moment to sit on our boards and watch fish burrow into the deep
crevices of the rocks before a puff of wind disturbs the water,
reminding us to head back.
Finding calm
After laying my board on the soft sand I sit with legs swinging over
the concrete ledge separating the SUP school from the beach to eat
my pre-packed quinoa salad, before my driver takes me back to the
villa.
Walking up the steps to the house, I can see the other guests
dotted around the garden, sleeping in gently swinging hammocks or
curled up on a beanbag with a book.
The opportunity to rest is welcomed before the afternoon yoga
class, taken by veteran instructor Annett, who, like her mother
before her, follows the strict teachings of Iyengar yoga.
We roll out our mats on the terrace as the sun begins its slow
descent into the soft blue ocean, and spend the class working on the
seemingly simple poses of Tadasana and Adho Mukha Svanasana, or
downward-facing dog. As we push our tailbones to the sky and
stretch our paddle-weary shoulders, Annett stresses the importance
of always striving to perfect our technique. “Even after instructing for
20 years, there’s still more I can learn in these poses,” she says. “In
yoga, you never stop learning.”
Praia Castelejo – a beach at
the Algarve (westcoast)
Suite 2 – Guincho VillaFact file
WEBSITE: karmasurfretreat.com
WHERE: Malveira da Serra, 35 kilometres west of Lisbon, and in
Portugal’s southern Algarve region, 16 kilometres west of Lagos.
COST: Shared and single rooms are available in both locations with
prices ranging from 849 - 1049 euros per person depending on the
season.