Meraki
San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
1-11 March 2027
Meraki
Meraki (the essence of ourselves), is a Greek word that means putting a part of our soul into what we do, and doing something with creativity, passion and love.
This is your invitation to reconnect with your essential life, the life we are born to enjoy, but which gets overwhelmed by all the demands of daily living.
We make art and we write to remind ourselves of a life lived with intensity and truth, a life of colour and laughter and connectedness. These are the things we can bring back into our daily lives and they will sustain us, recalling to us the simple life-affirming wisdom of spending time with people and in places that set a spark in the soul.
This unique Meraki retreat is designed to be both restorative and uplifting. If you seek peace, space and the inspiration to rekindle your creative practice then this retreat offers a revelatory time of collaborative pleasures. We work without judgement, creating the kind of joyous, playful opportunities where everything is valued, because it is original, unpredictable, arising out of the moment, personal and therefore precious.
At the heart of our making is a small, intimate book designed to live inside a nicho, a traditional Mexican vessel for the things we hold most sacred.
We will work through mark-making and fragments, ink and thread. We will build pages that carry the words and the textures of our collective days and of this extraordinary place. Surfaces will be made, torn, remade, and ultimately bound.
Hotel Mirador del Frayle
"The Friar's Viewpoint”, a colonial boutique hotel in the La Palmita neighbourhood, ten minutes from the historic centre.
Built in traditional hacienda style, the estate is marked by cantera stone archways, exposed wooden beams, terracotta floors, and brick vaulted ceilings. A heated pool, lush gardens, and open-air corners invite the kind of slow, unhurried presence that good making requires.
Our workshop space is large and full of light, with long windows and panoramic views across the city's iconic skyline, a room that feels generous enough to hold whatever emerges over our days together.
San Miguel de Allende
San Miguel de Allende is a city of cobblestones, Baroque facades, and endless stories of the people who have passed through it. For nearly a century it has been a haven for artists, built around the Escuela de Bellas Artes and the Instituto Allende, schools that drew painters, writers, and makers from across the world. In 2008 it was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, recognised for its extraordinary architecture and its place in the story of Mexican independence.
We chose San Miguel because it holds something rare: a place where history is still tangible, where making still matters, and where the streets themselves feel like an invitation to pay closer attention.
Memories from our first Meraki in Greece
PRICE: £2,925 per person (private room)
(For room sharing or San Miguel resident rates, please get in touch.)
DEPOSIT: To secure your place, a non-refundable deposit of £750 is required.
PAYMENT: The balance may be paid in two instalments (£1,100 by 15 September 2026, and final payment by 15 January 2027), OR settled in full before 15 September 2026.
Payments are processed in British pounds (GBP) via this website. Your bank or card provider will convert this to your local currency at the time of payment.
INCLUDED:
Pick-up Transfer from QRO or BJX Airport *
Welcome Gift
10 Nights in a Beautiful Mexican Boutique Hotel
All breakfasts
Lunch at Viñedos San Lucas, local winery
2 dinners with 1 drink
Writing Workshops with Claire
Mixed Media Workshops with Jack
Visit to the Chapel of Jimmy Ray Gallery
Visit to local and artisanal markets
Transfer to QRO or BJX Airport on departure day *
TAI CHI
LUNCHES
NOT INCLUDED:
Flights to and from QRO or BJX
Travel Insurance
All meals, except breakfasts and 2 dinners
* Airport pick-up and drop-off are only for indicated dates and specific times. Should you plan to arrive earlier and/or stay longer in San Miguel de Allende, you will be responsible for your own transfers.
CANCELLATION POLICY: Please note that all bookings are non-refundable. If you're unable to attend, you're welcome to transfer your place to someone else.
Ready to join us?
Secure your place with a deposit of £750.
Includes 10 nights accommodation and full workshop programme.
Your Hosts
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Jack Ravi
Jack Ravi is a collage and mixed media artist who creates with found objects. His work is rooted in curiosity and wonder, and he approaches it as a personal, meditative journey. This is also reflected in the way he teaches, encouraging discovery and play while celebrating mistakes and insights. He offers pre recorded classes, in-person workshops, and live online classes that are intentionally kept small. Offering these sacred and intimate circles where participants can feel safe to express themselves creatively and even begin to heal together is an act of joy and empowerment. With a deep reverence for forgotten papers, he celebrates their beauty and potential in his art.
Jack is also the author of the book "Artful Memories: How to create unique art with old photographs.” He lives and works in Scotland.
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Claire Steele
Claire Steele has run Magical Journeys Creative Writing Retreats for over fifteen years. She has run workshops in prisons, dementia cafes, on the tops of double-decker buses, on airport runways, in gypsy caravans and on narrowboats, as well as in the more expected locations for a writing workshop. The retreats and workshops are designed to foster creative flow, release story and affirm your sense of purpose as a writer. They are designed to nourish you spiritually, extend you creatively and sustain you emotionally. Writing is where we go to discover the things we don’t yet know, it takes us into a place where history, experiment and mystery abound.
She also runs Constellations Press, a new local independent press seeking to publish exceptional books by debut writers. www.constellationspress.co.uk
FAQS
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The transfer from Athens International to Pelion on the 23rd April will be AROUND 2pm.
The Transfer from Pelion to Athens International will be AROUND 7AM on the 30th April.
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Arriving a day earlier is entirely up to you. This might give you some wiggle room in case your plane is delayed, and it also offers some time to settle in a new environment and adjust to jet lag.
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The transfers are organised for everyone together at the same time, so if folk arrive early they will need to wait for others. We have aimed to schedule the transfers at times that work well for most participants, but inevitably some folk will have to wait for others to arrive. If you choose to organise your own private transfers this will be at your own expense.
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You are welcome to browse the retreat space at www.pelionhomes.com
Here are some links to the villas. Scroll to the bottom of each page to see more images.