SPF!

Sun-protective items - hat, sunglasses, sarongs/shawls/long sleeves

At least 2 bathing suits - at least one for athletic/active use, and whatever you prefer for sunbathing/relaxing on the beach. 

A beach sun cover 

Workout/Pilates clothing

Hiking shoes and clothing

Light and midweight layers for cooler mornings/evenings.

As laundry will be hung to dry, it's great to prioritize packing items that are not too delicate for clothes pins, items that air dry quickly, and/or to pack in such a way that you won't need to do much wash during your stay.

Optional - snorkel gear if you have some that you like.  Basic gear can be purchased locally if you don't bring your own.

We will go out to eat a few times - nothing too formal, but it's always fun to get cute so bring a few dressy casual island fits... 

Optional - a pillow if you are particular about them, like I am ;) We use pillow cubes which stuff into travel cubes very easily and don't take up much space.

And of course...

***Make sure to bring enough of any medication you may need for the entirety of the trip, plus some.

Chargers for your devices, and converters.  We will have some converters available for use as well.

And after all that, don't forget to leave a little room in your luggage for goodies you may bring home!

If you are flying from the US or Asia, this will be a long trip with a big time zone difference. If at all possible, we recommend arriving at least to somewhere in Europe a couple of days before the retreat to recover from the long travel and acclimate to the time difference. This way, you will be rested and ready for the workshop at the beginning of the trip.

Please note though, that if you arrive to Sardinia on any day before the start of the retreat, we cannot guarantee an offer for airport pickup.

Check in can be anytime after 1pm on Friday, June 12th. If you are flying into OLB that day, send us your itinerary so that we can help coordinate arrival to Petra Bianca.

Check out is 10am on Thursday, June 18th.

Click here for the location of Tenuta Petra Bianca.

You’ll fly into OLB airport in Olbia, Sardinia. Once you have your flight itinerary, please share it with us.

If you are flying into OLB on June 12th: Petra Bianca is about an hour drive from the airport. We will offer two complimentary pick up times, to be determined once we get flight times from everyone. We will do our best to accommodate as many arrivals as possible, but depending on flight times this may not cover everyone’s arrivals so please prepare to make alternate arrangements if needed.

You can choose to wait for one of those pick up times, you may take a cab which you can expect to cost around 100 euro, or you may rent a car.

You are welcome to have your own car but it is not required.

If you are the type who enjoys having a little freedom to break off from the group and do your own thing, we would recommend it, and even encourage you to share a rental with another retreat guest or two.

There will be free parking available at our accommodations. Let us know if you decide to rent a car, so the estate knows what to expect.

NOTE: If you plan to rent a car at any time during your trip - you may need an international drivers license.  Some rental companies require it and others don't. They are very easy to obtain in advance, so we recommend getting one just to be on the safe side. It's around $20 at your local AAA and you should be able to get it the same day you apply.

Please download Whatsapp to your phone if you haven’t already. This will be the easiest way to communicate to everyone in the group while there.

You are welcome to turn on international calls during the time you are here, but we will do our best to rely on wifi and whatsapp so that everyone can stay in the loop even without international calling on.

There is so much to enjoy in Sardinia and we encourage you to spend as much time as you are able, exploring and relaxing.

The retreat is during the busy season for the island, so if you are interested in extending your stay, we recommend you reach out to Petra Bianca as soon as possible to find out what is available.

If not there, we can offer some recommendations for other places to try, but of course nothing is guaranteed.

You do not need to be a Pilates instructor, but because this particular retreat will include 12 hours of in-depth Pilates workshops in addition to daily Pilates mat, you’d have to still be a pretty big Pilates nerd to get the most out of this trip possible. You may choose to opt out of the two 6-hr workshop days, but this would not come at a lowered cost for the trip.

Physical activity will be a cornerstone of this trip, however, the activities we have chosen for the group are accessible for beginners. If you are physically active during your daily life you should be just fine participating in everything we are doing together.

As for the Pilates workouts, everyone is encouraged to do what you can, and modify or skip the rest. No one is required to be advanced.

If you have questions or concerns about this and would like to know how you can best prepare yourself to be ready for this trip, feel free to reach out and Chris will guide you.