A Unique Rowing Retreat in Portugal

MOVE, RESET & REDISCOVER

A Small Group Rowing & Wellbeing Retreat
for Busy People Who Want to Feel
Fitter, Calmer & More Connected

A man and a woman row a sculling boat on a river, viewed through branches of a tree.

Far from an ordinary getaway -

The Mind Body Row Experience is five days designed to calm your mind, move your body & reconnect you with what really matters.

You’ll stay in a peaceful boutique hotel on the banks of the Maranhão reservoir in Avis, Portugal - a place chosen for its serene water, open sky & sense of spaciousness.

Here, each day flows deliberately between movement, reflection, nourishment & connection.

2026 Experience Dates.

29th May - 3rd June 2026

Last few spaces remaining

Avis, Portugal

Secure Your Spot

4th - 9th September 2026

Avis, Portugal

Secure Your Spot

Outdoor dining table set with three place settings, each with a blue plate, white napkin, and silverware. In the center, a large blue vase holds wildflowers, and there is a clear glass bottle with a silver cap nearby. Two red glasses are also on the
View from a boat paddle propelling through dark water, with a lake, green hills, and blue sky in the distance.
A scenic landscape featuring a river, trees on both sides, with the sun setting or rising over the horizon, casting reflections on the water.
People singing and playing guitar at a cozy, dimly-lit indoor gathering with warm lighting and candles.

Why This Experience is Truly Different

This is for you if you want to:

  • Step out of the rush of daily life & truly reset

  • Move in ways that feel meaningful, not pressured

  • Connect with yourself, others & the natural world

  • Cultivate calm that lasts long after you leave

At its heart, this retreat is about presence - being here, fully - rather than performance.

Two women rowing a boat on a lake with trees and rocky hills in the background.

“Being out on the water, surrounded by nature, and guided by Alex’s calm expertise - it was exactly the reset I didn’t know I needed. I returned home from Avis grounded, energised and full of purpose.”

Untitled design.jpg
Wildflowers in a field during sunset with a dirt path and distant trees.
Four men in a yellow rowing boat on a calm lake, preparing to start rowing, with shoes on a wooden dock in the foreground and a rocky shoreline with trees on the right.
Group of people sitting on a deck near water, listening to a person speaking during sunset, surrounded by trees.

What Makes This Experience Special

Guided Rowing with Purpose
You’ll row on the calm, mirror-like waters of Avis with double Olympic gold medalist Alex Gregory - whether you’re a complete beginner or a seasoned rower. Every session is accessible, adaptable & rooted in joy, not judgement.

Movement + Mindful Practices
Daily gentle yoga, mobility & breathwork sessions support physical freedom & mental clarity, helping your body recover & your mind unwind.

Delicious Nourishment + Community
Locally inspired meals and fine wine bring rhythm to the day - shared around the table, around the fire & in conversation that stays with you.

Time & Space for You
Unhurried moments by the pool, lakeside walks, quiet corners for reflection - this retreat gives you both movement & stillness.

"It was transformational.
The rowing, the stillness, the laughter…
it was life changing."

Two women embracing and hugging each other by a large body of water on a sunny day, with trees and rocky shoreline in the background.
Two men in athletic clothing and sunglasses carrying a kayak on their shoulders along a wooden dock by a lake, with rocky shoreline and trees in the background.
A woman is speaking to a group of people outdoors, using expressive hand gestures. The background is blurred greenery.
Three women preparing a rowing boat at the edge of a lake or river, with one woman kneeling on the dock and others sitting inside the boat.

Is This Right for Me?

This experience is designed for anyone who wants to slow down, move, breathe & reconnect - you don’t need any rowing experience at all.

Many people join us as complete beginners.

Others come with years of rowing behind them.

Some arrive with a partner or friend who rows & simply want a restorative week in a beautiful place.

Wherever you’re starting from, you’re welcome.

You might be a perfect fit if you’re looking for:

  • space to step away from your everyday pace

  • gentle, guided movement that feels supportive, not demanding

  • time in nature & on the water

  • coaching that meets you exactly where you are

  • connection, good conversation & shared moments

  • a retreat that’s as much about inner calm as it is about physical activity

Everything we do is optional, the pace is unhurried, and you choose how much you take part.
Most guests are surprised by how quickly they settle in — rowers and non-rowers alike.


This is not about performance.
It’s about presence, enjoyment & feeling more like yourself again.

  • “I arrived as a total beginner and left feeling like a completely different person. I never imagined I could row, let alone enjoy it, but the support and encouragement throughout the week made it feel natural. This experience showed me I’m capable of far more than I realised.”

  • “I came on my own and was worried I’d feel out of place, but from the moment I arrived I felt completely included. The group was warm, the atmosphere was relaxed, and I never once felt like ‘the person who came solo’. By the end of the week, I’d made real friendships and had more quiet moments of clarity than I’ve had in years. Travelling alone turned out to be the best decision I made.”

  • “This was my second Mind Body Row Experience and somehow it was even more powerful than the first. The setting, the water, the people, the rhythm of the days… it all creates a space you just don’t find anywhere else. I came back because the first retreat stayed with me long after it ended and this one has done the same. There’s something special here - that’s why people return.”

  • “I almost didn’t book because I thought I wasn’t fit enough and that everyone would be younger and more experienced than me. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Everything was taken at a gentle pace, nothing was pressured and Alex made every session feel accessible. I moved more than I expected, laughed more than I have in ages, and left feeling years lighter. Age and fitness honestly didn’t matter - I felt completely supported.”

An elegant breakfast buffet with yogurt, fresh fruit, smoked salmon, pastries, and various beverages on a white tablecloth.
Hotel room with a bed, pillows, reading lamps, a potted plant, and balcony curtains opening to a sunset view.
A restaurant table set for two with red wine glasses, white napkins, and a small plant, overlooking an outdoor patio with umbrellas and trees at sunset.
Two people in a kayak paddling on a calm river during sunset, with the sky painted in orange and purple hues.

Double Olympic gold medallist, five-time world champion & founder of Mind Body Row - Alex knows movement is more than physical strength.

It’s about rhythm, breath, presence and calm.

His approach blends elite expertise with grounded humanity, making everyone feel welcome, capable & supported.

Meet Your Guide

Alex Gregory

A smiling man with a beard and short red hair, wearing a white t-shirt, sitting outdoors in a rural landscape with rolling hills, trees, a small building with a green roof, and a lake in the background.

Alex’s personal connection to Avis, Portugal & his passion for shared experiences ensure that you’ll feel welcome, understood & supported throughout your stay.

Meet the Team

  • A woman with a ponytail smiling and talking to a group outdoors, with trees and greenery in the background.

    Kara Wirt

    Founder of Yoga for Rowers

  • Man in light green t-shirt and blue shorts leading a meditation session outdoors with others seated on a wooden platform.

    Jacob Dawson

    Olympic Gold Medalist

  • A woman practicing yoga outdoors on a wooden deck, sitting cross-legged with eyes closed, wearing a gray t-shirt and black leggings, surrounded by autumn foliage.

    Emily Airey

    Co-Founder of Mind Body Row

Your Five Days in Portugal:

A Sample Itinerary

    • Arrive in Lisbon and enjoy a group transfer to Avis (approx. 1hr 45)

    • Check in, welcome lunch, & exploration of the surroundings

    • Post-travel yoga to ground & stretch

    • Welcome drinks & dinner

    • Breakfast followed by a rowing machine masterclass & on-water coaching

    • Free time to relax, enjoy the pool or surrounding area

    • Lunch

    • Afternoon yoga session

    • Dinner & fireside talks

    • Early morning row followed by breakfast

    • Late morning free time or optional activities

    • Lunch

    • Strength & rowing masterclass for deeper engagement

    • Evening row, drinks & a nourishing dinner

    • Sunrise yoga & breathwork to start the day

    • Guided morning row & relaxing lunch

    • Afternoon wine tasting with a local expert

    • Dinner & fireside talks

    • Final day on the water

    • Gentle yoga & meditation to close the journey

    • Celebration dinner & ive Fado music performance — a unique cultural immersion

    • Early breakfast & transfer to Lisbon Airport

Two women smiling while rowing a boat on a lake with boats and trees in the background.

“Being out on the water, surrounded by nature, and guided by Alex’s calm expertise - it was exactly the reset I didn’t know I needed. I returned home grounded, energised and full of purpose.”

Investment & What’s Included


This retreat is designed so that once you arrive, everything is taken care of for you.
Your only job is to breathe, move, rest & enjoy the experience.

Your investment includes:

  • 5 nights at a peaceful lakeside boutique hotel

  • All coached on-water rowing sessions with Alex

  • Indoor rowing workshops & movement guidance

  • Daily yoga, mobility & breathwork

  • All meals, beautifully prepared & enjoyed together

  • Wine served with dinner

  • Cultural evenings and shared experiences

  • Use of the pool, lakeside spaces & hotel facilities

  • Group transfers to & from Lisbon Airport

  • A supportive, personal environment with small group sizes

  • Time & space built deliberately for rest & reflection

Not included: flights to Lisbon, travel insurance and any additional drinks you choose to buy.

This is a fully catered, fully supported experience from the moment you land.


Room Options & Pricing

  • £3,499 per person when sharing a room with another rower you are travelling with

  • £3,999 per person for your own private room

  • £2,499 per person for non-rowers sharing a room with a rower


    We do not place guests together in shared rooms.
    If you choose the shared rate, it is only for guests travelling together (partners, friends, siblings). Otherwise, a private room is the right option.

Payment Options

Payment on the website is in full, but if you'd prefer to split the cost, we can reserve your place with a 50% deposit, with the remaining 50% due 8 weeks before the Experience.

Please contact us on the form below or email team@mindbodyrow.com for this option.

A modern building with large glass windows illuminated from inside, surrounded by exterior lighting on a wooden wall, and a large tree with lit-up ground in front, during dusk.

Single Occupancy

£3999 per person

Sunset over a calm lake with reflections of the sky and silhouette of trees and hills.

Rowers - 2 Sharing

£6998 total (£3499 per person)

A field of red wildflowers in front of a river with trees and a dock with boats.

Rower & Non-Rower - 2 Sharing

£5998 total (£3499 + £2499 per person)

Upcoming Experiences 2026

A paddle partially submerged in calm lake water with a gentle ripple, with a distant shoreline and green hills under a clear blue sky.

Ready to join us?


Spaces are limited so we can keep the experience personal. If you'd like to reserve your place, choose your preferred dates below — or reach out with any questions at all.

Secure Your Spot
A group of people preparing to row a boat, sitting on a dock by a calm river under clear blue skies, with a person kayaking in the background.

Terms & Conditions

  • We understand that plans can change, and we aim to be as fair and transparent as possible. Our cancellation policy is as follows:

    • 60 days or more before the experience start date
      Receive a full refund, minus a 20% non-refundable deposit to cover planning and preparation costs.

    • 30 to 59 days before the experience start date
      Receive a 50% refund of your total booking amount.

    • Less than 30 days before the experience start date
      Due to the proximity of the event and commitments already made, we’re unable to offer a refund at this stage.

  • If you’re unable to attend, you may transfer your booking to another person at no additional cost, provided you notify us at least 7 days before the experience start date.

Contact Us

Interested in attending a Mind Body Row Experience or planning a bespoke corporate retreat?

Any questions you have, we would love to hear from you.

Just fill out the contact form and we will be in touch shortly.