Morocco · Reading + Movement
Morocco Reading Retreat: Books, Pilates & the Atlas Mountains
Six nights of good books, energetic Pilates, Moroccan food and traditions, and slow afternoons by the pool in the Ourika Valley.
Oct 3-9, 2027
6 Nights
14-18
$3,400/pp
All Levels
Inside the Morocco Reading Retreat
For six nights, this Morocco reading retreat brings together three things we love: really good books, really good movement, and the chance to experience a place with genuine curiosity. We’ll pick a book to read together before the trip, then continue the conversation in the Ourika Valley.
Each morning, you can begin with mindfulness, an energetic Pilates class, or both. The week also leaves room for the luxury of uninterrupted reading, whether that means a quiet morning with your book, an afternoon by the pool, or lingering over a conversation about something you’ve just read.
And then there’s Morocco itself. We’ll bake bread the Berber way, sit with a henna artist, hear stories told in the centuries-old hikayat tradition, and spend a morning in the Atlas Mountains, with enough space in the week to slow down and actually take it all in.
Retreat at a Glance
Is this retreat right for you?
How active, how pampered, and how social this trip feels, so you can pick the one that fits.
Activity
Moderate
Comfort
Comfortable
Your Time
Balanced
Food
Meet the host of your week.
Your week is led by Brittany Mora, a returning Away host, with a second Away host to be announced soon.
Brittany Mora
Pilates Instructor & Away Host
Travel has always been one of Brittany’s greatest passions, especially experiencing a place at a slower, more intentional pace. A returning Away host, she’s also the founder and owner of Silver Shuffles, a movement company in Raleigh, North Carolina, that helps adults stay active, connected, and confident through joyful movement.
Let us handle it all.
“From start to finish, I felt safe, cared for, and truly able to relax while learning so much about my body and how to move without pain in everyday life.”
– Kaitlyn M., Away Retreats guest
The Day-to-Day in the Ourika Valley
Everything is optional on all of our experiences. This is your retreat. You choose what you’d like to do each day.
Like the sound of this week?
Take a look at the rooms and hold your spot with a deposit. Questions first? Our team is happy to talk it through.
Ourika Valley
What’s Included
What your days actually look like.
Here, days move between energetic Pilates, good books, long Moroccan meals, and traditions shared by the people who keep them alive, with plenty of space left to slow down.
The Place
A Boutique Moroccan Stay
Our home for the week is built in the traditional Moroccan style, with local materials and handcrafted details. It’s comfortable and thoughtfully designed rather than high luxury, with a warm, welcoming atmosphere that feels like home.
Every Meal Included
From breakfast each morning to long lunches and dinners around the table, every meal is included. Everything is freshly prepared and rooted in Moroccan ingredients and traditions, and meant to be enjoyed slowly, together.
The Atlas Mountains
Our morning in the Atlas Mountains is not an ordinary stroll. We’ll explore quiet valleys, meet local communities, and learn about the traditions of the Amazigh people who have called this region home for generations.
The Books
Pre-Retreat Book Club
You’ll help choose the book by voting from a curated shortlist, and about four months before the retreat, we’ll mail a copy to your door. Around two months before departure, join our virtual book club discussion if you’d like.
Books & Moroccan Tea
We’ll gather over Moroccan tea, including green tea grown right on the property, to talk about the book we’ve all read. Expect good questions, different perspectives, and plenty of tangents. Just bring your thoughts.
A Pop-Up Bookshop
For a few days, a corner of our Moroccan home becomes a tiny bookshop of our own. Browse from the cushions, swap recommendations, and choose one book to take home. It’s included with your retreat.
The Traditions
Moroccan Storytelling
Hikayat, the Moroccan tradition of storytelling, has passed stories aloud from one generation to the next for centuries, and practicing storytellers are becoming rare. One evening, we’ll hear traditional stories shared in English and Darija.
Henna with a Local Artist
Passed down through generations of Berber women, henna is a symbol of blessing, protection, and celebration. Sit with a local henna artist and watch intricate Berber designs take shape.
Berber Bread Making
We’ll learn to make bread the Berber way, shaping dough by hand and baking it over a traditional fire. It’s a simple, time-honored method that connects us to generations of Moroccan kitchens.
The Slow Moments
Morning Pilates
Each morning, choose a mindfulness session, a Pilates class, or both. Classes are energetic and thoughtfully programmed, with excellent instruction and attention to form, in two indoor practice spaces and outside when the weather allows.
Room to Recharge
Away from the constant buzz of everyday life, there’s space to reconnect with yourself, with others, and with the place around you. There’s no right way to unplug, so choose what feels supportive.
A Free Day
Wednesday is yours. Read by the pool, book a hammam or pottery workshop, or head out to the Agafay Desert or Marrakech.
Make It Yours
Traditional Hammam
Experience a traditional hammam during your free time, without leaving the property. Warm steam, Moroccan black soap, and a vigorous exfoliation, guided by a trained attendant, with time afterward to relax, read, or linger by the pool.
Let us know and we’ll book it for you.
What to Do With Your Free Time
You’ll have plenty of open time on this retreat. Here are a few things we love nearby. None of it is required. Let us know what you’re interested in during your retreat, and we’ll help you plan it.
Save your spot, or just say hello.
Pick your room and hold it with a deposit, or book a quick call first. We’re happy to talk through the details, the group, and whether this trip is the right fit.
Choose your room.
Every room is a little different. Some have their own ensuite bathroom, and some share a bathroom with one other room, as is typical in a riad. All prices are per person for the full retreat, and a deposit holds your spot.
October 3-9, 2027 | 6 Nights
Rooms Just for You
ENSUITE BATH
Single Room: Ensuite Bathroom
Your own room with your own ensuite bathroom. The photo shows an example, since each room is different.
Per person
$4,200
SHARED BATH
Single Room: Shared Bathroom
Your own room, sharing a hallway bathroom with one other room in typical riad style. The photo shows an example, since each room is different.
Per person
$3,800
Shared Rooms
ENSUITE BATH
Double Room: Twin Beds, Ensuite Bathroom
Two twin beds and your own ensuite bathroom. Book with a friend, or book solo and be paired with another solo traveler of the same gender.
Per person
$3,700
SHARED BATH
Double Room: Twin Beds, Shared Bathroom
Two twin beds, with a bathroom just outside the room shared with one other room, riad style. Book with a friend, or book solo and be paired with another solo traveler of the same gender.
Per person
$3,400
ENSUITE BATH
Triple Room: Ensuite Bathroom
Comfortable accommodations and your own ensuite bathroom, for you and two friends to book together. The photo shows an example, since each room is different.
Per person
$3,400
Ourika Valley
Every trip gives back!
A portion of the profit from this retreat will be donated to a nonprofit organization doing meaningful work in Morocco. We believe that traveling somewhere also means finding ways to support the communities and places that welcome us.
We are here for Every Question
“The place we stayed was beautiful and we had such amazing meals thanks to our incredible chef. It was such a lovely blend of meeting new people, classes that really focused in on your body and seeing the surroundings.”
– Gretchen R., Away Retreats guest
Ourika Valley
Let’s explore the world together
We love talking about travel. Send us a note, and someone from our team will be in touch, usually within a day.
Find your kind of retreat
Six ways to travel with us, all with small groups, a menu of choices, and every detail handled.