La Finca Paradiso, Utopian Retreats

Truly a paradise on Earth! The Finca and its grounds and gardens have been created and nurtured by Penelope as a labour of love over a period of 20 years.

I love Utopian Retreats. I had a wonderful time here - very calming, restful and restorative. The gardens are beautiful and I enjoyed walking around the grounds soaking up the botanical goodness. There are numerous pools to cool down and enjoy a swim in and they are shaped unusually into the stunning architecture of the site. A major highlight of my stay was the food which is sensationally good - delicious and also so healthy it feels like a treatment on its own. There are great excursions near by and opportunities for sessions with very talented healers on site so there is plenty to do. I cannot wait to go back as soon as possible. I feel like I owe it to myself.

WOW. It is hard to find enough superlatives to do this gem of a place: it exceeded my expectations on every level. I have never come to somewhere that is of such a high-standard and simultaneously permeated with heart and love of 20 years of dedication in creating this stunning oasis out of a piece of desert. It's incredibly inspiring to read the story of how it came into being on the website! The food was so next-level I can't even describe the devotion that must go into that - and I've had a lot of exquisite wares in my time. The decor and the design of the place is uniquely beautiful - there's a real artistry and wizardry that has gone into the style. The warm, generous welcome and attention to detail was also "beyond". I can't really recommend this paradise highly enough and I've visited several in my time. I can't wait to go back. Thank you Penelope for your vision, for your determination in bringing through and your generosity of sharing it with us all.

Finca Paradiso is an beautiful and peaceful place in the middle of dessert. The people who work very hard to keep it going are very friendly and open. I felt very honored by spending my time, enjoying the real beauty of nature and being very inspired by all the environmental and artistic ideas. I highly recommend it to all of you who wats to rest in a little paradise. And I hope to be back <3

This retreat is a stunning hidden jewel in the desert . An absolute must visit. Set in beautiful surroundings you can relax by the pool, wander through the stunning gardens and enjoy some of the best food I have ever tasted !!!!
There is an extensive choice of retreats throughout the year to choose from with such friendly and helpful staff , beautiful rooms to choose from and some amazing therapies on offer in the special treatment rooms.
There are fresh water fountains , stunning trees and wildlife including giant tortoises. So much thought and effort has gone into creating this retreat that its energy is truly magical. A beautiful healing centre !!

This place really is paradise! A lush green garden with singing birds, lovely clear water pool, comfortable airy bedrooms, and absolutely delicious home cooked food. Beautifully designed inside and out with Spanish and Moroccan influences, and a really thoughtful balance of sociable open spaces and quiet intimate niches. I highly recommend this gorgeous oasis to nourish body and soul.

This incredible eco oasis retreat is nestled in the heart of Almería, close to Cabo de Gata Nature reserve park and on the edge of the Sierra Cabrera mountain range. An amazing little hidden secret garden in the middle of the desert. The accommodation is outstanding as is the hospitality. I couldn't recommend this resort anymore, be it for wellbeing retreats, healing or relaxing. Congratulations on creating a beautiful and sustainable environment.

Dear Helena,
as the owner of this 'green oasis in the desert,' i would like to thank you for the two weeks of work you offered whilst staying here.

Of course, i would like to respond because nothing is ever as simple as it seems at first glance and this retreat has built up over 20 years from a desert of rock and cactus with no natural water supply.

We currently have 60 solar panels in total and 18 heat absorption pads on the pool bar roof to heat the pool so its available to use for longer off season.

We also have 5 Outback Invertors which charge our 44 batteries.
The water for the finca is heated by solar power and the tank and system are on the roof.

We also have a 5.5kW wind turbine which sends power through our invertors and can produce approximately 8,000 kWh per year in an average of 12mph winds.

We have a 35KVA Imola back-up generator which we have to use occasionally depending on various factors, such as weather or volume of electricity being used by large groups ...

Water is an issue for us as we are in the desert and have no personal spring. We have dug out 2 wells but the water is of quite a high saline content. We use recycled water to irrigate the gardens and have a complex system that collects all of our rainwater in a 55,000 litre tank underneath the Healing Garden.

For the orchards and market gardens we have a remarkable waste water treatment plant that takes our grey and black water, cleaning it using a combination of oxygen and bacteria before sending it out onto our fruit trees and other plants. Our orchards are thriving and this is an exciting and innovative system that will be used much more world wide in the future.

Our water for guests is fresh mountain spring water coming from Alamilla and we have 40,000 litres delivered regularly which is cleaned and filtered for drinking. We have drinking taps by every sink and have just put in 5 drinking fountains around the retreat where guests can fill up their water bottles. We sell refillable water bottles in our shop to cut down the use of plastic

We recycle glass paper and plastic and have bins that are emptied regularly.

I have planted thousands of trees since buying the land 20 years ago and there is a diverse selection of specimen trees from all over the world as well as plenty of indigenous and desert trees that need little water. Using a system of mixed planting many different species are now regenerating and supporting the soil, and through this various flowers and shrubs have returned as well as diverse species of insects, birds and animals.

In the last five years the newly acquired land has been re-wilded successfully which is a big part of what we are about here... we are always a work in progress.

We grow all of our own vegetables salads and herbs for the table. Some years are better than others depending on many factors, but we strive to be sustainable or organic when possible and our guests always love the food we offer which is prepared and offered with love.

I'm glad you enjoyed our hospitality.

With blessings
Penelope

I'm so grateful for the wonderful times I've had at the Finca. The healing, the animals and ofcourse the incredible gardens! It truly is an oasis in the desert. The food has been beyond amazing and the staff always make me feel so taken care of and at home.
thank you for everything :)

Sencillamente genial. Esencia, energía... para volver a uno mismo.
Habitado por personas maravillosas que te abren las puertas con total confianza. Brillante la comida, superlativo el buen hacer de la cocinera.
Gracias de corazón, Penelope, por compartir el Paradiso.

Un lugar maravilloso y con mucho encanto para pasar unos días de serenidad, de meditación y de retiro con uno mismo. Muy recomendable.

Lugar muy especial para retiros grupales. Con un personal y cocina extraordinarios.🙏💜

Beautiful place with great hospitality, a green oasis in the desert.
The place was announced as an eco retreat, but to our disappointment it wasn't eco-friendly or sustainable in many aspects. Some of the things that we found strange is that most of the food was non-organic and there was no functioning, sustainable solutions for energy, water or waste management.