Welcome. We’re happy you found your way here. What we’re about to share is a journey that lights the heart and stirs the senses in the most beautiful way.
Monarchs, Magic, & Mystery
A soulful escape into the beauty of the land and the richness of its culture.
Valle de Bravo, Mexico | January 18-25, 2026
This is a women’s retreat, limited to 10, designed for slowing down, reconnecting with local people and ourselves, and experiencing a different pace of life together. Valle de Bravo is a place that naturally invites you to breathe deeper.
The land, the people, the culture…remind you what really matters.
We’ll introduce you to off-the-beaten-path places you wouldn’t ordinarily find and some of the most creative, talented and engaging people we’ve ever known.
This retreat is a chance to truly nourish yourself — mind, body, and soul — in a way that feels grounding and elevated at the same time. It’s space to slow down, exhale, and remember what it feels like to actually be in your life again.
Guided meditations, forest walk, wood sculpting, painting session, and more with esteemed artist Victor Klassen
A guided hike or horseback trip (your choice) to Piedra Herrada Monarch Santuary mountaintop to see the monarchs
Viewing of Canada-to-Mexico monarch migration documentary, featuring ultralight pilot Vico Volador
Farm to table gourmet brunch provided by Pahua Restaurant with a recital by internationally-known guitarist, Morgan Szymanski, and held at his private estate
A visit to Carmel Maranatha, a peaceful, exquisitely adorned house of prayer with a quiet, timeless sacredness
Lodging at two incredible places in and around Valle de Bravo
Gourmet meals from arrival through departure
We’ll explore, create, share meals, laugh, rest, and let wonder return in a way that feels real — not forced. It’s the kind of trip that nourishes you from the inside out — your senses and your soul.
a local classical guitarist who performs all over the world, Morgan Szymanski will offer a recital of Mexican and Latin American music at his lush estate while you enjoy an unforgettable farm-to-table style brunch provided by the head chefs of Pahua, regarded by many as Valle’s best restaurant
internationally known architect, painter, sculptor and meditation and tai chi teacher. We’ll spend the first two days with him and other local [friends] in the eco-village he created–meditating, painting, sculpting and drumming and dancing
Owners, Pahua Restaurant
is the first zero-waste restaurant in Mexico, owned by Erica Berthelsen and her partner, Anahi Rubalcava. The restaurant is designed to promote conscious and responsible consumption, which the owners say is about, “nourishing ourselves and our environment, zero waste for ourselves and our planet”
This is retreat as soul alchemy — spacious, meaningful, embodied… and completely alive.
High in the magical Sierra Madre mountains of Mexico, Valle de Bravo has a rhythm that feels familiar to your soul, even as you arrive. Mountains, forests, the lake and the sky invite a quiet slowing — a space where hearts remember how to soften, where wonder begins to rise naturally, and where creativity stirs without effort.
Here, life is simple and human — neighbors help neighbors, family matters most, and connection flows easily. It’s a way of living that reflects something deep inside you, something you’ve always known: that joy, curiosity, and belonging are not earned — they are already part of you.
In Valle, presence becomes effortless. In this place, your spirit can unfold. You can return to yourself — playful, curious, alive — and feel at home in a world that so often asks you to be otherwise.
A highlight of this journey is the unforgettable experience of witnessing monarch butterflies up close in one of their winter hiding places.
About the Monarch Migration
Each autumn, millions of eastern Monarch butterflies begin an astonishing journey—traveling thousands of miles from southern Canada and the eastern United States to the high-mountain forests of central Mexico.
By winter, the forests above Valle de Bravo become one of the most magical places on earth as millions of Monarch butterflies arrive and cluster together on oyamel fir branches—silent, glowing, and impossibly delicate—waiting for the warmth of the sun to lift them into flight.
The Monarchs typically arrive from late November through December and remain through early March.
Mid-January is a perfect time to view the monarchs, as the temperatures and sunlight create the most movement and density in the colonies.
A guided walk or horseback ride brings you up into the protected forest. As you approach the colony, the forest becomes surprisingly quiet—until a beam of sunlight touches the trees and thousands of butterflies glide into the air like drifting petals. It’s an unforgettable moment that feels like stepping into a sacred space.
