26th sep - 30th Sep Oru El Saltador

Permaculture Retreat: From Theory to Action: Learning from a Living Ecosystem

At Oru El Saltador, we believe that learning begins with curiosity, and with the simple act of paying attention to the land beneath your feet. When you visit El Saltador, you'll discover a landscape in transition and a living legacy underway.

Over the next decade and beyond, we're transforming 81 acres of land into a thriving, climate-resilient ecosystem, creating a self-sustaining, circular retreat centre rich in biodiversity.

Rather than forcing nature to recover, we're working with it rebuilding healthy soils, restoring biodiversity and creating the foundations for a resilient Mediterranean woodland.

Back in January, we welcomed our first Permaculture Retreat to the land with an incredible group of people including our permaculture experts.  Since then, we've continued stewarding the site through retreats and countless hours of observation, planting and care. Together, we've already:

• Planted 49 trees, including the beginnings of our Food Forest.

• Restored 8 sections of traditional dry-stone wall.

• Created 3 swales to capture and slow rainwater.

• Removed over 300m² of invasive cane, allowing native habitats to recover.

And we're only just getting started.

Join our expert facilitators, John Goldwyn, Gabino Carballo and Susana Rodriguez for a five-day, hands-on Permaculture Retreat at Oru El Saltador, our living laboratory for ecological and cultural renewal in the Sierra Alhamilla, Andalusia.

Over five immersive days, you'll discover how healthy ecosystems function and what becomes possible when we design with nature rather than against it. Through workshops, field activities, practical projects and daily yoga practice, you'll experience permaculture where it belongs: in the landscape itself.

Every forest starts with pioneers.

This September, we'll explore how hardy pioneer species such as Retama and Lentisco rebuild degraded soils, create shade and prepare the conditions for future forests. Together, we'll also plant Holm Oaks, one of the defining trees of Mediterranean landscapes, which will become the backbone of this evolving ecosystem.

During the retreat, you'll:

• Explore the foundations of permaculture and regenerative design.

• Observe what's changed over the past eight months, understand why these changes have happened and what has suprised us.

• Discover how healthy soils, plants, insects, wildlife and water systems work together to create thriving ecosystems.

• Help shape the next chapter of Oru El Saltador's regeneration through meaningful hands-on projects, such as water resilence, soil analysis and planting the first phase of our pioneer species and Holm Oaks.

• Leave with a renewed sense of connection, curiosity and hope for what's possible when we work with nature.