Return to Spirit: A 5-Day Soulful Retreat in the Heart of Portugal
18th - 23rd October 2026 | Cabeceiras de Basto, Portugal
This isn’t a retreat in the traditional sense. It’s a return—to self, to connection, to spirit.
In the tranquil, rolling hills of northern Portugal, we invite you to step away from the noise of the world and come home to yourself. Join us for a soul-deep, earth-honouring journey, lovingly held by two intuitive facilitators, Liz and Andrew, in a sanctuary designed for profound healing and deep rest.
Your Journey of Return
Over five immersive days, we will gently guide you through powerful practices designed to awaken your inner wisdom and connect you to the unseen world of spirit.
Daily Rituals of Grounding & Awakening Begin each day with compassionate embodiment and mindful meditation. These intuitive, spirit-led practices will ground your energy and awaken your senses to the beauty within and around you.
Connect with Spirit: Mediumship & Soul Guidance In the sacred and safe space of our mediumship circles, we will open ourselves with reverence and love. Here, you can receive the insight, clarity, and healing that flows from the unseen world.
Personalised 1:1 Healing Session To honour your unique path, each guest will receive a complementary one-on-one session. This is a dedicated time for you to receive intuitive support and energy healing tailored specifically to your needs.
Awaken Your Inner Wisdom Through powerful shamanic practices and sacred ceremony, we will guide you to connect with your own deep knowing, illuminating and transforming the patterns and behaviours that no longer serve you.
Your Sanctuary: The D’Alijo Retreat Center
Your home for this journey is the stunning D’Alijo Retreat Center, a secluded sanctuary nestled in the village of Cabeceiras de Basto. The center sprawls across five hectares of private land, offering a healing landscape of ancient olive groves, mountain terraces, and the soothing sound of waterfalls. A beautiful pool and quiet, contemplative water features provide the perfect space for rest and reflection.
Located in the province of Minho—well known for its Vinho Verde vineyards and beautiful national parks—the center is both a world away and easily accessible. The UNESCO World Heritage cities of Porto, Braga, and Guimaraes are all nearby, and the international airport in Porto is just a one-hour drive away.
Meet Your Guides
This retreat is lovingly held by two experienced and compassionate facilitators:
Liz: With a background in health psychology, Liz is an energy healer and a heart-led spiritual coach who guides with profound warmth and deep, intuitive care.
Andrew: As a medium, intuitive coach, and energy healer, Andrew holds a powerful, compassionate space, facilitating wisdom from the unseen world to support your healing and transformation.
Testimonials -
" A Sanctuary for the Soul is more than just a wellness space - it’s a transformative experience that nurtures both mind and body. I recently attended the Inner Wisdom weekend, and it was truly an insightful and relaxing experience. The weekend provided a beautiful space to slow down, reflect, and connect deeply, not only with myself but also with a wonderful group of like-minded people. Andy and Liz are fantastic facilitators who guide the sessions with genuine warmth and professionalism. Their approachable style and sense of humour made the experience even more enjoyable, creating a relaxed atmosphere where everyone felt comfortable and supported. If you’re looking for a meaningful way to reconnect with yourself and others, I highly recommend this weekend, it’s a refreshing and enriching journey that stays with you long after it’s over".
- Sophie Snell
“Liz and Andy really compliment each other with what they both offer in terms of support and holding space for spiritual development which I am grateful to have received on the online “heart of you” course earlier this year with them both. I found the course really insightful, transformative and enlightening and I look forward to doing more sessions with them in the future .”
— Linda Green
"Liz and Andy are simply wonderful at what they do."
"Both Liz and Andy have a wonderful way of explaining and are simply wonderful at what they do.”
— Natalie Alexander
Together, we offer a sacred space for inner restoration, intuitive awakening, and spiritual connection.
The retreat includes all group sessions, a healing session, vegetarian breakfast lunch & dinner and twin, or single accommodation.
Each mountain lodge has three bedrooms, these can be twin or single occupancy. All rooms have outside verandas with undisturbed views of the area and premises.
Twin room £950pp for 5 nights.
Single room £1,150pp for 5 nights
We are also very happy to help you to arrange airport transfers to the retreat center.
Please get in touch to ask questions.
FAQ’s
What airport do I fly into? The nearest Airport is approx 1 hour away in Porto
Will I have my own room? There are various accommodation options, including Single Occupancy or Sharing a Room - Pricing is detailed above.
I'm a beginner at meditation, connecting to Spirit, is this for me? Yes, there is no one size fit’s all aspect to the retreat, you are treated as an individual, and will be guided gently through all of the exercises.
What should I pack? October should still be warm, but it’s always advisable to pack for any inclement weather, and warmer clothes in the evenings especially.
Do you cater for dietary requirements? The team of chefs do cater for most dietary needs, please do ask us to clarify any specific needs that you may have.