Description
April 9 – 16, 2027
BOTANICAL ILLUSTRATION RETREAT
with Draw Botanical Instructor, Pam Thompson
In Andalusia, Spain
WORKSHOP DETAILS
Classes held at:
Garden of Lemons in Lecrin Valley, Andalusia, Spain
Workshop registration fee: $997 USD (7 night, 8 day retreat)
Travel and hotel to be paid separately (all hotel accommodation reservations are booked through Ingo at the Garden of Lemons).*
Any guests you’d like to bring who wish to relax and dine, come on walks and excursions, but NOT draw, are invited to join you for a $200 fee. They will also need to pay their accommodation/food/excursion fees. Click here to add a guest fee.
**In order to attend this workshop, you must stay at The Garden of Lemons Retreat Center or the affiliated Hostel Los Naranjos. You will purchase your Draw Botanical workshop first, and then contact Garden of Lemons host Ingo to book your accommodation, which includes room and meals.**
Picture this: Surrounded by fragrant roses and fruiting citrus trees, you’re warm and relaxed, enjoying the Andalusian sun or shade, drawing in a gorgeous garden or in the covered glass-paned drawing room, caressed by lemon blossom-infused breezes. Gourmet meals are served three times a day, with lunch and dinner outdoors under the olive trees. A lovely Spanish wine or refreshing mocktail sits next to your watercolors. You take a break for a dip in the saltwater pool, or a stroll past the avocado and pomegranate trees. You’re living and breathing gorgeous landscapes, fully immersed in abundance, trees dripping with lemons.
In the shade of an orange tree, you capture the essence of an orange. When one falls from a tree onto your table, you eat it for a delightful afternoon snack. When finished with painting for the day, your charming hosts welcome you to the dinner table with freshly prepared Mediterranean style meals, sourced from their own gardens and local producers. Your eyes close as your head hits the pillow, and you wake up to enjoy paradise again the next morning, perhaps a massage from a local masseur is on your agenda…
Read more details from our trip to Garden of Lemons in 2022 to get a taste of the experience.
Botanical Drawing
Study the fundamentals of botanical drawing in a gorgeous setting using the mediums of graphite pencil, colored pencils, and watercolor. Under the supervision of Pam Thompson, students will create their own detailed botanical drawings of flowering plants, fruits and seed pods, working directly from the wide variety of plants growing in and near the Garden of Lemons. From absolute beginners to experienced artists, this workshop is designed for students of all levels. This is a unique opportunity to study and draw plants in the shelter of the Sierra Nevada between Granada and the Mediterranean, away from the usual tourism routes.
Adventures
During this retreat, there will be opportunities to go on local hikes where you can just enjoy the beautiful views and surroundings, or sit and draw in your journal. We will also host a special excursion day to Granada, including dinner at an exquisite restaurant overlooking the Alhambra.
Proposed Itinerary:
Friday April 9: Arrival, Tour through the Garden of Lemons, Welcome Dinner
Saturday April 10: Workshop Day
Sunday April 11: Workshop Day
Monday April 12: Workshop Day
Tuesday April 13: Excursion to Granada / Alhambra
Wednesday April 14: Workshop Day
Thursday April 15 Workshop Day
Friday April 16: Departure
Hotel Accommodation Information and Costs
http://garden-of-lemons.com/en/forside-english
Garden of lemons is a retreat center for people seeking experiences, peace and contemplation in beautiful surroundings. The place is situated in the shelter of the Sierra Nevada between Granada and the Mediterranean, withdrawn from the usual tourist routes, and it is green and lush year round.
From the owners, Henrik and Ingo: “When we first came here in 2011, we instantly fell for the beauty around us and thought that we had to find an opportunity to take root. Soon we found the country house Jardín de Los Limones that lay as a ruin, but today appears as an elegant and detached finca, surrounded by terraces and gardens with olive, orange and fruit trees. To establish the retreat Garden of Lemons, we have since purchased and renovated the village house El Limón – a house with magnificent views of the mountains “Las Alpujarras” and the villages in the valley. The two comfortable houses are located only a few kilometers from each other and have fine architectural details that blend both Nordic and South-European stylistic features. We also partner with the nearby Hostel Los Naranjos to house additional guests.”
There are 2 main sites for housing – The Garden of Lemons Retreat Center & The Hotel Los Naranjos (which is a 15 minute walk from the retreat center)
Please note that all accommodations at the Garden of Lemons AND Hotel Lost Naranjos are booked through Ingo:
1. Housing at the Garden of Lemons Retreat Center: We will have housing for around 8-10 guests in the houses at The Garden of Lemons retreat center, where most of the workshop activities, lunch, & dinners will take place. Rooms are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. We predict that the rooms at Garden of Lemons will fill up fast. View photos here.
There are Rooms in 4 Houses at The Garden of Lemons Retreat Center:
- The Main Villa with 3 rooms. 2 rooms share a bathroom. 1 master suite with its own bathroom.
- The “Garden House” close to the pool. 1 double room with its own bathroom
- “El Pino” House on the avocado-finca – 50 m (approx 55 yds) from the main villa. 2 double rooms with each their own bathroom
- “Los Olivos” House on the olive-finca – 100 m (approx 110 yds) from the main villa. 3 double rooms with each their own bathroom
For more information about the accommodations at the Garden of Lemons, visit http://gardenoflemons.com/en/forside-english
ROOM PRICES AT GARDEN OF LEMONS RETREAT CENTER
7 Nights / 8 Days – Fri, April 9 – Fri, Apr 16:
- Double Room: 1.095 € per person
- Single Room: at Garden of Lemons: 1.495 €
All accommodations are booked through Ingo
2) Housing at the Hotel Los Naranjos The remaining accommodations will be at the affiliated Hotel Los Naranjos, located just 800 meters (approximately a 15-minute walk) from the Garden of Lemons retreat center. The scenic walk takes you through the charming village of Melegís.
Hotel Los Naranjos is a welcoming, family-run hotel and restaurant built in traditional Spanish style, set in a beautiful and peaceful location. The hotel features 14 guest rooms, each with a private balcony, en-suite bathroom, and air conditioning.
People staying at the Hotel may enjoy their lovely breakfast there, or can upgrade and have breakfast at Garden of Lemons for a fee of 100 € for 12 days.
For more information about the accommodations at Hostel Los Naranjos: http://www.losnaranjosdelvalle.com/
ROOM PRICES AT THE HOTEL LOST NARANJOS
7 Nights / 8 Days – Fri, April 9 – Fri, Apr 16:
- Double Room: 895 € per person
- Single Room: 1.045 €
All accommodations are booked through Ingo
Included in your stay:
Transport from Malaga airport to the retreat centre / hotel and back in taxi: 120 € (at a minimum of 3 persons in one taxi)
•7 x breakfast, at the place you choose to stay
•5 x lunch at Garden of Lemons
•5 x dinner at Garden of Lemons
•1 dinner at the hotel Los Naranjos
•free tea and coffee during the day
Optional included at no charge:
•One (3-hour) walk along the river – with information about the village, and about the history of the area
NOT INCLUDED:
•Flight / transport to Málaga or Granada airport
•Alcoholic and soda drinks at the retreat center (offered for reasonable prices)
•Optional excursion to Granada with guided tour 150 € – includes dinner at a historical restaurant overlooking the Alhambra (lunch after own choice not included)
•Tickets to the castle of the Alhambra to be bought individually – around 20 € – more information later
For added convenience, bicycles are available to rent at the Garden of Lemons for €10 (approximately $11 USD) per day.
Guests may join the trip as non-participating guests for the same prices. Click here to purchase a seat for your guest.
Please contact Garden of Lemons directly to reserve a room at either the retreat centre or at the hotel.
Garden of Lemons Hotel Contact Info:
Henrik Vilain and Ingo Schauser
Email: gardenoflemons@gmail.
Phone: 0034 652 034 348 (Ingo)
address: Calle Carretera sin número
18658 Melegís / El Valle
Granada, Spain
Map: https://goo.gl/maps/
Homepage: http://garden-of-lemons.com/
Travel Info:
Arrival Friday, April 9. Fly to Malaga Airport or Granada Airport. Malaga airport is easier to arrange travel to, as it is serviced by more airlines than the smaller Granada airport. (Malaga has many nice, affordable hotels, if you’d like to spend a night to get over jet lag or spend a day or two at the coast.)
Please try to arrive to airport by Mid-day or early afternoon on Fri, April 9. Once you have provided your flight information to our Garden of Lemons host Ingo, he will organize group shuttles to the retreat center and hotel. It is about a 1 hour 30 minute drive between Malaga Airport and our retreat center. There is a fee for the shuttle service. We will have a welcome dinner in the evening on Fri, April 9 at Garden of Lemons, and a tour of the gardens.
Departure Fri, April 16. Ingo will arrange group shuttles to the airports based on your departure info. It is about a 1 hour 30 minute drive to the Malaga airport. For example, if your flight is at 11am, and you like to arrive 2 hours early, you would need to depart Garden of Lemons at 7:30am. Fee for shuttle service.
About the Region:
Just south of the historic Moorish city of Granada, The Lecrin Valley is a lovely green, orchard-covered area at the foot of the dramatic Sierra Nevada mountains and within half an hour of the beautiful Costa Tropical. Perfect as a holiday destination, it’s away from the hustle and bustle of the coast, yet within easy reach, and only a short distance to the city of Granada.
Driving times are about 1 hour 30 from Malaga (with the newly completed motorway), 35 mins from Granada airport, 20 minutes to Granada city and 25 minutes to the Costa Tropical.
An area of outstanding natural beauty, the Lecrin Valley is famous for its verdant landscape (due to the melt-water runoff from the Sierra Nevada), citrus groves, walks, bird life and amazing spring colors. Oranges, lemons, figs, pomegranates (in Spanish – granadas) and cactus line the roadsides.
The valley has many small villages dotted around the picturesque countryside. Orange and lemon trees as far as you can see, mixed with pine, olive and almond trees. The Moors actually named this valley the Valley of Happiness, due to the fresh mountain water that comes down into the valley from the Sierra Nevada mountains and for its abundance of fruit trees and plants.
Workshop Refund Policy:
If you cancel more than 6 weeks before the event (by March 5, 2027), a partial refund of 70% will be given if we are able to fill your spot. If we are unable to fill your spot or if you cancel less than 6 weeks before, we cannot issue a refund.
