Retreat Venue FAQs: Hosting Your Retreat at Quinta Carvalhas

Quinta Carvalhas is a luxury countryside retreat venue near Santarém in the Ribatejo region of Portugal, about an hour’s drive from Lisbon and Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport. The venue sits on a working green farm with a lake, meditation garden, zen garden, pool garden and both indoor and outdoor retreat spaces. Rural quiet with easy international access.

Quinta Carvalhas is approximately a one-hour drive from Lisbon Airport (LIS), making it one of the most accessible luxury retreat venues in Portugal for international groups. Guests can arrive by private transfer, hire car or train to Santarém [confirm transfer options you offer], so facilitators don’t lose a retreat day to travel.

Three things set Quinta Carvalhas apart: a dedicated on-site host who supports your retreat from arrival to departure, a true farm setting an hour from Lisbon with farm-to-table dining from our on-site chef, and the same experienced in-house team behind every retreat. Facilitators arrive with their guests and teach, and we quietly handle everything else. The venue has been featured in National Geographic and Olive Magazine.

Quinta Carvalhas is purpose-built for retreat facilitators: yoga and meditation teachers, wellness practitioners, coaches, breathwork and sound-healing leaders who want a fully hosted venue for their own retreats. We also welcome corporate wellness groups and private celebrations [confirm]. You bring your guests and your programme, and our team runs the venue around you.

Beyond your dedicated host, Quinta Carvalhas provides a full in-house team: an on-site chef preparing farm-to-table meals, housekeeping, and staff who manage seamless transitions between sessions and venues. Every retreat runs with the same experienced team behind it, which is why facilitators return year after year.

Quinta Carvalhas offers 20 luxury rooms on an exclusive-use basis. All rooms are high-quality accommodation with beautiful shared spaces, so facilitators can offer single, twin or double occupancy pricing to their guests 

No prior knowledge is needed; the interaction is on the ground usually and involves connection with the horses with the aid of a facilitator. Horses have incredible energy and can mirror what we are feeling and experiencing – giving us feedback for deep insights.  Everyone has a favourite horse after the interaction – some loving the big Mr. Blue and others preferring the smaller horses like sturdy Bentley.

Quinta Carvalhas has multiple indoor and outdoor session spaces: a converted stone barn for yoga, movement and workshops, garden circle areas, a meditation garden with zen garden, reading nooks beneath old trees, a lake, and an outdoor pool usable in spring, summer and autumn. Exclusive Use bookings include all venues; Semi-Exclusive bookings include two.

Quinta Carvalhas serves farm-to-table vegetarian meals prepared by our on-site chef using produce grown on the farm. Menus are designed with our chef around your retreat, including dietary requirements such as vegan and gluten-free. Facilitators consistently tell us the food is what guests remember most.

Facilitators can add on-site experiences to their retreat programme: gentle non-riding horse interactions with the farm’s horses, massage and bodywork treatments, Reiki and sound healing, guided yoga and meditation sessions. Your host arranges everything around your schedule

Yes. Quinta Carvalhas has an outdoor swimming pool set in its own pool garden, available for retreat groups through spring, summer and autumn. It’s a favourite spot for guests’ free time between sessions.

Booking Quinta Carvalhas takes three steps: check the live availability calendar and choose your dates, co-create your retreat plan with our team, then bring your guests while we handle the logistics. We’re currently taking bookings for 2026 and 2027, and you can book a call with our team first.

We recommend booking Quinta Carvalhas 12 to 18 months ahead for high-season dates (May, June, July, September and October), as exclusive-use weeks are limited and repeat facilitators rebook early. Mid and low season dates often have availability at shorter notice, so check the live calendar for current openings.

Yes! We host many corporate events, team events and day retreats, as well as private gatherings and other day functions. Please contact us directly for our exclusive day event rates.