With Victoria Chamron & Francesca Stafford
The Morocco Retreat
Welcome, wonderful retreaters! We are so excited to welcome you to Morocco this year. Some of you are returners to our retreats, and some of you are new, but it's always helpful to have a little rundown of what to expect from our time together.
01 — Before you go
Essentials
The practical bits — sorted well ahead of the 25th, ideally this week.
Where we're staying
Manira Palm is a luxury eco villa around 30 minutes from Marrakesh.
What's included included
- 4 nights' accommodation
- Daily extended yoga classes — vinyasa, slow flow, restorative, yin & sound baths
- Private outdoor pool access
- All meals, including a sunset desert dinner on the final night
- Guided classes from Francesca & Victoria throughout
- Free transfers from the airport, or Marrakesh city centre (depending on whether you arrive on Thursday or Friday), and your transfers back to the airport for your departure
What's not not included
- On-site massages — available to book locally, around £40
- Travel insurance
- Personal spending & gratuities
Money
Moroccan Dirham (MAD) — not usually available to buy before travelling. Withdraw cash on arrival and bring a card as backup. Small notes are handy for markets, tips and the on-site massage.
Plugs & power
Morocco uses Type C/E sockets, 220V. UK guests will need an adapter — most of continental Europe won't.
Phone & wifi
Check your roaming rates or use an eSIM. Wifi is available at the airport and villa.
Health
No mandatory vaccinations for UK/EU travellers, but routine jabs are worth checking. Stick to bottled or filtered water. It's a dry climate, so mosquitoes aren't common unless there's been recent rain.
Travel insurance
Not included — guests should arrange their own before travelling, covering any excursions and yoga/movement activities, and bring their policy number and 24-hour emergency line.
02 — Climate check
Weather & what to pack
Late September in Marrakech is warm and dry by day, but drops sharply once the sun goes down — dress in layers that can be added and shed.
Sun & heat
Layers for cool evenings
Practical
Yoga & movement
Documents & money
03 — What to wear
Clothing options
Natural, breathable fabrics — cotton and linen — cope with the heat far better than synthetics. Think light, loose and layerable.
On the mat
Breathable, stretchy layers — pack a light long-sleeve for cooler early or evening sessions.
By the pool & downtime
The villa's own grounds — anything relaxed goes.
Medina, souks & excursions
Loose clothing that covers shoulders and knees is both respectful and genuinely cooler in the heat.
Shared evenings
Anything you feel comfortable in, with a light jumper or wrap as it cools down.
04 — Day by day
Schedule
This is your retreat so all practices are entirely optional. We offer workshops on some days, purely for your own enjoyment and curiosity. Please note, times are subject to change once we land and resonate with ourselves, each other & the space. This is not to be viewed as a rigid structure, but to be considered as more of a guide to keep us in flow with one another and the offerings shared.
1Arrival dayFri 25 September›
2Rooted & ReleaseSat 26 September›
3Growth & Heart opensSun 27 September›
4Renewal & desert supperMon 28 September›
5Departure dayTue 29 September›
05 — Life at the villa
Housekeeping
The small, human details that make shared living easy for everyone.
Soft morning energy
There's beauty in starting our days softly. This doesn't mean silence, but just allowing for a softness at the start of the day.
Phone use
We encourage you to keep this to a minimum. We rarely gift ourselves this time — let yourself have it.
Food & snacks
All meals are included, from breakfast banquets to the closing sunset dinner. Yoghurt and fruit will be out before practice for anyone needing a little something. In our experience, the brunch and early dinner are all that's needed, as we are fed incredibly well by the team — but if you feel you might want some snacks, do pack some to make sure you're comfortable. Please flag any allergies or dietary requirements in advance.
Pool & massage
The villa's private outdoor pool is available throughout. On-site massages can be booked for around £40 — not included, so pre-book if wanted.
Quiet time
We just ask that we all respect a 10pm-ish quiet time. This just means that those who want to go to bed, can do so easily.
Check-out, Tuesday 29th
10am, and it's a firm one this time, as another retreat checks in right behind us.
Photos & video
Some photos and videos will be taken for marketing use. Guests who'd rather not appear in any should just say so.
We are here to help!
Please just reach out —
Francesca — francesca@francescastafford.com · WhatsApp 07875 217 373
Victoria — hello@tideswithin.com · WhatsApp 07983 638 885