2024 RETREAT
Soon to be Scheduled
Azores
Deep Attention
Writing Retreat
2024 SCHEDULING SOON!
São Miguel Island, Azores, Portugal
Looking for inspiration for your writing?
If you’ve ever dreamed of exploring the art of writing on an enchanted island, this is your opportunity! Join award-winning poet and writer Scott Edward Anderson for a writing retreat in the Azores, Portugal — the “Hawaii of Europe.”
You’ll spend five days on magical São Miguel, one of the nine islands of the Azorean archipelago, “an otherworldly paradise for nature lovers and outdoor adventurers,” as described by Travel & Leisure. Immerse yourself in the luxury of one of the island’s most elegant hotels, situated on an 18th century orchard estate, famous among islanders for blending tradition and nature.
About Scott Edward Anderson
Scott is a third-generation Azorean American and author of six books of both poetry and prose, including Wine-Dark Sea, Azorean Suite, Falling Up, and Dwelling. Scott’s approach to writing with deep attention will help you unlock the full potential of your creativity and imagination and discover the stories within you waiting to be told.
Scott will entertain you with stories of his ancestral islands, and regale you with his knowledge of the culture, food, and literary scene. He knows this landscape intimately and will take you to some of his favorite sites for immersive walks, awe-inspiring views, and mindful forest bathing. He has personally picked restaurants to allow you the opportunity to sample both traditional and modern Azorean cuisine. This is a unique opportunity to write in one of the most beautiful landscapes on the planet with an award-winning writer and retreat leader whose heart calls these islands “home.”
Explore Your Writing
During this retreat, you’ll have ample time to write. After a delicious Azorean breakfast, Scott will lead a guided, intention-setting session before you set out to write on your own in the seclusion of the gardens or wherever you choose on the hotel grounds.
Scott will share his mindful approaches to writing, teaching participants what he calls “Deep Attention,” a creative practice of looking at the world with intention and without distraction, which he first outlined in this essay. The retreat will incorporate this deep attention practice to help you tap into your creativity, gain new perspectives, and get beyond your daily, habitual obsessions and distractions.
Lunch will be served at the hotel or on the hand-picked, guided field trips described below. After the afternoon field trip, you’ll have an opportunity for another writing session or free time to relax, use the spa, pool, or soak in the heated plunge pool in the pineapple greenhouse. After dinner, participants will have an opportunity to share their work and reflect upon their experiences.
Savor Gourmet Meals
You will savor delectable farm-to-table meals, including dinners at each of the hotel’s two restaurants–one of which serves a new take on traditional Azorean cuisine and the other, on the hotel rooftop, has an Asian-fusion inspired menu. In addition, you’ll eat at two of Scott’s favorite restaurants on the island: Rotas da Ilha Verde, which serves what Travel & Leisure calls “bountiful veg-forward fare,” and the family-owned and operated Quinta dos Sabores, serving a seasonal gourmet, five-course meal featuring many ingredients grown on their farm or locally sourced with, as T&L wrote recently, “a sense of ease that belies the painstaking effort it requires to care for the earth in such a beautiful way.” At a third, a seafood restaurant with an ocean view, you’ll experience what it’s like to eat like a local, indulging in the warm hospitality of the island’s people.
About Azorean Cuisine
Azorean cuisine is similar to other “Mediterranean” cuisines–although it’s in the North Atlantic: a lot of fish, cheeses, and olive oil, but also meat (beef and pork, typically) and chicken. There’s typically a starch (or two) with every meal, especially potatoes, as well as a variety of vegetables. Most of our meals will be organic, fresh, seasonal, and locally sourced. If you have dietary restrictions, please list those on the registration.
Explore the Island
You will explore some of the natural wonders of the island, including the hot springs of Furnas, the beauty of the twin volcano lakes at Sete Cidades, and forest bathing in Pinhal da Paz (the pine grove of peace). Tours are optional, but you won’t want to miss the opportunity to experience the island’s natural beauty first-hand.
Luxurious Accommodations
You’ll stay at one of the most luxurious hotels in the Azores, located less than 3 miles/4 km from the city of Ponta Delgada and perfectly situated between the mountains and the sea. The Senhora da Rosa Tradition & Nature Hotel offers the perfect balance between tradition, nature, and elegance. Or, as Travel & Leisure put it, “the sort of stay that’s elevated yet unwaveringly linked to nature.”
The family-owned and operated Senhora da Rosa was transformed from a renovated 18th century orange grove, with updated, well-appointed rooms, lush and beautiful grounds, a modern spa, and a heated plunge pool in a pineapple greenhouse.
The hotel grounds are tranquil and set into the natural landscape in a way that encourages contemplation and inspiration. The perfect setting for a writing retreat.
The room decoration is inspired by the nature of the Azores and was designed by the mother of the hotel’s owner, an artist who built a successful career in the art of interior design. The colors, lights, and textures inside each room allows an atmosphere of relaxation and peace, which will complement the retreat experience.
A Well-rounded Experience
With Scott’s guidance, you will be encouraged to focus on your writing, find inspiration in the beauty of your surroundings, and share the experience in community with a supportive group of writers.
This retreat will take you on a journey of self-discovery and is perfect for writers at all levels–even if you don’t think of yourself as a writer yet have always wanted to write.
Scott’s approach to writing with deep attention will help you unlock the full potential of your creativity and imagination and discover the stories within you waiting to be told.
Getting to the Azores
SATA/Azores Airlines has regular flights from Boston Logan Airport (BOS) to Ponta Delgada (PDL), there are also flights from JFK and EWR airports in the New York area, and from Toronto (YYZ) that all arrive around the same time in PDL. You should plan to take the overnight flight on the night of the 12th, arriving in the early morning of 13 October. We will have a limited number of early check-ins available to us that day, on a first-come, first-served basis.
All participants are required to purchase their own travel insurance. Make sure it covers any medical expenses that occur during your trip, including those related to Covid-19, quarantining, and should also cover trip cancellation in case of illness or injury preventing you from taking the trip. We ask that you register for this trip only if you agree with our Covid-19 policies and procedures stated herein. We also encourage you to sign Sustainable Travel International’s Sustainable Travel Pledge.
About Your Investment
2023 RETREAT POSTPONED
Trip is limited to 10 participants on a first-come, first-served basis.
Payment schedule: A non-refundable deposit of US$500 due at registration. Final balance is due no later than September 1st 2023. After September 13th 2023, there will be no refunds. Exceptions to this cancellation policy cannot be made for any reason, including personal emergencies. Travel protection insurance is the only way for you to recoup your investment in the trip should you not be able to make it. By registering for this Retreat, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our cancellation and refund policy and have agreed to abide by it.
About You
You are someone looking for an opportunity to spend time on your writing in a beautiful setting and willing to explore a new culture and the natural bounty offered by a unique place. While this is a Writing Retreat, it’s not meant to be an intensive writing workshop. There will be ample time for writing, and our itinerary includes excursions and field trips designed to enhance your experience of the island where we’ll be gathered.
About Our Excursions
You’ll be hiking on at least two of our excursions, so you’ll need to be in reasonable physical condition, capable of walking at a relaxed yet steady pace for one to two hours over uneven terrain. While we won’t be trekking, hikes in the Azores don’t necessarily have the same level of trail development and maintenance you may be used to at home, such as handrails, steps, and ADA-compliant pathways. In addition, streets and calçadas (sidewalks) on São Miguel, like those in much of Portugal or Europe in general, are cobblestone. In the Azores, they are made from the local basalt and limestone, often in a wide variety of patterns and designs. While beautiful, they are also hand-laid, so you should expect uneven surfaces even in the city of Ponta Delgada or the island villages. You’ll need sturdy footwear and may want to bring walking sticks. You should also bring an old bathing suit for visiting the thermal pools, which are rich in sulfur and iron and will stain light-colored clothing. More details about what to pack will be shared closer to the Retreat date.
More Travel Details
Passports are required for travel to/from Portugal. Canadian and US Passports must be valid three months from the stated day of departure from Portugal and have at least 2 blank pages. No special visas are required for Canadian or US citizens staying under 90 days for leisure or business. You can get up-to-date requirements, including travel health requirements for Portugal and the Azores here: Canada and US.
Please book your return flight for the afternoon/evening of 18 October. Check out will be at 11 AM, but the hotel will allow for luggage storage until you are ready to depart for the airport. Return transfer to the airport from the hotel is included if you are departing on the 18th. If you’re staying longer in the Azores–and we encourage you to consider doing so–please be advised you will be responsible for your transportation to the airport on a later date.
What Your Trip Includes
Lodging for 5 nights
Transportation from PDL airport to hotel (and return if you’re departing on 18 October)
Writing inspiration and Deep Attention-setting each day, plus ample writing time
Breakfast each morning
Lunches, either boxed when we are having an excursion or at the hotel
Dinner each night
Access to the hotel’s amenities, including dry sauna, pool, and hot tub in pineapple greenhouse
3 guided field trip/excursions
A supportive, relaxed, nurturing environment
A community of creative, supportive, fellow travelers
Opportunities to share your writing in a casual, no critiquing atmosphere
Multiple opportunities for deep attention, inspiration, and adventure
What Your Trip Does Not Include
Airfare to/from Ponta Delgada (PDL)
Personal, medical, or trip cancellation insurance
Souvenir shopping
Personal phone calls
Spa treatments (there are spa services available, but you are required to make arrangements and payments for any of these services)
Alcoholic drinks not included in dinners (there will typically be a limited number of glasses of wine served with dinner)
Any bar tabs, minibar, or snack purchases
Extra taxis or transportation (such as into Ponta Delgada)
Personal Rental Cars (should you wish to rent one)
Covid testing if required
Personal laundry
Tips (should you wish to leave them, although it is not common practice in Azores)
Cancellation and Refund Policy
We reserve the right to cancel the Retreat (due to lockdowns, natural disasters, border closures, or unforeseen acts of God). We will notify participants a minimum of 14 days in advance of the start date and everything you’ve paid will be refunded, except for the US$500 non-refundable deposit, which serves as an administrative fee. We require such a fee because coordinating international trips like this is complex and requires us to make certain payments and preparations regardless of whether the trip happens. To safeguard your investment, we recommend you purchase “Cancel For Any Reason” travel insurance and make sure you understand everything that is covered under such a policy. A useful resource for Travel Insurance is this article from nerdwallet.
Once you complete the registration form and make your deposit, you will receive a confirmation email that will include releases and medical information forms that you need to fill-out and return before your registration is considered complete.
Travel in Covid Times
Traveling these days is a personal decision that comes with some new risks and responsibilities. Our goal is to help you feel comfortable and supported during your trip to the Azores and, while we will continually assess and manage risks, some of these are out of our control.
With that in mind, we will monitor Covid-19 guidelines from the CDC and the Portuguese and Azorean regional government health departments and reserve the right to adjust our policies and procedures to ensure we are in compliance with ever-evolving protocols, guidelines, and requirements. If masks, testing, or vaccines are required, we will expect all participants to comply regardless of personal opinion. Our desire is to keep our participants, other travelers, and locals as safe as possible.
We don’t know what October 2023 will look like in terms of Covid, but we will remain diligent in assessing the issues leading up to the Retreat. We ask that you register for the Retreat only if you are comfortable with our Covid-19 policies and procedures.
More about Scott
Scott Edward Anderson is the award-winning author of six books of poetry and nonfiction: Wine-Dark Sea: New & Selected Poems & Translations (Shanti Arts, 2022), Azorean Suite/Suite Açoriana (Letras Lavadas, 2020), Falling Up: A Memoir of Second Chances (Homebound Publications, 2019), which received the Letras Lavadas/PEN Açores Award, and the Nautilus Award‑winning Dwelling: an ecopoem (Shanti Arts, 2018), as well as Fallow Field (Aldrich Press, 2013) and Walks in Nature’s Empire (The Countryman Press, 1995).
He has been a guest lecturer, visiting writer, and teacher at a number of institutions, including Providence College, California State University, Fresno, UPenn, Pace University, the Wharton School, the Fox School of Business at Temple, UConn Stamford, the University of Alaska, Anchorage, and Widener University in the US, and the University of the Açores and University of Lisbon in Portugal. For the past two years, Scott has mentored students in creative nonfiction for the Adroit Journal Summer Mentorship Program. Scott also developed and taught the workshop “Storytelling as a Conservation Strategy” for the Nature Conservancy and the Land Trust Alliance. He was a Concordia Fellow at Millay Arts and received the Nebraska Review Award and Aldrich Emerging Poets Award. Currently, Anderson is Poet Laureate of Ryan Observatory at Muddy Run, PA.
Scott’s personal mission is to inspire others to transform how they see the world and encourage them to craft a creative life. After a long career in nature conservation and clean energy technology, Scott is now dedicating his life to writing, translating, and teaching. Having recently moved to the Berkshires in Western Massachusetts from Brooklyn, NY, he spends a significant part of each year on his ancestral islands. He is also one of the founders of the Cagarro Colloquium, a group that brings together writers from the Azores and its diaspora around the globe.