Join us at Flores del Camino Retreat Centre

on an ancient pilgrims’ road in northwestern Spain

Creativity, Mindfulness & Contemplation

Slowing down and being present

Away from the demands of everyday life, join us on an ancient pilgrims’ path for a creative journey. Soak in 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.

This is a carefully curated retreat. Enjoy practical sessions, poetic presentations on the Camino, visits, on site geometry, quiet walks and time for reflection. Using the traditional craft tools - ruler and compass, discover sacred geometry and its decoration as a contemplative design practice.

Our daily  rhythm will be grounded in a morning circle to inspire our day.  The first sessions of the day will be in sacred geometry with a specific focus on the Gothic windows of León cathedral. The afternoon will be dedicated to decorating your designs. You will learn traditional and contemporary decorative 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
• Stained glass effects
• Gilding and using ruling pens
• Paper embroidery

Live every step of the process with presence, reverence & meaning.  

A unique experience

Embraced within community and in a soul-nourishing environment on the Camino, you will be held and guided in expert care. Enjoy sharing meals under the vine and fruit trees, time by the fire in the evenings and quiet walks in the vast, breath-taking surroundings. 

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 dazzle at sunset and the old arched wooden doors glow red, blue and green.  

This will also be the unique opportunity to experience the enchanting annual weekend village festivities of  “La Magdalena”. Immerse in traditional music, dress and dances, all in honour of Mary Magdalene, the patron saint of the village.

The Retreat Centre

Your home will be Flores del Camino is 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 ensuite rooms at Flores, some with a vine-covered balcony, overlooking the church and rural views. More charming rooms, with private bathrooms & views are available in a nearby hotel that we work in partnership with, only 150m away. Here you can also enjoy more stunning views overlooking the village, church and stork nests.

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 am open to others & their differences.
• I give space to others and can listen.
• I value community experiences as well as my own  individual journey.

Extend the opportunity

Optional Mini Pilgrimage

Aug 1 - 5, 2025

Continue the retreat with an expertly curated & guided mini pilgrimage (3 days walking + 1 day in the Valley of Silence)

min/max number of participants for the mini pilgrimage: 5/8

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 a gentle transition and intimate experience. Leaving from the doorstep of the retreat centre, you will encounter one of the most beautiful stretches of the Camino, seeped 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.

About your tutors

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  is  currently  co-authoring  a  book  which  contains  10  years  of  in -depth research  on  the  use  of  geometry  in  rose  windows  on  the  Camino.  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. 

Basia Goodwin (MA)  is  an  alumnus  of  the  Prince's  School  of  Traditional  Arts,  specialising  in  the  use  of  geometry  in  traditional  arts, craft  &  philosophy.  She 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.  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.

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)

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

Day 5 ~ Mon 28th.    Being present   

Early morning: petroglyphs at sunrise

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.    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 (14km) - Pilgrimage Day 1

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.

Day 10 ~ Sat 2nd.

Rabanal ~ El Acebo (17km) - Pilgrimage Day 2

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 (8km) - Pilgrimage Day 3

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,  in preparation for your return home.

Day 13 ~ Tue 5th.

Morning departure by taxi from Peñalba to Madrid

This schedule maybe subject to changes, for example due to the weather or other circumstances.

More information...

... about the retreat centre & our retreats, transport, location, how to get there on our website.

Important: terms & conditions

Before booking, please make sure that you have read carefully and understood the Terms & Conditions, so that you know what to expect from the retreat in all circumstances and cases. We are at your disposal if you have any questions.

Please note that the minimum number of participants required for the retreat as well as the optional mini pilgrimage has been reached.