Yoga, Hike and SUP in Portugal

Vera and Cam couldn't have been more welcoming. We were a group of 9 ladies celebrating a 50th so were grateful that the retreat served wine and cocktails as we were a thirsty bunch. The standout for me was the quality of the food. The breakfast special changed daily and though the options were healthy they were delicious. The lunches and dinners were so tasty and we never went hungry. The walks with local guide Fin were interesting learning about the local flora and fauna and I'm missing the daily yoga sessions with Joanna immersed in the forest - the walk to the studio definitely acts as a warm-up. The fact that the transfers were organised for us from the airport and daily trips only added to the relaxed nature of our stay.

This retreat was overall a beautiful experience. To be away from the hustle and bustle of the cities in a fabulous countryside retreat that is Quinta Camarena was bliss. The yoga in the mornings overlooking the beautiful trees and grounds of the Quinta, the energising hikes (great after doing some refreshing yoga), and the food. I am not vegetarian and I did miss my meat but I really enjoyed the food and presentation of the food. The only thing I would say about the food is there wasn't enough particularly at lunch time or snacks after the hikes. Also just note that the one glass of wine at dinner is not included although it was mistakenly said to us in text form that it was (this was for a separate group package). I do think it wasn't very professional of the hosts to have said this to us especially in a text. It should have been stated right from the start of the holiday. Another point I'd like to make is the rustic rooms on ground level. Myself and some others stayed in these rooms and for my part although they were tastefully decorated, they did have some issues with dampness. Others in the group have also stated this. Some of the group stayed in the newly built modern rooms up in a little hill of the grounds and these were well decorated and very modern and class. So you could get lucky. I did really enjoy this holiday and especially the yoga and hikes and the guides for both activities. They were very attentive and accommodating. I just think certain parts of the stay could have been dealt better professionally.

This was set in such beautiful countryside. So peaceful and the coastal walk was gorgeous. yoga every morning was wonderful. The retreat itself had some new and old accommodation. Unfortunately if you get the old accomation then it is tired and damp and shabby. The new accommodation is amazing. But it is all the same price so it's a gamble. Food was great but not enough of it. Hosts didn't really seem to engage with guest and didn't even say goodbye when we left.

Overall I was very pleased with my experience. Our accommodations were really nice (even though it was a hike up the hill to get to it) and I loved both Sofia the yoga instructor and Finn the hiking guide. I have to say that the activities were a little more exhausting than expected. I would not consider the hikes to be "walks" as they were long and it was hot. Especially the one along the ocean. I also felt a little rushed as times. Would have been nice to have a little more time in between the activities as this is supposed to be vacation and stress-free. The food and grounds of Quinta Camarena were lovely. There were a few things however that left the experience a little disappointing. We were told (in writing) that one alcoholic drink was included with our nightly dinner only to find out that this had been a mistake on the hosts part and instead of honoring it they literally responded to us in the middle of dinner that it was a mistake and we would need to pay if we wanted a drink. This was very poor business in my opinion. We also had a "wine" tasting that only included 3 wines and a little cheese. There were several in our group that didn't drink and so they basically got 3 pieces of cheese. I also found Vera to be quite rude on a few occasions when people in our group asked for different accommodations to their meals. The hosts also didn't come out to see us off on our last day which I found to be rude for what is supposed to be kind of a personalized tour at their property. They seemed to not like our group in general.

The area of Portugal that this is based is stunning. The coastline walk was a highlight as was the yoga every morning. The yoga teacher was fabulous as was Fin the lady who took us on the hikes. I think it would have been lovely to have had a relaxing sunset yoga class one of the days as well. The retreat could have been amazing but there was a MASSIVE difference in the quality of the rooms depending on the luck for the draw. The new rooms build last year were amazing but the old rooms were very very damp,.small and extremely tired and run down. The first night we got there the blankets were damp. The shower was mouldy. No room between beds when sharing and generally very run down. It's seems crazy they can charge the same prices for both these rooms..such a shame. The food was gorgeous but just not enough of it. Breakfast seems to be fine but lunch and dinner was not enough. There also should have been a snack after we got back from the hikes etc. We had an email saying we got a glass of wine a night but they told us it was sent in error halfway through the retreat so it only included tap water. The drink we could have seemed pretty expensive. It seemed to be run on a very tight budget and everything was in such small portions.

So many great things about this holiday , the food , yoga , hiking , and SUP were all amazing there was just a disappointing disparity between the accommodation of fellow travellers, who were all paying the same price , our room was tiny no storage , very damp and mouldy , it took what could have been an incredible trip to one that left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth ,

Brilliant stay at Quinta Camarena in mid-September. Booked quite late, but the whole process was very straightforward, with really good communication from start to finish. The activities were as described - maybe ‘walks’ more than hikes, but lots of fascinating info from our guide Fin on the local area, history and nature. The yoga studio was a wonderful space in which to start the day, and the pool area was perfect for relaxing. The food was delicious, not least the breakfasts with freshly baked bread and cakes and local cheese. The accommodation was basic but comfortable and well-equipped, and Vera and Cam were the perfect hosts.

Meine 1. Reise mit MBA. Die Yoga Location ist inmitten Pinien- und Eucalyptuswald. Ruhige Anlage, wo man gut herunterfahren kann. Immer ein halber Tag nichts tun und 1/2 Tag Aktivität. Die Aktivitäten sind abwechslungsreich. Beim Spaziergang ins innere des Landes lernten wir von Fin viel über die Risiken des Waldbrands, Pflanzen wie Korkbäume etc. Der SUP Ausflug auf die Flussmündung ins Meer war etwas, das ich noch nicht kannte. Yoga am morgen ab 8 h war human und Sophia war eine angenehme Yogainstruktorin, Die vegetarische Küche war sehr kreativ, frisch, spannend und fantastisch - alle Produkte aus der Region oder dem eigenen Garten. Die Besitzer Vera und Cam sind sehr engagiert und herzlich. Am letzten Abend gab‘s portugiesische Küche in einem Lokal. Sie kamen mit und das schätzte ich sehr, sie näher kennenzulernen. Die 2 Häuser beim Pool sind im portugiesischen Stil, etwas älter und einfache Unterkünfte. Zum Teil teilt man sich ein Zimmer und das Bad. AC und Wifi waren vorhanden. Für mehr Komfort empfehle ich im neuen Gebäude ein Zimmer zu nehmen.

The holiday was a good mix of activity and relaxation. The villa and grounds are beautiful, it was the perfect place to relax with a book or take a walk. Starting the day with yoga was good. The guided walks were informative and an easy pace and Veera and Cam are attentive hosts who clearly care a lot about Portugal and supporting the local community.

Can thoroughly recommend the MBA trip to Quinta Camarena for the yoga, hiking and SUP. The whole experience ran very smoothly from booking to airport collection and transfer, to the accommodation and activities. I had a fabulous time and will definitely book again. The accommodation was of a high quality in a beautiful and peaceful setting; the food was delicious. A good balance of activities and free time.