4elements retreat - Rua António Franco Nº

Great hospitality, delicious vegetarian food, awesome waves, intense yoga, and a convincing spirit... If I could give more than 5 stars here, Ali & Pedro's relaxed and relaxing retreat would deserve it!

We had a wonderfull time here with Ali and Pedro. We stayed for week and wish we could have stayed longer. The home they have created is just great. From the cutest housemates (Freddy & Pippa) to a wonderfull garden with cozy hammocks and happy chicken. The delicious food is only outmached by Ali's and Pedro's great hospitality. Oh, and we also did some yoga. Their approach of teaching is very thought out and holistic, focusing not only on asanas but also the other pillars of yoga. We will come back for sure.

A-mazing! Ali and Pedro have set new standards for living :) The yoga and meditation retreat was wonderful, the accommodation great and super clean, food delicious (Ali should be competing in the Master Chef competition). They also offer trips and hikes, as well as a great wine tasting. When you're there, ask about the new therapy we suggested they have invented already, but don't want to patent :) : destressing through chicken cuddling.

No frills yoga and meditation in a beautiful space with beautiful people and breathtaking nature just around the corner. Ali and Pedro made me feel at home the second I walked into their house. The three meals per day are prepared with lots of love and veggies and fruits from the garden. Days start with a morning yoga-session- including breathing techniques and meditation. Don’t expect music, essential oils or other extras you might be used to from your yoga studio at home. Pedro and Ali are great teachers- and they stick to the essence of yoga. No frills. Go for a walk at the cliffs, take a surfing lesson- or just sit with the chickens and let their funny noises calm you down. It‘s one of the most peaceful places I‘ve ever been to.

I stayed for the Yoga and Surf retreat and had the best time there!! Ali and Pedro are really inspiring and lovely hosts with a big heart, who made me feel so welcome. The food, accommodation as well as the Yoga and meditation lessons were great! They took care of everything for us and even arranged appointments at the masseuse and the beauty salon. The surf school they collaborate with is also fantastic! I would totally recommend staying at the 4elements retreat and I will definitely come back.

One week of yoga and meditation with Ali and Pedro is a week for your body and soul. They really care about their guests and create the lessons and program depending on the different yoga levels and the wishes of the guests. The vegetarian food is delicious! As the retreat is located close to the sea, you can take a walk at the cliffs or directly at the beach. It was a great mixture of group activity and time for your own: having a chat over a coffee, sleep, think or reading a book. Whoever needs a time off, this is the right place :)

The week at Ali and Pedro's home was everything I could have wished for. It was perfectly organised and had the ideal mix of yoga, quiet time, beach time and great discussions. We were so lucky to have a week of perfect sun to relax and surf in. I wish I could have stayed longer, Mateo (baby) and Shanti (kitten) will have grown up so much by the next visit - I cannot wait to come back!

I booked to go on a retreat which was advertised as having "a flexible booking policy". I requested confirmation that the retreat was definitely going ahead via email before booking and received such confirmation from 4 elements. I then booked (which I presume filled an available space), paid the full amount up front, and was ready and willing to attend the retreat. As I was on the way to the airport to get my flight I received a message to say the retreat was cancelled do to local government rules being enforced. So 4 elements cancelled the retreat. I requested a refund of the money paid including the deposit but the deposit was retained by 4elements. 4elements advised me that a condition of booking was that the deposit is non-refundable less than 30 days before arrive. I made the point that this booking condition is designed to limit the possibility that customers who book in an advance but less than 30 days before arrival the customer decides not to come as clearly that could result in spaces not being filled. In that situation the booking condition is reasonable. It was not my decision not to go to the retreat, but it was 4elements cancellation of the retreat. Clearly you could not have a booking condition that allows providers to cancel retreats and customers lose their deposit through no fault of their own. But this is exactly what happened to me. I asked 4 elements to understand the situation from my perspective. I had lost costs for the flights which were non-refundable and my travel insurance company would not re-imburse for costs as travel to Portugal was still possible. The response I got from 4elements was that they could not re-imburse the deposit as they'd already made all the necessary investments. So I lost my deposit despite the fact that the retreat was cancelled by 4elements.