About Away Retreats
Small-Group Retreats Where You Can Come as You Are
Away Retreats is a boutique small-group travel company based in Salida, Colorado. We plan every detail, so you can show up, slow down, and enjoy a place with people you’ll be glad you met.
16 to 20
travelers per group
6
retreat collections
Every
trip gives back locally
★★★★★
rated 5.0 on Google
Lindsay Eldridge, founder and host
It started at a soccer game
I’m Lindsay Eldridge. When I was ten, our family of five piled into the minivan and drove eight hours to Orlando for the 1994 World Cup. I couldn’t tell you who scored, or even who won. What I still remember is the crowd: Dutch fans stomping their wooden shoes against the stands, Moroccan fans chanting, and thousands of people from different places sharing the same joy.
No one was performing. No one was apologizing for who they were. There was room to show up exactly as you were, and that was enough.
That curiosity took me to New Zealand at nineteen, then into more than 20 years of leading groups: sea kayaking in the U.S. Virgin Islands, expeditions in Ecuador, the Galápagos, Thailand, and Australia, 75 days in the Alaskan wilderness with NOLS, and seven years directing international programs at Broadreach.
Along the way, parents kept asking me the same question: “Is there anything like this for adults?” Away Retreats is my answer. Our first retreat was in Sámara, Costa Rica, where my husband Ryan and I had lived with our two kids. Today Ryan and I run Away Retreats from Salida, Colorado.
Read more of my stories in the Journal →
As featured in AgeBuzz: read my essay →
20+
years leading groups around the world
75
days in the Alaskan wilderness with NOLS
7+
years directing study abroad programs
500+
hours of Pilates training
A different way to travel
Not every retreat is luxurious, but every one is comfortable, well planned, and built so you can let us take care of you for the week.
01
This is your retreat
Everything on the itinerary is a choice. Join the morning Pilates or sleep in, take the hike or stay by the pool. No one will ask where you were at breakfast.
02
A group you can relax into
We call every guest after they enroll, the group meets on a video call two weeks before the trip, and the first night starts with the same promise: come as you are.
03
Places you couldn’t find on your own
We scout every destination ourselves and work with local partners we know by name. That’s how you end up in a house you can’t book a room in, on a private behind-the-scenes cooking tour, or sitting down with the author of the book you’re reading.
04
Travel that gives back
A percentage of our profit goes back to the communities we visit, and we choose locally owned stays and guides whenever we can.
Friendly faces from hello to goodbye
Every retreat is led by an Away host we know and trust, often paired with a collaborator matched to that trip’s focus, like a chef, a Pilates instructor, or a veterinarian. They’re with you from the airport pickup to the last goodbye.
Amy Heinemann
Trip Host & Food Explorer
Amy is an avid traveler who loves hiking, food, and architecture, and her favorite way to discover a new place is through its markets and culinary traditions. Since leaving her corporate job in NYC, she has traveled the world and visited 142 countries.
Leads: Oaxaca Culinary Retreat, Día de los Muertos in Oaxaca, Cotswolds Walking & Reading Retreat
Anna Klimmek
Chef & Wellness Educator
Anna is a Le Cordon Bleu trained chef, a certified health coach, and the founder of Happy Food MN. She’s also a 200-hour yoga teacher and outdoor mindfulness guide who brings food, movement, and adventure together to help people live healthier, more balanced lives.
Leads: Oaxaca Culinary Retreat, Día de los Muertos in Oaxaca
Brittany Mora
Pilates Reformer Instructor & Away Host
Brittany founded Silver Shuffles, a movement company in Raleigh, North Carolina, that helps adults stay active, connected, and confident, and she teaches Pilates Reformer. A returning Away host, she loves experiencing new places at a slower, more intentional pace.
Leads: Morocco Reading Retreat, Autumn Cotswolds Walking & Reading Retreat, Portugal Pilates Reformer Retreat
Tiffany Ingersoll
Pilates & Yoga Instructor
Tiffany has been teaching movement since 2008. She’s a certified Pilates and yoga instructor, a Pre/Postnatal Corrective Exercise Specialist, and an educator in breath and fascial release techniques. Her classes meet you where you are, whether it’s your first class or your five hundredth.
Leads: Algarve Retreat
Natalie Cowden
Reiki Teacher & Herbalist
Natalie, CHT, is the founder of Wild West Herbals & Energetics and has spent years studying Reiki, herbalism, hypnotherapy, and holistic healing. Known for her warmth, curiosity, and practical teaching style, she creates a welcoming space where students build confidence in their own intuition and leave with tools they’ll keep using.
Dr. Garrett M. Levin
Veterinary Surgeon & CE Presenter
Dr. Levin, DVM, DACVS, is a board-certified veterinary surgeon and Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons. After his surgical residency at The Animal Medical Center in New York, he served as Chief of Surgery in Massachusetts and Vermont, and he now owns Ascend Veterinary Surgery, practicing in Vermont and New York.
Dr. Ronit Berdugo
Veterinary Medicine Education Coordinator
Dr. Berdugo, DVM, CVA, is a small animal veterinarian with the Humane Society in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, after 20 years running a house and boat call practice in the Florida Keys. She is certified in Chinese acupuncture, trained in animal rehabilitation, and loves to ski, hike, and travel.
Samantha Bahn
Bookstore Owner & Co-founder, Book Club Salida
Samantha spent more than 15 years as a public school educator and once worked as a whitewater rafting guide. She owns an independent bookstore, co-founded Book Club Salida, and helped create and lead our Reading Retreat in New Mexico.
Deb Bass O’Brien
Educator & Co-founder, Book Club Salida
With nearly 20 years as an educator, Deb loves the conversations a great book sparks. As co-founder of Book Club Salida, she curates reading lists and hosts literary events, and she helped create and lead our Reading Retreat in New Mexico.
Want to know who’s leading your trip?
Book a quick call and you’ll hear all about your hosts, the group, and what the days really look like.
What guests still remember a year later
★★★★★ 5.0 on Google Read our reviews →
“
I remember the delightful walks to the beach from our villa, the extra benefits of having a massage therapist and a sound bath practitioner with us to add to the wonderful vibes. I loved the howler monkeys in the trees and getting to see them from the yoga deck.
Lynn M. / Costa Rica, one year later
“
The time away was so special and the people were fabulous. I enjoyed the new sights and new experiences. The whale watching boat ride was tons of fun along with seeing the dolphins running beside the boat.
Margaret C. / Costa Rica, one year later
“
I remember good food, fun people and laughter, as well as quiet meditative moments, movement, and soothing sounds of the ocean and sound bath. My favorite part was the whale-watching and the dolphins surrounding the boat!
Liz V. / Costa Rica, one year later
Read a full traveler story
Where we’re headed next
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Portugal Pilates Reformer Retreat
5 NightsLoulé, PortugalMovementSet in the quiet countryside just outside of Loulé, our home for the week invites us into a different pace. Surrounded by olive trees and rolling hills, this beautifully designed estate feels peaceful, spacious, and deeply grounding from the moment we arrive.
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Cotswolds Walking & Reading Retreat
7 NightsCotswold Way, EnglandWalking + ReadingWe begin our walk in the historic market town of Chipping Campden and continue through some of the most charming villages in the region, including Broadway, Stanton, Winchcombe, and the hilltop village of Painswick.
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A True Taste of the Algarve
6 NightsOlhão, PortugalAdventure + CulinaryOur home for the week is a historic house with a rooftop pool in Olhão, a fishing town on Portugal’s southern coast. Mornings start with movement to the sound of church bells, and days bring olive oil tastings, the Saturday market, and boat trips along the golden cliffs.
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Día de los Muertos in Oaxaca
4 NightsOaxaca, MexicoCulinaryExperience Día de los Muertos in Oaxaca, the most enchanting place to see it. Spend time with host families in two villages outside the city, keep a candlelit vigil in the Xoxocotlán cemetery, and join the parades and marigold altars of the historic center.
New retreats are on the way. Browse all retreats to see what’s coming next.
Before you book
“I have such fond memories of Costa Rica! We learned so much in the movement sessions and it was wonderful to connect with so many new people and share the experiences of nature and explorations.”
– Lexi S., Costa Rica, one year later
Talk it through with our team
Most people just want to get a feel for it first. Book a quick call and ask anything, from the airport pickup to how active the days really are.
Find your kind of retreat
Six ways to travel with us, all with small groups, a menu of choices, and every detail handled.