agua Viva, Lousa, Portugal
August 22, 2025 - August 28, 2025
Nestled in between two bodies of water, Vale d’Agua Viva provides the perfect oasis to tap into your potent creative energy. This week long writer’s retreat is designed to allow you the space to write and create away from your everyday distractions, while simultaneously supporting you through nutritious foods and curated body-mind centered workshops.
At this retreat, there is ample time to give over to your project, and connect with your own uninterrupted flow. When your body and mind desire a break you may find yourself wandering the lush grounds, picking fruit from the orchard, reading under the shade of a tree, meandering through the Zen garden, or traversing the local forest paths. There are kayaks available to use on the river that borders this property. If you like swimming or just having a dip to cool off, each of the three houses has its own swimming pool, in addition to the very swimmable river which leads to a small waterfall only minutes from the group space. In the greater area of Lousa there are amazing hikes and trails to explore the ruins of a local castle). The city Coimbra, 4o minutes away, is known for its university that inspired Hogwarts.
About Vale d’ Agua Viva
Come join the realization in progress of a visionary, small retreat sanctuary where people plants, animals and spirits live in harmony to mutual benefit. Here we are in the process of building community and hosting workshops for personal growth.
Vale d’ Agua Viva is situated in a magical spit of Valley land nested between a river and a canal. Its name, which translates to ‘valley of living water’, honors the power and essence of the water that surrounds and flows through the property. This property is undergoing a major healing and transformation resonant with all who come here to play, experience, and express their unique gifts.
What is included
Private room in one of the two villas
Private and shared writing spaces both indoors and outside
Semi-private pool
Access to the river and river toys (kayaks and paddle boards)
Catered buffet lunch and dinner and self-serve breakfast (all food and beverages are included. While we will not serve alcohol you are welcome to purchase yourselves)
One dream workshop
One cacao ceremony
Two 1.5 hour prompted free write sessions to explore the sparks of creativity and practice sharing in a noncritical environment
Other writers for you to engage with if you so chose, and time to share or ask for help and guidance from your peers
Cowriting sessions filled with parallel play
Note: This retreat will not include traditional writing workshops as this is meant to be a space to allow for you to deeply work on your own projects in communion with yourself. The curated experiences we are offering are meant to provide you with different access points to your own creativity, imagination, and internal world.
We do not provide a car but there are taxis around the local town and a direct shuttle from the airport to the center. However, if you are wanting to a lot of external explorations, before or after the retreat, we do recommend a car.
There will be no assessment of your writing to participate; all levels of writing are welcome.
We would like to speak to each applicant individually; please schedule a call using the “Apply Here” button.
This is for you if…
You need time and space away from your every day life to commit to your creative projects
You want time to reconnect with the spark of your creative genius
You’re curious about new ways to engage with your creativity
You are interested in exploring emotional and somatic ways of connecting with your writing
You want to be surrounded by beauty and nature and other like-minded writer souls
Writing is a form of expression as well as a means of communication
You are a professional writer or just starting out on your writing journey
You work well with unstructured time and space
This may not be for you if…
You are looking for a retreat chalk full of workshops and guidance
You want a highly structured day
Your main goal is to network with other writers
You aren’t interested in writing
You just want a vacation
Logistics
Arrival: Friday August 22, 2025; Departure: Thursday, August 28, 2025
Price: 2767.50 euros (includes mandatory VAT 517.50)
We can provide resources and advice about the local areas and getting to the retreat from either Lisbon or Porto airports.
About your hosts and facilitators
Kamyn Asher is a creative writer and curious mystic, who moved to Amsterdam two years ago with nothing but an intuitive hunch that it would be home. Currently working on her first novel, she’s felt the calling to provide spaces for writers to connect with themselves and others away from the demands of functioning life. She currently supports her art by working in many different fields (editing, photography, and wine), and she also supports people on their personal journeys through cacao ceremonies and archetypal astrology readings.
Carole Burstein, PhD sees life as a continuous living dialogue that lies at the core of the creative process.
She has developed ‘Living Inquiry', a Jungian-based evolutionary approach to knowing who we are and what we are doing on the planet at this time (see livinginquirymaui.com).
After 52 years in clinical practice, she now loves facilitating self discovery by assisting individuals to express their souls essence through creativity.
Contact us.
kamyn@alchemicalstorytelling.com
+310681922338