Join us at Flores del Camino retreat centre
on an ancient pilgrims’ path in northwestern Spain
Sacred Windows ~ Creativity & Presence
Join us on-site for a soulful 8-day creative retreat
July 24 - August 1, 2025
with the possibility to add …
Mini Pilgrimage
Extend the retreat with an optional expertly guided pilgrimage (3 days walking + 1 day in the Valley of Silence).
August 1 - 5, 2025
Creativity, Mindfulness & Contemplation
Slowing down & being present
Are you needing time away and yearning for peace, quiet, nature & beauty?
Are you wanting to learn new skills and foster your creativity?
Discover timeless treasures with new eyes. Nourish your soul. Make new friends.
Away from the demands of everyday life, imagine a space to slow down - a relaxing peaceful and contemplative time just for you.
Gift yourself a creative retreat on an ancient pilgrims’ path surrounded by the beauty of a charming cobblestoned village voted one of the most beautiful in all of Spain.
Experience breath-taking nature, the rich history and enlivened energy of this land of passage as we discover the inspiring Gothic sacred window designs of the Camino through sacred geometry and earthen pigments.
A special place
Enjoy the warm, golden glow of the village, flying swallows, and the resident stork’s nest below the church spire. Stroll on the Camino and walk a nearby labyrinth. Enjoy a supportive and beautiful environment.
Rest, Replenish,
Immerse in Timeless Beauty
Connect with yourself, the earth, its colours and inspired designs as you delve into timeless beauty. Experience practical sessions and poetic presentations on the Camino, its art, symbols, patterns and legends. Enjoy excursions, on-site sacred geometry, quiet walks and time for reflection.
Our daily rhythm will be grounded in a morning circle to gently inspire our day with a poem and reflection. Then, using the traditional craft tools of ruler and compass, you will discover sacred geometry as contemplative design. Our specific focus will be on the beautiful Gothic windows of León cathedral, which we will also visit.
The afternoons will be dedicated to decorating your windows. You will have the opportunity to learn traditional and contemporary techniques to bring your windows to life.
Walk and paint the colours of the earth. Mindfully collect and prepare earthen pigments, gifts from the land around us on the Camino path. Experience the joy of painting with natural handmade earth colours. Discover other new materials, techniques and creative processes:
Rendering tracery
Painting stained glass effects
Gilding and using ruling pens
Paper embroidery
Live every step of the process with presence, reverence & meaning.
Visits to remember
Explore the Camino and this beautiful region in expert care and guidance. Enjoy three special visits.
Watch ancient 5,000 year old labyrinth petroglyphs light up at sunrise near the “Santiago’s saddle” dolmen.
Experience one of our morning circles in the exquisite Visigothic monastery of San Miguel de Escalada, secluded in nature.
Soak in the beauty of León Gothic cathedral situated in the medieval centre of this enchanting town. You will have the opportunity to do some on-site geometry and eat out in a traditional local restaurant.
A unique experience
Embraced within community and in a peaceful environment on the Camino, you will be held and guided in expert care. As well as soul-nourishing sessions, enjoy meals homemade with fresh ingredients and our selection of local wines. Your time will be spacious. Take quiet walks in the breath-taking surroundings. Share experiences by the fire in the evenings, under the starlit Camino sky.
You will be staying in one of the most beautiful villages in all of Spain as voted by National Geographic. A heritage site, the village dates back from Celtic times to the 16th century. Enjoy stunning views at every turn. The village is in complete harmony with its surroundings. The warm coloured stones will embrace you. They glow at sunset and the old arched wooden doors dazzle red, blue and green.
“La Magdalena”
This will also be a unique opportunity to experience the enchanting annual village festivities of “La Magdalena”. Immerse yourself in the traditional music, dress and dances, enacted in honour of Mary Magdalene, the patron saint of the village.
The Retreat Centre
Your home will be Flores del Camino - a charming traditional Maragato house with heart and soul that has been lovingly renovated to host you. Enjoy gorgeous creative workspaces nested around a courtyard shaded with an old vine and fruit trees: a place to rest, meet, share meals and create.
You will be staying in one of our charming ensuite rooms at Flores, or at the nearby hotel we work in partnership with. Enjoy stunning views overlooking the village, church and rural landscape.
Is this retreat for me?
No prior skills or artistic abilities are required, only a curious and open mind. We welcome people from all walks of life, all faiths or none.
If the following describes you, then you are a perfect fit for this retreat:
I appreciate moments of quietness & times of reflection.
I give space to others and can listen.
I value community experiences as well as my own individual journey.
Your facilitators
Bertrand Gamrowski (PhD) is co-founder of Flores del Camino, a craft practitioner, skilled educator and leading expert in the use of geometry in sacred architecture. He specialises in the art and architecture of the Camino de Santiago. He finds joy in teaching geometry as a contemplative philosophy and a mindful, hands-on practice that has relevance to modern times and to every day living. He is currently co-authoring a book as a result 10 years of in-depth research on the use of geometry in rose windows on the Camino.
Basia Goodwin (MA) is co-founder of Flores del Camino, an artist, educator, and passionate retreat facilitator. She is dedicated to crafting purposeful space for creative and contemplative journeys and leading groups on the Camino as a rite of passage experience. An alumnus of the Prince's School of Traditional Arts, she specialises in the use of geometry in traditional arts, craft & philosophy. In her creative practice she works with a variety of mediums , including ceramics & glass. She makes & paints with natural pigments, using local Camino ochre earths. She is currently co-authoring a book on the sacred art of the Camino de Santiago.
Clarissa Grandi (MEd) is a geometric artist, author, and experienced teacher. First and foremost an educator, her passion is introducing beginner artists to the truly accessible art of geometry. She delights in sharing her ideas, materials, and techniques with others, and her background in mathematics teaching enables her to demonstrate and explain difficult concepts simply and clearly. In her own artmaking she enjoys exploring the interplay between the precision of human-made geometry and the more organic and chaotic geometries and symmetries found in nature.
Extend the opportunity
Optional Mini Pilgrimage
August 1 - 5, 2025
Continue the retreat with an expertly curated & guided mini pilgrimage (3 days walking + 1 day in the Valley of Silence)
Pilgrimage as a rite of passage
This is your opportunity to extend your retreat and experience the Camino!
This mini pilgrimage is open only to the retreat participants to ensure an intimate experience.
Leaving from the doorstep of the retreat centre, you will encounter one of the most beautiful stretches of the Camino, steeped in history, symbol and legend. The walking will be gentle and spacious, at your own pace, yet framed within a story and a structure.
Expertly curated, this guided walk will provide you with the experience of pilgrimage as a rite of passage. See further details in the schedule below.
Preliminary Schedule
Sacred Windows Retreat & Optional Mini Pilgrimage
Day 1 ~ Thu 24th. Arrival, welcome & gathering
Pick up from Madrid airport at 12pm
Check-in at Flores del Camino at 4pm
Bringing the group together - Welcome dinner 7pm
Day 2 ~ Fri 25th. Setting off with intention
Introduction to the space & morning circle
Morning session: pilgrimage: its art, legends & symbols
Afternoon session: geometry in sacred windows, practical geometry (exploring principles and their meaning)
Day 3 ~ Sat 26th. Connecting with the earth
Early morning: collecting pigments
Morning session: sacred windows of the Camino, practical geometry (León sacred windows 1)
Afternoon session: preparing & painting with pigments
Day 4 ~ Sun 27th. Deeper rhythms
Morning session: practical geometry (León sacred windows 2)
Afternoon session: rendering tracery, incorporating colour
La Madalena festivities
Day 5 ~ Mon 28th. Being present
Early morning: petroglyphs at sunrise, on site geometry of the labyrinths
Morning session: practical geometry (León sacred windows 3)
Afternoon session: embroidery / gilding
Day 6 ~ Tue 29th. Sacred spaces
Morning circle at the 10th c monastery of San Miguel de Escalada
On-site geometry at León Cathedral (León sacred windows 4)
Lunch at the Colegiata de San Isidoro
Visit: soaking in the beauty of León Cathedral
Day 7 ~ Wed 30th. Creative unfolding 1
Early morning: nature mandala
All day: Continue exploring techniques / decorating your window
Optional afternoon session: Further Gothic techniques
Day 8 ~ Thu 31st Jul. Creative unfolding 2
Morning sessions: Decorating your window (cont’d)
Afternoon session: closing circle
Day 9 ~ Fri 1st Aug.
Check out : taxi from Flores to Madrid airport
or
Mini pilgrimage, walking the Camino
Optional Mini Pilgrimage
Includes overnight stays in guesthouses along the way.
Day 9 ~ Fri 1st.
Flores del Camino ~ Rabanal - Pilgrimage Day 1
(14km - average walking time 3h - 250m / 800ft up)
From the very start, as you leave Flores and pass through the lovely villages of Santa Catalina and El Ganso, you’ll be accompanied by Camino symbols, the labyrinth and the goose. You will cross a threshold, from a flat landscape to a gentle climb. Your destination for the day is the charming village of Rabanal, with more than a thousand years of history linked to the Visigoths and Templars.
In the evening, you will experience the pilgrims’ blessings & vespers, still chanted by the monks in the atmospheric 12th century Romanesque church.
Each of our evenings and mornings will be grounded in gentle community refection time.
Day 10 ~ Sat 2nd.
Rabanal ~ El Acebo - Pilgrimage Day 2
(17km - average walking time 3h30 - 400m / 1,300ft up then 400m / 1,300ft down)
At this meaningful point on your journey, you will reach the highest point on the Camino: Cruz del Ferro, a gentle place of letting go for pilgrims. Here, you are invited to participate in the tradition of symbolically leaving a stone from home.
As you pass the mountains of León, you will discover breath-taking views over the Bierzo region. Your destination of the day is the charming mountain hamlet of El Acebo with its distinctive architectural style.
The day will end at dusk as you watch the sunset over the the extensive Bierzo plain from a purposeful viewing point in the village.
Day 11 ~ Sun 3rd.
El Acebo ~ Molinaseca - Pilgrimage Day 3
(8km - average walking time 1h45 - 550m / 1,800ft down)
You will descend the mountain to reach the charming village of Molinaseca situated by a tranquil river. After having lunch there, we will make our way by car to the nearby Peñalba de Santiago. Nested within the breathtaking Valley of Silence, Peñalba is our highly symbolic pilgrimage destination. It is known for its exquisite 10th century Mozarabic church with solstitial alignments.
Day 12 ~ Mon 4th.
Peñalba de Santiago - The Valley of Silence - Pilgrimage Day 4
The valley gained its name because a hermit lived there in silent contemplation. At sunrise you will make the circular journey around the Valley to and from the hermit’s cave. For the rest of the day we will end our time in purposeful retreat, we will explore further through myth and meaning in preparation for your return home.
Day 13 ~ Tue 5th.
Morning departure by taxi from Peñalba to Madrid
Drop off at Madrid Airport at 1pm (under normal traffic circumstances)
What’s included
Accommodation
During your stay at Flores del Camino, all accommodation consists of ensuite bedrooms.
During the mini pilgrimage, accommodation will be ensuite as well. However, in the final day in Peñalba, a couple of people may have to share a room.
Food
During your stay at Flores del Camino, nourishing and healthy meals prepared onsite and served with love in either the dining area or in the courtyard under the pergola. Wine is offered at dinner.
During the mini pilgrimage, all meals will be provided.
Dietary requirements
When on-site at Flores, we cater for the following dietary requirements: vegetarian, gluten-free, carb-free, dairy-free.
However we cannot guarantee all dietary requirements during the mini pilgrimage / outside restaurants. Please get in touch with us if you have concerns.
Sessions
All equipment & material provided.
Outings
Site entries & transport fares for cultural activities.
Private transport between Madrid & the retreat centre
If you prefer to arrive independently to the retreat centre, see how to get here.
What’s not included
Flights
Insurances (travel, health, etc.)
One meal taken outside during visits (budget ~25€ per meal)
Ready to book? Here are the options
Extended 12 day Retreat
Sacred Windows ~ Creativity & Presence & Mini Pilgrimage
July 24 - Aug 5, 2025
Don’t miss out on Early bird before Dec 2024: 3,650€
(full price: 3,950€)
Sacred Windows ~ Creativity & Presence
Creative 8 day retreat
July 24 - Aug 1, 2025
Don’t miss out on Early bird before Dec 24: 2,450€
(full price: 2,650€)
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