Reconnect: Hiking and Reflection on Faial

Once breakfast is over, you will get acquainted with the rest of the group. Before setting off, your guide will explain what the day's hike involves and then accompany you to where the trail begins. The route covers roughly three hours, following the rugged shore and winding through dense, mysterious woodland paths. Midway, we will take a break for a mindful forest bathing practice and come across a modest lava cave tucked away in the remote wilderness. When we emerge from the forest, we will travel to the magnificent Fajã Bay — a striking setting of orchards and vineyards lying at the foot of imposing 300 m cliffs. There, you will eat your packed lunch beside the beach. We will head back to the ecolodge during the afternoon, giving you time to unwind. Having had such a full day, our evening meal at retreat venue will feel well deserved.

The morning starts with gentle stretching and a meditation session before breakfast. After you eat, you can relax in the garden or on your own terrace. If the weather at the top of the island is good, we take you up to the Caldeira of Faial. At an altitude of 3,000 ft (1,000 m), we reach the rim of the island's sleeping volcano, "Caldeira do Faial." As a group, we walk 5 miles (8 km) along the crater's edge. You can look forward to stunning views into the 1,200 feet (400 m) deep crater. From this point, the finest panoramas of Faial, the Atlantic, and the surrounding islands open up before you. The trek lasts about three hours and calls for solid hiking boots plus a backpack with water and snacks. The loop brings you back to where you started in the afternoon. A short drive then returns us to the ecolodge. An easy evening of pleasant conversation and shared impressions over dinner brings this unforgettable experience to a fitting close.

This day centers on inner reflection and expressing yourself. After breakfast, you join your coach in the studio. As a group, you look into ways to express yourself more truthfully and to build self-assurance through your voice. You discover how your stance, focus, breathing, thinking, and feelings shape the way your voice sounds and how you come across. A light lunch is served on the ecolodge terrace. Later in the afternoon, you awaken your creative side in a vision board workshop. You put together a board that represents your own aims and dreams, which helps you see more clearly what you truly want to bring about. This exercise in reflection plants strong intentions and gets your goals moving. Dinner at the retreat venue.

We open the day with a light stretch and a morning meditation to wake both body and mind. After breakfast, your guide explains what today's hike involves and then drives you a short distance to the start of the route. More than fifty years ago, people built narrow water channels here to supply meadows, villages, and a local power plant. Today, we walk alongside these channels through a magical setting of untamed nature, shadowy woods, and tight ravines. The walk takes about three hours and leads us past small tunnels, timber bridges, and in time to a little volcano. At the end of the trail, you even get the chance to step inside the crater through a tunnel. On the way, we stop for a traditional backpacker-style picnic. After this easy route, we pick you up and bring you back to the accommodation in the afternoon. You have plenty of time to relax before dinner. When evening comes, we gather for a drink before the kitchen calls for dinner.

After breakfast, your guide takes you on a visit to the vibrant town of Horta. This harbor town has centuries of history behind it and holds many intriguing sights. Among the highlights you see are the brightly colored marina, the historic pirate forts, the appealing old quarter, and of course the famous sailors' tavern "Peter Café Sport," where we pause for our midday meal. The rest of the afternoon is free for you to discover the town and its lovely bay as you wish. Back at the ecolodge, the evening meal is served, and then a well-earned rest awaits in your comfortable bed.

You eat another tasty breakfast before setting off on today's excursion. This three-hour walk leads you over two smaller volcanic cones to the striking Capelinhos Volcano — a geological marvel that rose from the sea during the 1957/1958 eruption. This powerful event transformed the island and caused over 15,000 inhabitants of Faial to leave for the United States and Canada. At the Capelinhos visitor center, which sits under the volcanic surface, you find out about the eruption and about the Azores' special status as a volcanic hotspot — often called the "Hawaii of Europe." After this remarkable visit, you get the chance to go up the old lighthouse and take in wide views over the whole volcanic terrain. An ideal moment to quietly reflect on the power of Mother Nature. Our next stop is the craft school of Capelo, where local makers produce lovely handmade pieces from materials found locally. You see wood carvings, paintings, and goods made from soft, felted Faial wool — possibly the ideal present to take home. Dinner is served back at the retreat venue, where we spend our farewell evening together.