Atlas Mountains YogA Retreat
8th - 13th May 2027 · Ourika Valley, Morocco
Picture yourself waking up to the Atlas Mountains, stepping out onto your private terrace, and walking to the shala while the valley is still cool and quiet.
Over five nights at Azaren, a stunning private estate in the Ourika Valley just 30 kilometres from Marrakech, we will practice together twice a day, eat beautifully, rest deeply, and spend time in the most remarkable setting.
A small group, private rooms, full board, and a dedicated yoga shala. I’ve been longing to create just this kind of escape for you.
What To Expect
Every morning we open with meditation and a grounded vinyasa flow, something to wake the body up gently and build into something that feels genuinely good.
Afternoons are longer and slower, moving through mobility work, qigong, deep stretching, and a proper relaxation at the end.
Outside of practice time, the estate is yours to enjoy. The heated pool, the spa, the fitness centre, the tennis court, and twenty acres of extraordinary gardens are all available to you throughout the week.
You can book a hammam or a massage on-site, or you can do nothing at all. Both are equally valid.
Optional walks and hikes will be available, along with a trip to a local Berber weekly market.
All levels are welcome on this retreat. A little prior yoga experience will help you get more out of it, but you do not need to be advanced or particularly flexible.
James teaches with options and modifications throughout, and if you are carrying an injury or something specific, just mention it on your booking form and we will work with it.
Imagine your days like this
You wake up and the mountains are just there, right outside. Morning practice begins when the air is still fresh, opening with some breathwork to settle you in before we move into the flow.
Afterwards there is a long breakfast, prepared by the estate’s Berber cooks from produce grown right there on the grounds, and then the rest of the morning is yours.
Some people swim. Some book in for a massage or head to the hammam. Some wander the gardens, which are genuinely worth exploring - more on that in a moment!
After a light lunch there is time to rest, read, or simply sit with the view before we come back together in the late afternoon for the second practice, which is where we slow everything right down.
Dinner is usually outside when the weather allows, and in May in Morocco, it almost always allows. The evenings are easy and social, and by the time you turn in, you will have had a genuinely full day without it feeling exhausting.
The Food
Everything is prepared on-site by the estate’s Berber kitchen team using vegetables, fruit, and olive oil that come from the Azaren gardens themselves.
The cooking is Moroccan-French in style, seasonal, and genuinely delicious. Bread is baked fresh every day in a wood-fired oven.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included every day, and snacks, tea, and coffee are available throughout.
If you have dietary requirements - vegetarian, vegan, or anything else - just let us know when you book and the kitchen will take care of it.
The Venue
Azaren is a private 20-acre estate in the Ourika Valley at the foot of the High Atlas Mountains. It was designed by architect Imaad Rahmouni and furnished by London-based Themes and Variations, mixing vintage and contemporary pieces with a deeply Moroccan sensibility. The result feels like a serious, beautiful private home rather than a hotel, and that is exactly the atmosphere we will be spending the week in.
When a group books Azaren, the entire estate is exclusively theirs. The pool, the spa, the yoga shala, the tennis court, the fitness centre, and the full team of staff - house manager, cooks, chambermaids, and grounds team - are all there for your group alone.
The gardens deserve a special mention. They were designed by celebrated French landscape architects Eric Ossart and Arnaud Maurières, and within the estate sits the Jardin de l’Ourika, a garden created in partnership with Yves Saint Laurent Beauté that employs local Berber women from the valley. It is a genuinely remarkable place to find yourself on a Tuesday morning.
Marrakech is 30 kilometres away and a day trip is easily arranged if you want to spend an afternoon in the medina. That said, once most people arrive at Azaren, they find they do not particularly want to leave.
Facilities
Heated (if needed) outdoor pool
Purpose-built yoga shala
Spa with hammam and massage (additional cost, bookable on-site)
Fitness centre
Tennis court
20 acres of estate gardens
High-speed Wi-Fi throughout, including at the pool and shala
Full house staff for the duration of the retreat
Getting there
You fly into Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK) morning of the 8th May, which has direct connections from most UK and European cities in around three to four hours.
From the airport, the drive to Azaren takes roughly 60 to 75 minutes through the Atlas foothills, and honestly it is a great introduction to the whole trip.
Group airport transfers are included on the set arrival and departure days. Just share your flight details when you book and we will sort it from there. Check out is at 11am on the 13th May.
What’s included
Five nights’ accommodation in a private en-suite room
Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, plus snacks, tea, and coffee throughout
Two yoga and movement sessions every day
Optional hikes across the stay
All yoga props: mats, blocks, straps, bolsters, eye pillows
Full access to all estate facilities: pool, shala, fitness centre, tennis court, and gardens
Group airport transfer from and to Marrakech on set arrival and departure days
What’s not included
Flights
Hammam and massage treatments (bookable on-site, great value)
Alcohol (available on-site)
Staff gratuities (suggested £10 to £15 per day)
Personal travel insurance (strongly recommended please do get this)
Accommodation
Rooms at Azaren are all private and en-suite, spread across four suites in the main house and seven independent garden villas set across the grounds.
The villas each have their own private terrace or walled patio, indoor and outdoor shower, and around 100 square metres of private space.
Rooms vary in size and character, and are allocated ahead of the retreat. Many of them are brightly coloured (so if you have any strong preferences or colour aversions just make a note on your booking form!).
About James & the Yoga practice
James Rafael has been teaching yoga and leading retreats internationally for over a decade.
His teaching draws on vinyasa yoga, mobility training, qigong, and breathwork, mindfulness and his approach works whether you are relatively new to practice or have been doing this for years.
He is inclusive, lighthearted and not strict! He gives individual attention whether you’re a beginner or more experienced, there are always plenty of options and encouragement to modify and adapt at your own level.
He is precise without being rigid, and the retreats he leads tend to feel genuinely different from the standard yoga holiday experience.
“This was my first yoga retreat, and I feel I truly got lucky. James is extremely professional and clearly prioritizes ensuring everyone has an incredible experience. I’ll admit I was a bit hesitant to book at first, but once I arrived, I realized that hesitation wasn’t needed at all. The place, the food, the people, and most importantly, the yoga, were all amazing. I’ll 100% be joining another retreat with James in the future.”
Pricing
Early bird (book before 30 November 2026)
Single occupancy (own room, ensuite): £2,800 per person
Shared occupancy (two people sharing, ensuite): £2,200 per person
Pay in full before 30 November 2026 and save an additional £100.
Good news, risk free! Full payments are refundable minus your deposit up to 90 days before the retreat.
Standard price (after 1 December 2026)
Single occupancy (own room, ensuite): £3,200 per person
Shared occupancy (two people sharing, ensuite): £2,600 per person
A deposit of £800 secures your place.
Places on this retreat are limited and it will sell out.
*If paying in full, payments can be refunded anytime up to 90 days before the retreat starts
**Deposits are non-refundable and non-transferable