Six rooms on a private Aegean island… Weekly stays run from Sunday check-in to Saturday departure, from mid-April through mid-October
In the northern Aegean, between mainland Greece and the island of Evia, lies a small, little-known island. The privately owned island, northeast of Athens, has hosted yoga retreats since 2013. It is Silver Island Yoga.
The retreat stands out among Europe’s wellness getaways for several reasons: two sisters transformed the land where their family lived into a retreat; the entire island runs on solar power and collected rainwater; and each session accommodates no more than six rooms’ worth of guests.
From family island to retreat
Silver Island Yoga was founded by sisters Claire Christie and Lissa Christie. According to the official website, they set out to transform the island where their family had lived into a self-sufficient meditation space that would not harm the natural environment. They began operating the retreat in 2013.
The island has an old olive grove that is still managed organically. A small church dedicated to St. Kosmas and St. Damianos also remains. The traces of a lived-in place are visible throughout—the site is a renovated family property, not a newly built resort.
60 acres of olive groves and a lighthouse
The island covers about 60 acres. Gentle hills and small valleys stretch across the land, where ancient olive groves, cypress trees and wildflowers grow. The Aegean surrounds it on all sides.
The layout is simple: an outdoor yoga shala, a main house, guest rooms and bathrooms, a beach, a lighthouse and Sunset Rock, where guests meditate while watching the sun go down. There are six rooms in all. Most can be arranged with twin or double beds. Guests can choose a private room, share with another participant or reserve an entire room.
Retreats operate only on a weekly schedule, with check-in on Sunday and departure on Saturday. The season runs from mid-April through mid-October.
Two yoga sessions a day and long afternoons
The day begins with morning yoga. Classes take place in an outdoor shala overlooking the sea rather than indoors. The official website says instructors blend several styles to accommodate everyone from beginners to experienced practitioners.
Breakfast follows the morning class, and guests spend the day walking around the island, swimming in the sea or simply resting. A church bell signals lunchtime. The afternoon is left open as what the official website calls “a lazy afternoon of complete relaxation.” A second yoga session takes place as the sun begins to set. The afternoon class moves more slowly than the morning session and is closer to meditation.
This is not an intensive program with a tightly packed schedule. Guests are not required to observe silence, and the time between the two daily classes is deliberately left open. Beginners to yoga and meditation can take part.
Island life powered by solar energy and rainwater
The island relies entirely on its own systems. Solar panels on the island provide the lighting. Water is collected and stored through the winter, then used throughout the season.
The bathrooms are stocked with biodegradable products. The official website also states that the retreat recycles and prioritizes locally produced goods.
All three daily meals are vegetarian. The kitchen uses Mediterranean recipes and organic local ingredients. The retreat says it can accommodate vegan, gluten-free and lactose-free diets.
A retreat that is not expanding
Six rooms is a very small footprint by lodging-industry standards. For the retreat operator, it also makes it harder to increase revenue. Silver Island Yoga’s decision to preserve the island as it is rather than add rooms appears to reflect its original goal: transforming the family’s land into a space that does not damage nature.
The island’s reliance on its own water and electricity systems is also tied to its size. With the retreat using rainwater collected during the winter and solar power for lighting, increasing the number of guests would require bringing in resources from outside the island.
Healing News previously featured Alpen Retreat in the foothills of the Austrian Alps. European retreats tend to fall into two categories: large wellness resorts and small independent spaces. Silver Island Yoga belongs to the latter group. Rather than emphasizing lavish facilities, it lowers the density of the space by limiting the number of people who stay there.
Who is it right for?
The retreat suits travelers who can set aside a full week and prefer a smaller setting to a crowded resort. With only six rooms, each session accommodates relatively few guests.
There are also conditions to consider before booking. Because it is a private island, guests cannot freely leave and return during the retreat, and the island’s independent power and water systems mean visitors should not expect the same conveniences as at an urban hotel. The limited operating season—from mid-April through mid-October—must also be considered when planning a trip.
All instruction is conducted in English.
Getting there
[Image: Small boat at Orei harbor in northern Evia — Greek National Tourism Organization press image, search Unsplash for “Oreoi Evia harbour boat”]
The official website recommends the following route. First, fly into Athens International Airport, also known as Eleftherios Venizelos. Participants then travel across the mainland together and take a water taxi from Orei in northern Evia to the island. Because the final leg is by boat, travelers must coordinate their arrival time with the retreat.
Planning a trip from South Korea
After traveling from South Korea to Athens, guests must head north across the mainland and take a boat from Orei, meaning the journey alone takes nearly two days each way. Because the retreat runs on a weekly schedule, with check-in on Sunday and departure on Saturday, joining midway or leaving early is difficult. Travelers should plan for at least 10 days, including six nights at the retreat and travel days, when arranging their vacation.
Because the season is limited to mid-April through mid-October, travelers hoping to avoid the summer high season may want to look first at sessions in April and May or September and October. The time difference between Greece and South Korea varies depending on whether daylight saving time is in effect, so travelers should check before departing.
Rates and inquiries
Rates are set per person according to room type and follow an all-inclusive model covering lodging, meals and yoga classes. During this reporting, we could not access the rates page on the official website and therefore could not confirm the specific prices. Travelers should check the official website directly for exact rates and booking conditions.
Official website: https://www.silverislandyoga.com/
Bookings and inquiries: Contact form on the official website
Operating season: Mid-April to mid-October, weekly stays from Sunday to Saturday
Greece is known as a country of islands and seas, but it has rarely been introduced to travelers in South Korea as a destination for meditation and yoga. By using an entire island without expanding its scale, this retreat offers another model for wellness travel in Europe.