Sacred Windows
Join us on-site for a soulful 8-day creative retreat on the camino de Santiago
July 24 - August 1, 2025
Would you like to experience the Camino?
Extend the retreat with an optional 4 day pilgrimage to the Valley of Silence).
August 1 - 5, 2025
Creativity& Contemplation
Slowing down & being present
Away from the demands of everyday life, imagine a space to slow down - a relaxing peaceful and contemplative time just for you.
Experience breath-taking nature, the rich history and enlivened energy of this land of passage as we discover the inspiring Gothic sacred window designs of the Camino through sacred geometry and earthen pigments.
Are you yearning for peace, quiet, nature & beauty? Are you wanting to learn new skills and foster your creativity?
Discover timeless treasures with new eyes. Nourish your soul. Make new friends.
Experience practical sessions and poetic presentations on the Camino, its art, symbols, patterns and legends. Enjoy excursions, on-site sacred geometry, quiet walks and time for reflection.
Our daily rhythm will be grounded in a morning circle to gently inspire our day with a poem and reflection. Then, using the traditional craft tools of ruler and compass, you will discover sacred geometry as contemplative design. Our specific focus will be on the beautiful Gothic windows of León cathedral, which we will also visit.
The afternoons will be dedicated to decorating your windows. You will have the opportunity to learn traditional and contemporary techniques to bring your windows to life.
Foraging, preparing, painting with natural earth colours
Rendering tracery
Painting stained glass effects
Gilding and using ruling pens
Paper embroidery
Special Visits
Watch ancient 5,000 year old labyrinth petroglyphs light up at sunrise near the “Santiago’s saddle” dolmen.
Experience one of our morning circles in the exquisite Visigothic monastery of San Miguel de Escalada, secluded in nature.
Soak in the beauty of León Gothic cathedral situated in the medieval centre of this enchanting town. You will have the opportunity to do some on-site geometry and eat out in a traditional local restaurant.
“La Magdalena”
This will also be a unique opportunity to experience the enchanting annual village festivities of “La Magdalena”. Immerse yourself in the traditional music, dress and dances, enacted in honour of Mary Magdalene, the patron saint of the village.
Location
You will be staying in one of the most beautiful villages in all of Spain as voted by National Geographic.
Accommodation
Castrillo de los Polvazares dates back from Celtic time through to the 16th century. Enjoy stunning views at every turn. The retreat centre, lovingly restored in recent years, maintains its traditional architecture with heart and soul.
Enjoy charming ensuite rooms at Flores, or at the nearby hotel we work in partnership with stunning views overlooking the village, church and rural landscape (150m away).
4 day Pilgrimage to the Valley of Silence
This will be your opportunity to walk along one of the most beautiful stretches of the Way on a mini pilgrimage to the breathtaking Valley of Silence. Walking is spacious allowing you to set your own pace and amount of walking.
A place of great awe and wonder our alternative pilgrimage ending will be the Valley of Silence in the village of Peñalba - considered one of the most beautiful in Spain. These sacred mountains and this valley in particular has drawn hermits and monks since the 4th century.
Is this retreat for me?
No prior skills or artistic abilities are required, only a curious and open mind. We welcome people from all walks of life, all faiths or none.
If the following describes you, then you are a perfect fit for this retreat:
I appreciate moments of quietness & times of reflection.
I give space to others and can listen.
I value community experiences as well as my own individual journey.
What is a retreat?
Workshops are often skill-focused and goal-oriented, while retreats are more experience-focused. Along the way, you will not only gain valuable skills and insights but also be invited into deeper connection—with the land, yourself and others.
Your Facilitators
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Basia is an artist, educator, experienced retreat facilitator and pilgrimage guide, living and working on the Camino.With a masters from the Kings's School of Traditional Arts she specialises in the use of geometry in traditional arts, craft & philosophy. Her creative practice spans various mediums, including foraging, preparing and painting with natural earth pigments.
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Bertrand is an experienced retreat facilitator and educator, teaching on creative and contemplative practices.Based on the Camino he finds joy in inspiring others through his knowledge and passion for the spirit, rich history and architectural treasures of the the pilgrimage. He specialises in sacred architecture and teaches sacred geometry as a contemplative, hands on practice.
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Clarissa Grandi (MEd) is a geometric artist, author, and experienced teacher. First and foremost an educator, her passion is introducing beginner artists to the truly accessible art of geometry. She delights in sharing her ideas, materials, and techniques with others, and her background in mathematics teaching enables her to demonstrate and explain difficult concepts simply and clearly. In her own artmaking she enjoys exploring the interplay between the precision of human-made geometry and the more organic and chaotic geometries and symmetries found in nature.
Preliminary Schedule
Day 1 ~ Thu 24th. Arrival, welcome & gathering
Pick up from Madrid airport at 12pm
Check-in at Flores del Camino at 4pm
Bringing the group together - Welcome dinner 7pm
Day 2 ~ Fri 25th. Setting off with intention
Introduction to the space & morning circle
Morning session: pilgrimage: its art, legends & symbols
Afternoon session: geometry in sacred windows, practical geometry (exploring principles and their meaning)
Day 3 ~ Sat 26th. Connecting with the earth
Early morning: collecting pigments
Morning session: sacred windows of the Camino, practical geometry (León sacred windows 1)
Afternoon session: preparing & painting with pigments
Day 4 ~ Sun 27th. Deeper rhythms
Morning session: practical geometry (León sacred windows 2)
Afternoon session: rendering tracery, incorporating colour
La Madalena festivities
Day 5 ~ Mon 28th. Being present
Early morning: petroglyphs at sunrise, on site geometry of the labyrinths
Morning session: practical geometry (León sacred windows 3)
Afternoon session: embroidery / gilding
Day 6 ~ Tue 29th. Sacred spaces
Morning circle at the 10th c monastery of San Miguel de Escalada
On-site geometry at León Cathedral (León sacred windows 4)
Lunch at the Colegiata de San Isidoro
Visit: soaking in the beauty of León Cathedral
Day 7 ~ Wed 30th. Creative unfolding 1
Early morning: nature mandala
All day: Continue exploring techniques / decorating your window
Optional afternoon session: Further Gothic techniques
Day 8 ~ Thu 31st Jul. Creative unfolding 2
Morning sessions: Decorating your window (cont’d)
Afternoon session: closing circle
Day 9 ~ Fri 1st Aug.
Check out : taxi from Flores to Madrid airport
or
Flores del Camino ~ Rabanal - Pilgrimage Day 1
(14km - average walking time 3h - 250m / 800ft up)
From the very start, as you leave Flores and pass through the lovely villages of Santa Catalina and El Ganso, you’ll be accompanied by Camino symbols, the labyrinth and the goose. You will cross a threshold, from a flat landscape to a gentle climb. Your destination for the day is the charming village of Rabanal, with more than a thousand years of history linked to the Visigoths and Templars.
In the evening, you will experience the pilgrims’ blessings & vespers, still chanted by the monks in the atmospheric 12th century Romanesque church.
Each of our evenings and mornings will be grounded in gentle community refection time.
Day 10 ~ Sat 2nd.
Rabanal ~ El Acebo - Pilgrimage Day 2
(17km - average walking time 3h30 - 400m / 1,300ft up then 400m / 1,300ft down)
At this meaningful point on your journey, you will reach the highest point on the Camino: Cruz del Ferro, a gentle place of letting go for pilgrims. Here, you are invited to participate in the tradition of symbolically leaving a stone from home.
As you pass the mountains of León, you will discover breath-taking views over the Bierzo region. Your destination of the day is the charming mountain hamlet of El Acebo with its distinctive architectural style.
The day will end at dusk as you watch the sunset over the the extensive Bierzo plain from a purposeful viewing point in the village.
Day 11 ~ Sun 3rd.
El Acebo ~ Molinaseca - Pilgrimage Day 3
(8km - average walking time 1h45 - 550m / 1,800ft down)
You will descend the mountain to reach the charming village of Molinaseca situated by a tranquil river. After having lunch there, we will make our way by car to the nearby Peñalba de Santiago. Nested within the breathtaking Valley of Silence, Peñalba is our highly symbolic pilgrimage destination. It is known for its exquisite 10th century Mozarabic church with solstitial alignments.
Day 12 ~ Mon 4th.
Peñalba de Santiago - The Valley of Silence - Pilgrimage Day 4
The valley gained its name because a hermit lived there in silent contemplation. At sunrise you will make the circular journey around the Valley to and from the hermit’s cave. For the rest of the day we will end our time in purposeful retreat, we will explore further through myth and meaning in preparation for your return home.
Day 13 ~ Tue 5th.
Morning departure by taxi from Peñalba to Madrid
Drop off at Madrid Airport at 1pm (under normal traffic circumstances)
What’s included
Private transport from & to Madrid airport
See times & pick up point details.
If you prefer to arrive independently to the retreat centre, see how to get here.
Accommodation
All accommodation consists of individual ensuite bedrooms. On the Camino, you may have to share a room if there are no availabilities.
Food
All meals are included except 3 lunches on the Camino.
Dietary requirements
On-site, we cater for the following dietary requirements: vegetarian, gluten-free, carb-free, dairy-free. On the Camino, options are available with advance notice.
Sessions & outings
All equipment, materials, site entries and transport fares for visits are included.
What’s not included
Flights
Insurances (travel, health, etc.)
Lunches on the Camino
Since everyone walks at their own pace, you will have to buy 3 lunches on the Camino. There are cafés along the way where you can get a coffee, sandwich or a menu. Budget 10 - 20 € per day.
Taxis on the Camino
If you wish to take a taxi to shorten your walking day, the cost would be around 20-50€.
Please familiarise yourself with this Summary of our Terms & Conditions
Useful information for your stay: Frequently Asked Questions