The Magic of Solo Traveling

I love remembering my very first retreat. I booked it completely out of the blue — far outside my comfort zone. Back then, I didn’t even know what a “retreat” truly was. I simply googled hiking and yoga in nature, South Africa, and stumbled upon a five-day retreat in the Cederberg National Park.

It was a return to the wilderness: days of hiking, sleeping in tents, showering under the stars. Something inside me felt this pull — this spark of excitement — to try something new, to leave my phone and expectations behind, to explore a version of myself that existed beyond my familiar world.

What I didn’t know then: that this first retreat would become the beginning of everything. The beginning of what cielo is today — a community, a place of wellbeing, creativity, mindful moments, and intentional retreats.

Since that first leap, I’ve booked many solo trips: Copenhagen, Mallorca, Stockholm, and more. And while I absolutely love traveling with my dearest friends, I have to admit: some of my happiest, most connected moments happened while traveling alone — and during the retreats I booked just for myself.

Over the years I tried a lot: Yoga retreats. Pilates retreats. Creative retreats. Slow Living. Ayurveda. Hiking. Camping. Luxurious escapes. Every one of them shifted something in me.

And at some point, I felt the urge to create a retreat experience that combined everything I loved — everything that makes a human being feel deeply alive.

Because it is magical to have slow, still moments… but equally magical to move your body with strength and energy. To eat healthy, nourishing meals… but still heartfelt and joyful. To hike, jump into the sea, lie in the sun afterward. To get creative and wild… and then settle into a sound bath where time seems to dissolve.

Is it possible to explore all of this in just five days? YES. Absolutely.

Time flies — of course it does — but something lasting opens inside you. You return home with new hobbies, new passions, new friends, and this quiet confidence that you can (and from then on propably will) travel “alone” again and again.

Solo traveling gives you that spark in your belly — the delicious mix of fear and excitement. It expands you.It softens you. It reminds you who you are when no one is watching.

And maybe, just like me, one single solo trip might become the beginning of everything.