26th July - 2nd August 2024
crete RETREAT with KAYLA MARIE
Duration
8 days, 7 nights
Location
Plaka, Crete
Group size
7-10 guests
Fly into
Heraklion Airport
Perfect for
Training / Exploring / Making new friends
From $2450 / £1950 per person
What to expect
We're so excited to partner with Kayla Marie for a movement and adventure retreat this summer!
Kayla is an adventure, fitness, and life enthusiast. She loves travelling and exploring the world through coaching group fitness retreats, where she can connect with guests through adventure and trying new things.
Kayla has been teaching yoga and group fitness classes for over 10 years. She opened her own CrossFit affiliate in 2018, CrossFit for the People, and has been coaching people to find their strengths and live their best lives through movement ever since. Here’s what to expect:
Train daily in a small group with workouts designed and coached by Kayla
Make new friends for life
Explore and discover local Crete secret spots and delicious local food
During this week you’ll be encouraged to be brave, have fun, and be willing to try things you’ve never done before.
Life is too short to exist any way other than ALL IN!
MEET KAYLA!
Coach and gym owner, Kayla Marie, is the ultimate advocate for good movement for a healthy body. As a talented CrossFitter and weightlifter, Kayla’s no stranger to intensity. But the most important things for her are higher quality, more intentions, and therefore good reps and movement.
She is an adventure, fitness, and life enthusiast. She enjoys traveling to, and exploring, every corner of the earth. One of her favorite ways to travel is through group fitness retreats, where she is able to connect with people through a collective love of adventure and trying new things.
During this week she’ll be inspiring her retreat attendees to always be brave, have fun, and be willing to try things they’ve never done. Life is too short to exist any way other than ALL IN!
Accommodation
Our summerhouse, also known as Fig Tree Villa, includes four houses laid out around a communal gym and courtyard.
Each house is laid out on two levels, with a twin/double bedroom, private bathroom and terrace on each level. A central lounge with an open plan kitchen is the hub of each house and here you can gather and relax with your housemates. Each house is laid out so you can take time to be alone or socialise with others as you please.
Three of the houses boast stunning sea views, while the fourth opens up to mountain and gym views.
The gym is right outside your front door and you can train there around-the-clock.
All houses have free and reliable wi-fi for those who need to stay on top of work while away.
Training
Kayla will coach you in a small group format throughout the retreat, focusing on good movement and making the body strong for the future.
Training sessions will take place in the morning, with an optional second session in the afternoon focusing on flexibility and active recovery.
All of our gym sessions will take place at our private onsite gym which you’ll have exclusive use of.
Our fully-equipped gym includes what you can expect to find at a functional fitness space; an Eleiko rig with space for squats, pull-ups and muscle ups, gymnastics rings, ropes, Eleiko Sport barbells, training barbells and bumper plates, dumbbells, kettlebells, sandbags, medicine balls, jump ropes, bands, parallettes and 4x C2 Model D rowers.
Outside of the gym, you will also make use of the surrounding trails for running, as well as the beach and bay for swimming.
Exploring & active recovery
There’s nothing quite as refreshing as spending time in nature and it also helps to balance out our gym training.
Swimming
We’re located across the road from the beach so you can dip in the water at any time, whether for training or recovery. Further along the village there are more spots where you can snorkel and explore .
Trails
Outside the villa there are two mountain trails to the north and a flat trail to the south, all of them with views towards the sea and great options for a walk or hike.
Morning Paddleboarding
Paddleboarding at sunrise is a great way to set yourself up for a great day. The nearby island of Spinalonga is a short 15-minute paddle away and the sunrise is the most beautiful time to do it.
Gorge Hike
This hike takes approximately four hours and we will walk, climb and treat ourselves to views of the Cretan landscape. To cool down we will dip in the waterfall on the way down, and also in the sea before climbing back up.
Private boat trip
Our 4-hour private boat trip gives us a chance to explore nearby beaches and coves and enjoy diving off the boat into blue waters. We typically set off late morning and return in the afternoon, having had lunch on the boat.
DowNload your full itinerary
Meals
We love sharing food together around a table. We are after locally sourced, delicious food and we choose restaurants that do this very well.
We have breakfast together everyday. You have a choice of making your own breakfast or ordering it from our favourite spot. We eat breakfast after morning training.
Lunch is more flexible and up to you to make your own or eat out. Each house has its own kitchen where simple meals are easy to prepare.
For dinner, we head to one of our favourite local spots, a different one every night. There is a wealth of cafes and restaurants serving fresh local food in and around Plaka. We love the local food and we’re excited for you to try it.
Portions in Crete are generous. We have not included meals in the price. Generally you can expect to spend between 25-35€ per person for dinner.
How to book
Book your place with a deposit and pay the balance in monthly instalments
You can book your space with a deposit and spread the balance across monthly instalments. The full balance is due one month prior to departure.
Dates and pricing
Friday 26th June - Friday 2nd August 2024
Double occupancy bedroom: $2,450 / £1,950 per person
Single occupancy double or twin bedroom: $2,750 / £2,180
All bedrooms have private bathrooms.
terms and conditions
Once your deposit is made, you’ll receive our Terms and Conditions to sign for your booking to be confirmed.
Please note, we need a minimum of 7 guests for the trip to go ahead. If the trip does not go ahead, all payments will be refunded in full or can be used on other More Life Adventures retreats.
Included in the price
Accommodation
Accommodation for 6 nights at the Fig Tree Villa.
Daily training sessions planned and coached by Kayla
As well as daily optional afternoon open gym sessions where you can train follow Kayla’s programme with her
MLA Host throughout your stay
24-hour open air gym
The gym is right outside your front door and you can train there around the clock.
Gorge Hike & Boat Trip
Paddle boarding
Airport transfers
On arrival and on departure day we have an airport transfer arranged for the group. The transfer is just over an hour by car to the house. The minibus will leave at 3pm from the airport on arrival day and at 11am from the house on departure day. Please note if you need to arrive or depart at different times there will be an additional charge.
All transfers to activities and dinners
Wi-fi
Photography To keep the memories alive!
Not included in the price
Your return flights to Heraklion airport
We will suggest the best flights to book but ask you to cover these at your end.
Meals
We will book breakfast and dinner at selected spots, but will ask you to cover those separately.
Extra activities
These include water sports, sports massage sessions, lunch at a local winery or the short boat trip to Spinalonga island. You can select these on booking.
YOUR HOST
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LEILA FITT
Leila is half Iranian and half British, born and raised in Cambridge. She’s worked on two consecutive Olympics, London and Rio, where her passion for the sporting industry began. Leila enjoys working out, attending classes across London and entering fitness competitions with friends to have set goals and something to train for. She believes movement is medicine and not only important for our physical wellbeing but for our minds too.
LOCATION
We are located on Plaka Beach (near Elounda), Crete, between the sea and the mountain. The village offers a wealth of fitness, restaurant options and day trip opportunities.
The nearest airport to us is Heraklion, which is an hour away by car. We are a 20-minute drive away from the town of Elounda which boasts a number of excellent hotels and resorts.
The villa overlooks Spinalonga - a small island recently nominated for the list of World Heritage sites, which you can get to by boat or paddleboard in 10-15 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
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If you would love an active holiday in the sun, exploring new places with like-minded people, this is for you.
Guests on our trips range in age from early 20s to late 60s. They typically love to train, explore, and hang out in a light-hearted group environment.
If you’re in doubt, drop us a line at hello@morelifeadventures.com and let’s have a chat.
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All levels of fitness are welcome.
Prior experience in functional fitness training or CrossFit is relevant but not at all required.
If you have taken some time out of training, you’ll have a chance to move outdoors and an opportunity to get back into gym training if you like.
If in doubt, drop us a line at hello@morelifeadventures.com and let’s have a chat.
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Upon receiving your booking we will send you suggested flight times. You also have the option to book your airport transfers with us at an additional cost.
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Everyone over the age of 21 is welcome on our trips and there is no upper age limit.
To date we have had guests in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s and everyone gels well.
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Absolutely. We plan these trips specifically for our guests to gel easily. Get ready to make new friends!
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Unless you specifically book to share a room with a friend or partner, we will not ask you to share a room with anyone.
If you are booking a room to yourself, please make sure you select the single occupancy option.
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We will be training once or twice daily and would love you to join us. However if the timings don’t suit you, you can opt out and train ‘open gym’ style at a time that suits you better.
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We cater for all allergies and dietary requirements. Just let us know on your booking form.
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There is stable WiFi in the villas for most people to work and study remotely. If you have specific video streaming requirements please get in touch.
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We have a drink at dinner and after that, additional drinks will be charged as extras. (To keep you from nursing a hangover the next day!)
Did we miss anything?
EXPLORE MORE ON OUR BLOG
Words from our guests
★★★★★
“It was just an amazing week. Like I'm still living off the energy from it. It was without being corny, everything I hoped for and more. It was a great combination of three activities a day, some downtime, trying some different food, socialising over dinner, going on a boat trip, paddle boarding. I quite enjoyed all the small things we did together, I think it gave it a real family feel.”
Andy Tapping
★★★★★
“I went on the remote working retreat in Crete and it was incredible! A beautiful location, has everything you need around. The team was extremely accommodating and welcoming; the trip was a perfect balance of activities and relaxation time. Highly recommend :)”
Tali Vaisbart
★★★★★
I had the most wonderful time in Crete! Flo our host was super friendly, helpful and really welcoming. I didn't know anyone in the group and had not been to MLA event before, but it was a very inclusive experience and would recommend to solo travelers. I would rate the experience 10 out of 10 and I'm already planning my next MLA trip to Maderia!
Katie Q
★★★★★
MLA vacations are fantastic!! I went on the holiday to Crete in August 2023. We had an amazing group and host!! Our host, Stella, was so kind and generous with her time; she was always available when needed and worked out and enjoyed meals with us! I came on the holiday alone and only knew a few people but left with more friends :) I can’t recommend MLA holidays and events enough!!
Tali Vaisbart
★★★★★
“Crete was the perfect week of working out, beach time, working, and meeting some awesome people. The house and gym are amazing - the sunrise view over the ocean out the bedroom window was breathtaking. The houses are literally across the street from the beach, and you can do a couple short walks/hikes from the house with gorgeous views of Plaka below.”
Lea Cohen
