Conscious & Authentic Writing Retreat
May 20 - 27, 2025
Photo credit: © Ashlyn Ciara from unsplash.com
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About your hosts
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Retreat schedule
Start: 20th of May 2025. The first introduction circle will start at 17h.
You can arrive anytime during the day to get yourself comfortable and familiar with your setting. We will have an evening meal together. End: 27th of May 2025. Breakfast and closing circle, departure at 12h.
Daily schedule:
Interactive Group Sessions: • Morning and evening workshops, with a balance of guided sessions and free time to write/work on your own project. Evening Readings: • Opportunities to share your work. • Constructive feedback from mentors and peers in a supportive setting. Delicious Meals: • International vegetarian meals included in tuition (breakfast, lunch, dinner). • Two outings to the island’s finest local tavernas (drinks at your own cost). |
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Extra activitiesDuring your retreat, you will have the opportunity to practice daily morning meditation and yoga with certified yoga teacher and Water & Rock host Abigail McDougall.
There will also be the chance to go on a guided nature walk in the surrounding landscape with qualified nature guide and co-host of Water & Rock, Leah Heming. If you want to stay extra days after your stay and have more organised activities just let us know in advance and we can book you in! |
Accommodation
The house is a beautifully preserved traditional stone house with original carved doors and features at the top of the village at the edge of the forest with a spectacular view down the valley towards the sea.
There are three bedrooms, each with a small desk. The bathroom is shared and comprises of a toilet, sink and shower. There is a fully functioning kitchen with a gas stove and fridge, freezer and larder room with washing machine. There is a very large comfortable shared living room space. There is a large shared indoor workshop room, a large outdoor stone terrace with work table and second wooden terrace and table at the front of the house. It is a short walk up a steep stone path to the house from the small car park. Unfortunately the house is not accessible with a wheelchair as the house is located at the top of the village up a steep uneven stone path and steps. It could be possible to arrange a residency in another house adjacent to the main village road, however, the houses are generally two stories with uneven stone paths and steps. |
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The Village
Kazaviti is the old Roman name of the village which the locals use, translated as 'House of wine'. The village was once know for it's wine which in ancient Greek days was exported to Athens for all important parties and festivities. The modern village name is Megalos Prinos, named after the 'Prinos' tree which is abundant in the valley.
The houses are exceptionally preserved in the old style architecture of Northern Greece with thick stone walls, stone roofs, narrow paths and limited access to cars. The whole village is surrounded by old Roman terraces and aquaducts, once cultivated and allowing the villages to be self-sufficient. The terraces have now mostly been over taken by forest but you can still see evidence of past cultivation with nut and fruit trees and vines growing wild everywhere, creating a real food forest. Depending on the season, you will be bathed in different beautiful sounds of wildlife. In the spring you can hear many migrating birds and nightingales. In the summer, the cicadas take over the soundscape whereas the autumn is filled with the shriek of the edible doormouse (once a Roman delicacy) and the winter makes way for the owls. |
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Fees
The price for the retreat is €965 excluding accommodation.
Included in the price: - Interactive Group Sessions - Evening Readings - Delicious Meals • International vegetarian meals included in tuition. • Two outings to the island’s finest local tavernas (drinks at your own cost). - Alumni Community Access • Lifetime membership in a creative network of writers, artists, and coaches for collaboration and inspiration. Not included: • Travel to and from the island • Personal insurance |
Accommodation costs:
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Getting to Thassos
By Plane:
KAVALA: The closest airport is Kavala with flights managed by Tui but this only operates in the high season. THESSALONIKI: The next closest and possibly cheapest with flights by Easyjet, Aegean, Ryanair & Wizz Air. ATHENS: Possibility to fly to Athens with a connecting flight to Kavala with Olympic airline (all year). From Kavala Airport: TAXI: there is a taxi service costing approximately €20 from the airport to Keramoti port. From Keramoti there are regular 35 minute ferry crossings to Thasos town/Limenas. See ferry schedule here. HIRE CAR: see below for hire car suggestions From Thessaloniki airport: TAXI: there is a group taxi service from Thessaloniki airport to Keramoti port costing €40 per person (this discount is if there are multiple people) which takes 2h30. This is a good, stress free option. From Keramoti there are regular 35 minute ferry crossings to Thasos town/Limenas. BUS: from the airport you must either get a taxi to the Makedonia bus station (approx €30 per person) or a city bus (approx €4 per person - 1 hour). At Macedonia bus station there are regular buses to the city of Kavala. See timetables here. The ferry crossings from Kavala port to Skala Prinos are less frequent than from Keramoti port and take 1h15 mins. See ferry crossings here and click on the Skala Prinos - Kavala tab, but once you reach the island you will be half an hour closer to the village than the ferry crossing to Limenas from Keramoti. HIRE CAR: see below for hire car suggestions - it is a 2h30 drive from the airport to Keramoti port. |
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Hire car / Transport
There are many local hire car, bicycle and scooter companies that do good prices outside of high season (July-August).
There is a local bus that goes around the island a few times a day as well as a local taxi service. Hitch-hiking is also quite easy and common on the island. If you want the freedom to move around at your own leisure then perhaps you would like to hire a car. Otherwise, we will pick you up to and from the island ports and take you around on specific organised excursions and shopping days. All big main hire car players are around, but we find the local companies much more amenable and better value. Here are some suggestions: https://www.rentacarpotos.gr/ https://www.chalkidiki-cars.com/ https://www.citycars.gr/thessaloniki-airport/ |