Seven days for gay men on a working wine estate in the Andalusian hills — forty-five minutes inland from Málaga, and a long way from everything else.
Castillo del Alma is a restored estate with more than four hectares of vineyard, set in the hills above Mollina in the province of Málaga. Twice a year we close it entirely and hand it to one group of gay men.
Nobody is passing through. There is no lobby, no other guests, no schedule you have to share with strangers. Sixteen men, one house, one week — which is what makes the difference between a holiday and a retreat.
The days hold real content: sauna rituals, cacao ceremonies, breathwork, tantra, bodywork and long conversations that go somewhere. They also hold a pool, a vineyard, a shared table and enough silence to hear yourself think. Both retreats are led in a way that leaves room for men who have never done any of this before.
Each retreat is built around a different centre of gravity. Both are exclusively for gay men, both run for a full week, and both take place at the estate in Mollina.
A luxury gay men's retreat. Seven days where wellness, sauna rituals, tantra, cacao ceremonies, personal development and strong community create the backdrop for an exclusive experience.
View retreat →An exclusive gay retreat in Málaga, Spain focused on community, joy of life and authentic presence — a slower week, built around the table, the pool and each other.
View retreat →Mornings have shape. Afternoons mostly don't. Nothing is compulsory, and no one keeps score.
Guided aufguss sessions with essential oils and cold water afterwards — the closest thing the week has to a fixed ceremony.
Sessions that move a surprising amount for something that involves lying still. Beginners welcome; there is no wrong way to do it.
An evening circle built around ceremonial cacao, where the point is less the drink than what gets said around it.
Approached as presence and connection rather than performance. Always consent-led, always something you can sit out.
Long dinners with Andalusian food and wine from the estate's own vineyard. This is where most of the week actually happens.
The pool, a book, the vineyard path, a two-hour nap. Unstructured time is part of the programme, not a gap in it.
The house sits among its own vines, with a pool, wellness facilities and terraces that catch the evening light. Rooms are private or shared depending on what you book.
The vineyard is worked, not decorative — the wine served at dinner comes from the ground you can see from the terrace. During harvest you are welcome to help, or to watch from a chair with a glass in your hand.
Mollina sits in the Antequera basin, between the Sierra de Camorra and the plains. It is far enough from the coast to be quiet, close enough that getting here is simple: fly to Málaga, and you are at the gate within the hour.
El Torcal, the Antequera dolmens and the flamingo lake at Fuente de Piedra are all within a short drive, if you want a day out mid-week.
Gay men, and only gay men — that is the point of closing the estate rather than running a mixed programme. Men come on their own, as couples and as friends. Ages vary widely and no one is the odd one out.
Most men do. A closed group of sixteen for a full week means you will not spend the week as a stranger — by the second dinner it stops feeling like a group of individuals.
No. Sessions are led with first-timers in mind and everything is optional. Sitting one out is a normal thing to do, not a statement.
At Castillo del Alma, a private wine estate outside Mollina in the province of Málaga, Andalusia. The whole estate is reserved for the group — there are no other guests.
The drive is roughly forty-five minutes. Hire cars are straightforward, and we can help arrange a transfer if you would rather be picked up. Let us know your flight times when you book.
Accommodation, meals, wine at dinner, use of the pool and wellness facilities and the full programme of sessions. Each retreat page lists exactly what is covered, along with any optional extras such as massage.
The estate sleeps sixteen, and that is the ceiling. It is small enough that everyone actually knows everyone by the end of the week.
Retreats are run in English and Danish. Guests come from across Europe, and the working language of the group settles itself within a day.
Sixteen places, twice a year. If a week in Andalusia sounds like the right idea, the retreat pages have the dates, the rooms and the full programme.
View the retreats