Yoga, Hiking and Blues
Re-connect to your body:
A Journey of Self-Discovery
Through the Five Elements
Santa Maria island
Azores, Portugal
17-21 July 2025
Re-connect to your body:
A Journey of Self-Discovery
Through the Five Elements
Santa Maria island
Azores, Portugal
17-21 July 2025
Santa Maria island
Azores, Portugal
17-21 July 2025
If you are longing for a meaningful vacation in an exotic destination which is not at the end of the world, but you think that you have ‘seen it all’, then join us for this fun and relaxing retreat in the magical Azores with a thought-through program, where you will hike along the breath-taking landscapes, deepen your yoga practice and have a great time at the Blues Music Festival.
Imagine starting your day with an energising morning yoga practice and finishing your day with a restorative evening yoga practice, taking care of your body. Imagine meditating, practising mindfulness and drawing your attention inwards in the beautiful nature spots.
Imagine enjoying nourishing me-time on the terrace overlooking the ocean: reading a book, marvelling at the view, letting yourself just be. In the evening, you head off to sleep, happy, fulfilled and rested, in your cosy bed in your home away from home, in anticipation of the next fabulous day.
Imagine hiking in incredible landscapes of the untouched Azorean nature. I will bring you to the most epic locations of Santa Maria island! Dramatic volcanic landscape, lush forests, greenest fields, spectacular waterfalls, stunning rainbows – this is what you experience when hiking in the Azores.
Imagine nourishing your body with healthy meals from delicious local Azorean cuisine. Imagine having your breakfast with an ocean view, your lunch in nature in the most incredible spots with spectacular scenery, and your dinner in the cosy atmosphere of the local restaurant.
Imagine your unforgettable experience at the famous and well-organised Santa Maria Blues Music Festival. You will enjoy high-quality music performed live by the top-notch artists from all over the world, in the great company of your retreat friends, dancing away to the tunes of your holiday.
Imagine being together with like-minded people from all over the world, making new friends and lasting meaningful connections. Imagine sharing the moments of being amazed by the incredible landscapes, breathing in the fresh ocean air, feeling free and connected to nature and yourself.
Prepare yourself to keep on uttering ‘wow’, stopping to take a zillion of pictures, and even crying at the sight of the Azorean beauty (I do!). Azores is like nothing you have seen before, they will literally take your breath away – and you will keep on coming back to your memories and share them with all your friends.
This retreat is a combination of fun and relaxation and with the variety of these activities (yoga and meditation, hiking, music festival), you will amp up your life and create meaningful memories that will always have a special place in your heart.
On this retreat, during our hikes and meditations in incredible nature spots, you will soak in the beauty of the ocean and volcanoes, breathe in the fresh air, marvel at the gorgeous sunsets so that you feel truly re-connected to nature.
On this retreat, you will enjoy the combination of unforgettable hiking and music festival, with plenty of nourishing yoga, meditation, and me-time you need – so that you don’t have to plan anything or worry about having enough free time.
On the retreat, we will practise yoga in a progressive way, and you will learn something new about yoga postures and their variations, so that you know how to position and move your body consciously to match your unique body needs.
On this retreat, delicious breakfasts, picnic lunches and dinners will be prepared for you from local products so that you can savour local cuisine. Your dietary requirements are taken care of.
No matter if you travel by yourself or with your partner/friend, you will meet like-minded people with similar interests. This is a great opportunity to connect more deeply by sharing your challenges and blessings with people who understand you.
Through the signature methodology of this retreat, where each day is planned around 1 of the 5 elements (Fire, Earth, Metal, Water, Wood), your inner work is supported and reflected by the nature spots we will visit, which will ultimately help you better to re-connect to yourself.
Irina has been a wonderful guide and companion during our breath-taking hikes across Santa Maria. And I really learned a lot during our yoga sessions where she has catered for our individual needs every single day.
Our home for 5 days/4 nights is the family-owned hotel in the heart of Santa Maria island. It has an outdoor swimming pool, bar with terrace, and spacious balconies with views. Imagine chilling on the terrace with a book and enjoying the colours of the sky and the magnificent views of the ocean.
The retreat is planned for up to 11 guests to be accommodated in a single, double/twin or triple setting. Choose the best option for your holiday depending on your preference of a shared or private room.
You will be served with 3 daily delicious and nutritious meals. The dishes are prepared from regional and seasonal products so you can indulge in the traditional culinary delights of the Azores.
Your dietary requirements will be thoughtfully taken care of throughout the retreat. Vegetarian options are available.
On the last day of the retreat, we will have a celebration dinner combined with local craft beer tasting. Time to celebrate your hiking achievements and have fun!
I became calmer in a good way. After the retreat, I realised that there is no point in stressing so much in everyday life. My body felt so good after yoga and hiking. I started practising yoga every morning and went dancing classes to keep my body fit!
The Portuguese Azores are unknown to the regular tourists. I had to google where they are when I first heard of them! It is literally a treasure for landscape variety and hikes. They sparkle like vibrant emerald island gems in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
Dramatic volcanic landscape, incredible ocean views, greenest fields, stunning rainbows, and even a red desert – this is what you experience in the Azores. Walk along the fairytale-like paths, marvelling at the fascinating vegetation, stopping in awe at the amazing views, soaking in the beauty and wisdom of nature.
Santa Maria island is south to Sao Miguel island, the biggest one of the Azores archipelago. Good news: the Azores, even though located in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, are still part of Portugal, the EU, and are very well connected flight-wise to the EU, the USA and Canada.
Our time together will be unforgettable and full of fun! I have organised and planned your retreat to make sure it nourishes your heart, mind and soul.
I have carefully planned the retreat schedule to take you away from the routine and into a dream holiday. This retreat is a unique hiking and music adventure combined with daily yoga and meditation.
The hidden gem of the Atlantic, Santa Maria island, is one of those last remaining places on earth where pure nature dominates the landscape and where time seems to stand still.
We will practise yoga and meditation twice a day: before and after hiking. Every day starts with setting an intention followed by a Vinyasa-style yoga class. After the hiking of the day is finished and we arrive back home, you will have time for some relaxation and we will finish the day with restorative yoga practice before dinner.
Classes are adjusted right on the spot to your body needs and movement experience. We will meditate and practise mindfulness after our yoga practice or in nature.
The Portuguese Azores are unknown to the regular tourists. Hiking is the best way to explore the island whilst keeping fit. You will enjoy the beautiful flora and fauna, the quaint traditional architecture, the unique geology and fossils, and the fascinating history.
Dramatic volcanic landscape, lush forests, greenest fields, spectacular waterfalls, stunning rainbows, and even a desert – this is what you experience when hiking in Santa Maria island.
As part of this retreat, you are invited to attend the yearly Santa Maria Blues Festival which lasts 3 days. The festival originates back to 2014 and throughout the years that followed, it grew in a sustainable way and always with a great focus on the quality of the venue, music and the surrounding environment.
Great international names of blues music have played at the Festival. Have a listen to the previous edition here.
Irina's yoga and hiking retreats are perfection. I went on yoga, hiking and blues with her in Azores, and the experience exceeded my expectations. The organisation was great, the landscape views during the hikes were breathtaking, the yoga classes were very well constructed and tailored to the specific needs of the participants. I will definitely join her again!
All the retreat activities are guided by the energy of the 5 elements: Fire, Earth, Metal, Water, Wood. The signature program of our retreat, structured with the Yoga Shape methodology, will take you on the journey to yourself: from releasing whatever does not serve you to feeling relaxed, restored, and full of amazing memories of your Azorean adventures.
Every day of your retreat starts with setting an intention followed by an energetic Vinyasa-style yoga class. After that, a healthy breakfast awaits you to nourish your body after which we embark on a hiking adventure in a fascinatingly diverse landscape. Coming back to the accommodation, you will have time for some relaxation and me-time. We will finish the day with restorative yoga practice before a beautiful and healthy 3-course dinner, and then head over to the Blues Music Festival in the evening.
Initiation with letting go and setting your intention.
Transfer to the accommodation, welcome, tea/coffee and snacks, opening information session, free time, opening ceremony, yoga, dinner, Blues Music Festival.
Grounding and understanding where you are.
Yoga, breakfast, hike to see the red desert, picnic lunch, free time, yoga, dinner, Blues Music Festival.
Getting clarity about where you want to go.
Yoga, breakfast, hike to see the volcanic formations, picnic lunch, free time, yoga, dinner, Blues Music Festival.
Embracing the fluidity and choosing your path.
Yoga, breakfast, hike to see the waterfall, picnic lunch, free time on the beach, yoga, dinner.
Growth to the next step of your journey.
Yoga, breakfast, closing circle, transfer to the airport.
Irina put together an amazing programme, excellent organisation, and most of all she creates the space for you to reconnect with yourself, other like-minded people, and with the stunning nature around you. Yoga in the morning to wake up, followed with the most wonderful hikes, meditation nearby the ocean, and stretching and soft yoga to relax in the evening. I came home with some new friends and unforgettable memories.
Book your spot for the next retreat already! I HAD A BLAST! The landscapes, the beaches, the yoga and meditation sessions, every thoughtful attention of Irina, everything contributed to make this trip memorable. Discovering the Azores through Irina's eyes is falling in love with the place. Also, I cannot recommend a better yoga teacher. Irina is dedicated, human-centred, and adapting the session to everyone's body and need.
After the retreat, I felt great, happy and grateful. I highly recommend taking classes with Irina. She's a great teacher. I love her lessons, I have improved so much, thanks to her!
The retreat was very-very well organised, it definitely helps you to relax, to nourish your soul. Beautiful location, great food, great nature!
Irina has given me some powerful tools for my daily life, for example how to connect with the present moment and to understand my body and be grateful for what it can do for me.
My name is Irina Oshchepkova, I am a certified yoga teacher with 1000+ hours of teaching experience. I offer the most in-depth and nurturing luxury retreats in unique locations around the world.
I love the Azores. I came here for 2 weeks and ended up staying for 6 months. I cannot wait to show you the most gorgeous places and experiences of these magic islands!
It is a highlight of my career to take a group of like-minded people to breath-taking destinations to go deeper into their practice, really nourish themselves and reconnect to nature.
Irina is very attentive and willing to explain the logic behind each pose. I like that the classes are varied and we can work on different postures to get the maximum out of yoga practice!
The payment is non-refundable but can be fully transferred to another person. Should travel be blocked due to general COVID restrictions, your payment will be credited to a postponed retreat. The necessary and appropriate travel insurance is required.
All the payments are made by credit card or by direct bank transfer. Please contact me at [email protected] for details on bank transfer and invoicing, or if you wish to pay by instalments.
Please check my advice on the best flight option here.
Certainly a 5-star experience for me to join Irina’s well-organised yoga retreat. She’s friendly and accommodating- and makes you feel comfortable. You can tell how much her heart and soul she dedicates to organise her retreats with love for everyone who joins. I will forever treasure the great memories I made with her and with the group. It was the best gift I ever gave to myself as I welcomed my 40th birthday surrounded with amazing people. Hike, yoga & blues - it was awesome!
This is your unique chance to enjoy beautiful hikes in an exotic setting and the Blues Music Festival. The Azores destination is like nothing you have ever experienced, it will take your breath away!
Time for nourishment and healing, time to be nurtured by nature, time to explore and revitalise your energy.
Give yourself a gift of valuable time for your body, mind and soul.
The weather in the Azores is spring-like most of the time: with days of sun interlaced with low clouds, a shower, a rainbow – and then sun again. They say the Azores can have the four seasons in just one day! It is a cool to warm subtropical climate, heavily influenced by the ocean and perfect for the outdoors.
Book a flight to Santa Maria, the Azores (SMA).
Option 1
There are direct flights from Lisbon. If you fly from Brussels, book with TAP Air Portugal or Ryanair, both are with a stop in Lisbon. TUI Fly offers flights from/to Brussels on Mondays.
Option 2
However, a better option price-wise could be to book 2 separate trips:
Send me your flight details and I will arrange group transportation at the most common time for all. If the common time does not suit you, take a taxi to
Hotel Colombo: Cruz Teixeira, 9580-473 Vila do Porto, Portugal. It will take about 20 minutes.
Our opening session is at 16:00 on 17 July 2025.
All levels are welcome, from zero to advanced! Each class is adapted to the needs of participants.
Make sure to bring comfortable clothes for yoga, hiking and swimming. Hiking shoes are highly recommended. I will send you a detailed list when you book your experience.
It is highly recommended to stay longer on the island as there are plenty of places to see and things to do. Please contact me for details.