Writing Into the Ocean NEW SPOTS JUST OPENED!
October 17th - October 23rd, 2026
Baja, Mexico
Join globally acclaimed Mark Doty & poet & movement teacher, Emily Hyland, for 6 nights of deep retreat to ground into presence and generate new poems as part of our growing community! The vibes are supportive, kind, warm, fun & friendly.
Join globally acclaimed Mark Doty & poet & movement teacher, Emily Hyland, for 6 nights of deep retreat to ground into presence and generate new poems as part of our growing community! The vibes are supportive, kind, warm, fun & friendly.
For this retreat, we’ll be staying for six nights at Yandara Retreats, a serene glamping center located on the Pacific Coast of Baja California Sur, Mexico, in between the popular artist town of Todos Santos and Cabo San Lucas.
Yandara creates a calm container for exactly the kind of work we do with 3 healthy, mostly vegetarian means a day, quiet mornings across the property until 10am, and low key evenings. Our daily retreat routine will follow a flow moving from breakfast into craft talks with Mark, lunch, open space every afternoon for writing, reading, napping, swimming, & hiking, late afternoon movement practice, dinner, & evening offerings like a soundbath, beach bonfire, or poetry reading.
Yandara is located on the beach and accommodations are glamping-style. We will be spending the bulk of our time outdoors! Meals and craft talks will be held in a quiet, shaded area outside. All levels of experience welcome—only requirements are willing, open hearts & kind spirits. Full schedule will be provided in a pre-retreat Zoom meet & greet in mid-September.
Starting at $1,975
RETREAT INCLUDES
ACCOMMODATIONS:
6 nights (Saturday-Friday) at Yandara
3x DAILY MEALS:
All meals are made by the Yandara chefs and are mostly vegetarian. Expect simple, clean, healthy food.
Tea + coffee, and light snacks are available throughout the day.
DAILY PROGRAMMING:
Craft Talks: Daily sessions led by Mark to spark your poetic process
Yoga/Mindful Movement: Morning & afternoon sessions with Emily, designed to tune awareness & support the writing process (all props available on site)
Evening Offerings: Reading, Beach Bonfire, Soundbath
WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED:
Flights: Airfare and flight coordination are not included
Airport Shuttle:Cost of transportation from the airport to the retreat center is not included but coordination is—please see Getting There section below for more details.
Add-ons:
Yandara offers Massage Treatments, Astrology, Reiki, Acupuncture, & Cranio-Sacral bodywork that you can book to bolster your experience. Prices vary and range from $70-$100 USD
Smoothie Bar at the pool, with smoothies & treats available for purchase.
Retreat Details
DAILY PROGRAMMING
Typical Day (sample):
7:30am
Coffee available
Somatic Movement Practice (totally optional!)
9:00am
Quiet Breakfast
10:00am
Craft Talk with Mark
Writing Time
1:00pm
Lunch
1:30pm
Open Time (write, read, nap, walk, swim)
4:30pm
Somatic Movement Practice
6:00pm
Dinner
7:00
Evening Programming (soundbath, reading, bonfire)
*all activities are always optional! If you prefer to opt out of a movement practice or evening offering for more time to write, you’re totally welcome to do that.
Accommodations and Pricing
To make these offerings as inclusive as possible, Emily & Mark wish to minimize the effect economic factors have on peoples' ability to access this program. Accordingly, they’re employing the Green Bottle Sliding Scale Model For Social Justice to allow you to determine, with integrity & right action, within 3 tiered options, the appropriate cost of your respective purchase that best represents your financial situation. Please review the Green Bottle graphic below and opt into the category that reflects your economic situation.
Please note, there are two types of accommodations for this retreat, most of which are canvas glamping tents. As we are allotted a limited number of huts & tents with en-suites bathrooms, priority for these accommodations will go to Tier 3 guests on a first-come, first served basis. Being a Tier 3 guest does not guarantee the highest level of accommodation once those are full. If you want to ensure an accommodation with en-suite bathroom, book ASAP at Tier 3.
WITH EN-SUITE BATHROOM: Glamping Cabana or Hobbit Hut
WITH SHARED FACILITIES: Cabana or Canvas TenT. MINI HOBBIT HUTS NOW AVAILABLE!
PRICING:
To make these offerings as inclusive as possible, we’re employing the Green Bottle Sliding Scale Model For Social Justice to allow you to determine, with integrity & right action, within 3 tiered options, the appropriate cost of your respective purchase that best represents your financial situation. Please review the Green Bottle graphic and opt into the category that reflects your economic situation.
For this retreat, tiers are as follows:
Tier 3 $3,375
Tier 2 $2,595
Tier 1 $1,975
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Flying In:
Fly into San Jose del Cabo/Los Cabos International (SJD)
Transportation to and from SJD:
Car Rentals: You can rent a car at the airport; Yandara has parking onsite.
Yandara Shuttle: Yandara will help provide & coordinate shuttle services for guests to and from the airport, (which Emily used very easily on her past visit).
Arrival Shuttles for flights arriving between 11am and 5pm on Saturday 10/17: $40 per person. (shuttles outside these hours are $100 for one person; $60 each for two; and $40 for three or more).
Departure Shuttles between 1-4pm on Friday 10/23: $40 per person.
(shuttles outside these hours are $100 for one person; $60 each for two; and $40 for three or more).
* Shuttle drivers are usually tipped around $5 per person, up to $20 per group.
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Yandara is right on the ocean, in mid-October, temperatures will range from mid 80’s during the day into mid 60’s when the sun goes down —bring light long sleeves in addition to your warm-weather attire.
Bathing suit! The pool is lovely.
If you will be hiking, bring appropriate hiking shoes and outerwear
Comfortable clothing for movement classes
Reusable water bottle
Hat, sunglasses, mosquito repellent and sunscreen
Laptop, journal, and pens for writing workshops
Any medications you rely on
Passport! (must not expire 6 months after current travel dates)
Cash/Pesos: We encourage guests to bring cash for gratuities/tips for shuttle drivers, Yandara
staff, etc. Tipping in pesos is best, but in this part of Mexico US currency is also acceptable.
We encourage you to pack casual, comfortable clothing; no need to be fancy!
An open heart and spirit!
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CONTACT:
If you have questions email Emily: emily@emilyhyland.com
BOOK:
You can make payment and book your spot here.
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Laundry: Hand washing clothes facilities are available, and Yandara provides a laundry service on Thursdays, with items returned either the same day or the following day (cost: $9).
Quiet hours are kept from 10pm-10am, including silent breakfast.
Yandara has a strict no alcohol, drugs, or smoking policy.
Yandara runs completely on solar energy—leave your blow-dryer at home!
Wifi is available, and most US calling plans include coverage in Mexico & Canada. Check your plan before arrival for more details.
TRAVEL INSURANCE: Due to unforeseeable, we strongly recommend that our guests purchase travel insurance, including medical, for the duration of the trip. There are several companies that offer this at reasonable rates. We recommend:
www.allianztravelinsurance.com
https://www.worldnomads.com/
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Please note that your booking payment is Non-Refundable. If you need to cancel and we are able to rebook your room, your balance will be reimbursed. You are also welcome to find someone who wants to transfer your spot. If we cannot rebook your room then all monies received up until cancellation will be retained. We appreciate your understanding.