UNWRITTEN JOURNEYS 

UNWRITTEN JOURNEYS IS FOR YOU

Maybe you've begun writing, only to find yourself struggling with doubt, stuck in negative self-talk, or questioning if anyone would care to read your words. Imagine if you could find a place dedicated to nurturing your writing mindset—a space designed not for craft or technique, but for the courage, clarity, and confidence to hear your story and let it unfold.

Once a year, I hold a small writing retreat in the Algarve — the actual landscape the essays come from. A week of writing, walking, eating, being quiet, and encountering what the body knows that the mind has not yet caught up to. Open to writers and readers drawn to a slow, attention-centered week of writing, walking, and quiet.

No more than ten people. Writing-centered. No curriculum. No program. Just the slow, deliberate work of paying attention — to the page, to the coastline, to each other.

The Algarve coast is where I live and where I write. The cliffs, the temperamental Atlantic, the orange groves, the village streets that narrow into shadow and open into light — this is the material of every essay and every poem. The retreat brings you into that material. You walk the paths the writing walks. You sit in the rooms the writing sits in. You eat the food, hear the birds, feel the wind that runs through every sentence I have written from this place.

Unwritten Journeys is a transformative writing mindset retreat designed for new and aspiring authors who need space, quiet, and community. Held in the serene beauty of the Algarve, this retreat offers time to pause, reflect, and reconnect with your vision, far from daily distractions.

Who is this retreat for?

• Writers and aspiring authors needing time, rest, connection and clarity for their stories

• Those struggling with self-doubt or feeling overwhelmed by the writing process

• Anyone with an idea that they can't quite shape into a coherent outline

• Writers who’ve started a book but need a reset, feedback, or new perspective

• People who crave a supportive, non-judgmental writing community

• People who write — or who want to begin.

• People who need space and silence to hear what they already know.

• People who are drawn to the idea of a week in a foreign landscape with a small group of strangers who share a hunger for depth and honesty.

  You do not need to be a published writer. You need to be willing to show up — to the page, to the place, and to whatever the week stirs. Open to men and women.

• NO WRITING EXPERIENCE NEEDED. IF YOU WANT TO EXPRESS YOURSELF THROUGH WRITING FOR YOURSELF OR TO PUBLISH THIS IS FOR YOU.

What to expect

This retreat focuses on the mindset behind writing, the quiet and space to hear your story speak to you. While resources for craft and structure will be available, our emphasis is on helping you overcome internal barriers to your writing journey.

• Reflective Walks & Hikes: Guided, nature-based activities to spark new ideas and insights

• Group Conversations: Supportive discussions with Alicia and fellow writers to explore new approaches, to laugh together, to break bread and rediscover your creative expression

• Time for Stillness: Quiet time each day for deep reflection and writing

• One Full-Day Excursion: A curated experience to inspire fresh perspectives and creativity where your muse comes out to play

• Optional Stay in the Algarve: Extend your time for further writing and exploration.

Your week at a glance

Pre-Retreat Group Zoom Meet and Greet

Arrival Sunday: Welcome dinner and introductions

• Monday - Wednesday: Morning writing sessions — unhurried, self-directed, with prompts and readings to open the channel if you need them. Afternoon walks along the coast or through the countryside. Meals together, prepared with local ingredients. Evenings of reading, conversation, or silence — whatever the group needs.

• Thursday: Full-day excursion or activity to fuel inspiration

• Friday: Closing session and farewell lunch

There are no lectures. No exercises designed to produce breakthroughs. The week is organized around attention — to the page, to the landscape, to the body, to each other. What arises from that attention is your own.

Dates: TO BE ANNOUNCED -PLEASE GET ON THE WAITING LIST

Fee per person: $1,999 USD with a $500 USD deposit to hold your space.

• Cancel without penalty before 30 days in advance.

• Book with a deposit - Special discounts and VIP options will be announced only to our list

• Portuguese full time residents receive a 20% discount on the registration fee.

• By application and interview only.

Lodging, meals, and transportation are not included. I will make recommendations for these.

Details will be discussed at our interview. Limited to 10 participants (minimum of 3 required).