March 16-24, 2023: 9-Day Yoga Adventure Retreat
Have you always wanted to visit Argentina? Do you love the idea of hiking in the Andes Mountains? Do you have a love of food and wine with a side of adventure? This is the trip for you! Join Nova and Georgina next March. Be prepared to be amazed by the geography, intrigued by the history, and completely enchanted by the people, food, and culture.
We will be staying near Mendoza for eight nights, nine days of cultural exploration, hiking, horseback riding, wine tasting, and culinary decadence. This trip will sell out, so do not miss your chance to visit the southern hemisphere and explore the incredible wine country of Argentina.
Space is limited to 14 guests. All pricing based on double occupancy.
Includes:
- Accommodation for 8 nights in a luxury boutique hotel and/or villa
- Daily yoga by the pool, in the vineyards, or on a mountain top
- Healthy, delicious chef-prepared meals
- 6 scheduled excursions
- Transportation provided to all excursions (Not included: Airfare to Mendoza, Argentina)
Excursions Include:
- Cooking class with local, organic ingredients
- Trekking in the Andes to Vallecitos base camp
- Olive oil tasting, wine tasting, and paired lunch in Maipu
- Bike riding in Chacras de Coria and through the nearby vineyards
- Horseback riding or trekking in Valle de Uco with Traditional Asado Lunch
- Dance lessons with local Tango instructor
Luxury Accommodations
Club Tapiz Hotel is located in a residence built in 1890, surrounded by 14 hectares of vineyards and olive groves, declared historical heritage, architectural and tourist by the provincial authorities in 2006. It has been updated to include a beautiful pool area, spa, and restaurant. The restaurant is supplied from its own organic gardens and its backdrop is the Andes mountains.
Adjacent to the hotel is an old wine cellar where wine was developed until 2002. Today its walls contain not only long corridors flanked by large oak barrels, but that they also host the salon Pour la Galerie. With a magnificent mural by artist Sergio Roggerone and its own tasting room, it is the perfect space for social events. In the back is the olive oil plant equipped with the latest technology.
The Culinary Experience
Each morning after yoga we will eat healthy, hearty breakfasts prepared by our chefs to fuel our adventures.
Lunches will be out on excursions most days. This may be trail-side in the mountains or at a local vineyard or restaurant. We will also experience the local asado – Argentinian BBQ done outside over a specially prepared fire.
Dinners will be prepared by our chefs in the hotel most evenings. Expect to indulge and be pampered after each day’s activity! The dinner table is our favorite place to connect and share stories.
All dietary restrictions and special requests will be accommodated. Please let us know whether you are vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, or have any other allergies we should be aware of.
The Excursions
Cooking Class – Farm to Table
We will begin our Argentine adventure with a farm to table cooking class. From the organic gardens we will collect vegetables, herbs, and fruits. We will learn to combine these ingredients to create the delicious and nourishing elements of local cuisine.
From empanadas and homemade bread to the perfect steak and roasted vegetables, we will explore fresh flavors and deep tradition. All this accompanied by in-house olive oil and wines from the local vineyard. It is the perfect start to understanding how Argentinians eat, drink, and socialize.
Andes Trekking
We will hike near Vallecitos with a local guide in the mountains west of Mendoza. If we are lucky, we will see Guanaco (relative of the llama), Zorros (fox), and plenty of condors and other birds.
This is a basecamp area for expert trekkers looking to scale much higher peaks. The runoff and high elevation springs provide some the best and purest water in the world, while the vista will leave you speechless.
Tastings and Tastings
Argentina is known for many things…the tango, world-class steak, empanadas, and jaw-dropping landscapes. All of these things go very well with wine. And with hundreds of boutique wineries spread across Lujan de Cuyo, Maipu, and Valle de Uco, we will have the opportunity to taste wines from lower, mid, and high elevation soils.
We will also enjoy olive oil tastings and indulge in both lunches and dinners paired with the best of local wines. We will be accompanied by expert sommeliers to explain both the history and processes of Argentinian wines.
Vineyard Biking in Chacras de Coria
Chacras de Coria is a small suburb south of Mendoza where we will be staying. It is surrounded by vineyards and peaceful older residences. Its central square is home to a local arts and crafts market each Sunday.
It has a lovely, flat system of bike lanes which make for safe and easy riding. We will explore the area with our guide to visit a couple of small wineries and then enjoy an open-air lunch experience with a view of the mountains.
Horseback in Valle de Uco
In the spirit of the gauchos, we will saddle up and ride into the mountains. Beginning at the ranch house of Estancia Atamisque, we will be guided by an expert horseman on beautiful, happy and healthy horses. We will hopefully also see wild horses that roam free-range on this ranch.
After our adventure we will enjoy a typical asado and other delicious traditional dishes prepared at the ranch. After lunch settles, we will have the chance to dance, laugh and enjoy the wide-open spaces.
Tango and Local Music
To celebrate our last night together, we will have dance instructors, local musicians and a grand fiesta. Whether you want the formal tango, milonga, or just some free-style time on the dance floor, this will be an evening to remember.
Spend the evening learning and appreciating the sounds and moves of Argentina. It will be time to share our stories of the previous week, enjoy amazing food and wine, and soak up the good vibes that have created this unique area in the Mendoza wine region.
Your Hosts
Nova Guthrie & Georgina Verza
Travel and yoga – what a beautiful combination! Each trip we take with our small groups of adventure seekers brings something new and different while always holding space for renewal, discovery, growth, and simple joy.
Nova and Georgina will lead you through yoga practices, breathing, and meditation each day. They will be your guides on curated tours, and they will be your hostesses in our accommodation/sanctuary.
At ZenRock, we spend time getting stronger, finding more flexibility, building better habits, and maintaining healthy balance. Our yoga journeys are a further exploration of that healthy balance with the added bonuses of food, relaxation, and friends. We cannot wait to have another adventure and to share Argentina with you!
Additional Information
Yoga classes are customized to address the needs of all students, offering variations for beginners and advanced practitioners. All excursions are optional and will be customized to the abilities of the participants.
There are a limited number of rooms available. Reservations are on a first come, first serve basis. Please contact Nova to make your deposit or use our Mindbody site.
Airfare to Mendoza, Argentina, most alcohol, two lunches outside the villa, guide gratuities and non-itinerary activities are not included in the quoted price.
The remaining payment is due in full by February 1, 2024.
To embrace the spirit of travel, please allow for changes to the itinerary and scheduled events due to weather, guides, and the unforeseen.
