A Saturday at the villa, roughly(!)
- Sophie Compton Carr
- Jul 29
- 2 min read
People ask what the days actually look like, so here’s a fairly honest version of one (it's going to be weather permitting, and each time I do this retreat I want to improve on what I delivered last time, so at the moment, I'm basing it on what we did in April)
You’ll wake up earlyish, not because anyone’s making you, but because the light through the shutters in La Pedrera does something that makes lying in feel like a waste. Down before breakfast for a short, quiet Pilates and stretch session, the kind that’s really just easing the body into the day rather than a proper workout. Then breakfast, made by me, wholesome things like greek yoghurt, oats and granola, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, blueberries, strawberries (whatever is in season), out on the terrace with that view over Dénia towards the sea.
Midmorning, you’ll either head into town, the old streets, the castle if you fancy the walk up, just a sunbathe on the beach-or stay at the villa and do absolutely nothing, which is equally allowed.
Lunch is a proper Valencian paella in the villa, delivered by a local, and then a siesta if you need one.
Afternoon is the main Pilates session of the day - this is the one with actual substance, properly planned for whoever’s in the group that weekend. Then it’s back to the pool, or a terrace, or wherever you’ve claimed as yours for the week, until the evening, when there’s a relaxed dinner with wine at a local restaurant and not much of an agenda beyond good conversation.
Sunday’s similar but with a trip to the Jesus Pobre market instead, arts and crafts, local food, usually a band playing, all with the Montgó mountains behind it. There’s a signposted walk into the nature reserve too, if you want the legs to earn the lunch.
None of it is regimented. Trips are optional, the pool is always there, and if you’d rather just stay at the villa with a book for four days, genuinely, nobody minds. It’s your weekend. I’m just there to make sure the Pilates part of it actually does something.
One guest from April put it better than I ever could, describing the whole few days as “a happy mix of relaxed and energised.” Someone else said what stayed with her most was simply feeling deeply grounded. I’ll take that as the brief for October too.
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