More Life Adventures’ summerhouse, nestled in the village of Plaka in Crete, is where Greece’s crystal-clear waters meet a fitness paradise. This Summer, More Life Adventures collaborated with CrossFit coach and yoga teacher, Kayla Marie, to host her community at their first Greece fitness retreat. 

Having hosted events around the world in the past, we caught up with Kayla post-Crete adventures to hear why this wasn’t just another vacation or fitness retreat, and how it was a carefully curated experience that blended adventure with rest, relaxation and rejuvenation.

Below, in Kayla’s own words, is why this collaboration provided a retreat like no other.

Not Just Another Retreat

Before I got to Greece, I just didn’t know what to expect. You see pictures online and have calls about the setup, but you don’t really know until you arrive. In the past I’ve definitely been to places where the photos weren’t reflective of reality, so I try to temper my expectations going into these things. I’d had a really stressful month leading up to the retreat, so arriving in Greece was such a breath of fresh air from the moment I walked in. I’ve run a bunch of retreats in the past, but this was so different. Having Stella there to greet us and organise things like transfers and dinner locations, just made the whole experience so easy.  She  went over all the details with us all, made sure we were all comfortable, and even had bottles of sparkling water ready for us after a long travel day. It’s this attention to detail and personal touch that really sets this retreat apart. I knew as soon as I arrived that I could take a deep breath, be present, and do what I had gone there to do.

As for the summerhouse itself, everything about its location was perfect - we had easy access to the beach as well as local coffee shops and stores. But for me, having the extensive onsite gym was just incredible. I’ve never been able to find a retreat location with an onsite gym,  it’s such a rarity in retreat settings, and it allowed us to have the perfect balance of vacation and fitness.

From Albany to Greece

I had eight of my community join me in Greece, travelling all the way from Albany, NY. All of them know me as both a coach and a person; they understand my sense of adventure, and my eagerness to enjoy life. They knew that the vibe would be laid back and having fun with the ability to really hit pause and relax, whilst having the time to get in some really good workouts. 

The Daily Greek Life

We started each day with a 30-minute yoga flow by the water, which was such a great way to set up the day. On this retreat, I made the yoga sessions a mix of some slow movement to start the day combined with a dynamic warmup for the morning workout that was to follow. After yoga we went into a workout in the gym, and then most days we all hung out for a long, lazy brunch. I realised after a couple of days that brunch tends to be a 3-hour affair in Greece, so every day we spent time together talking over great food. The afternoons were a mix of activities: some days featured hikes or boat trips, while some days some people wanted to get in another workout which they treated as more of a skill-focused session. We didn’t have a set itinerary all day every day because the week was also about giving people the space to rest and vacation in the way that they needed to.

An accidental all-female Retreat

I didn’t expect to have an all-female group but that’s the way it turned out, and the dynamic was great! We were all split over four different houses, with each house having two rooms, so people really had their own space and we weren’t on top of each other. Most people knew each other in some way, or had connected previously in Albany, and two ladies brought their daughters along. I wouldn’t rule out an all-female retreat again, as it’s a completely different dynamic to having a mixed group. All-female is definitely more relaxing! I’m considering next year the idea of running two consecutive weeks - one just like this year for only women, and one week for anyone. To be confirmed!

Unexpected Moments

It's often the unplanned moments that become the most memorable, and that’s definitely the case with this trip. One morning, on a whim, the group organised a mini-triathlon, combining swimming, rowing, and running. It was very spur of the moment but was such a highlight. 

Although for me the most unexpected and amazing thing to happen is we all got tattoos on our last night. We all went for an olive branch tattoo, a very dainty one, which pays homage to Greece but also is symbolic of peace, because it really was such a peaceful week for everyone. 

Book The Trip, Do The Thing

What really stuck out to me was that sometimes we are nudged in the direction of making a decision that we don’t realise how much we need. Most people booked onto the retreat five or six months beforehand, and then when the time for the retreat came, they didn’t realise how much they needed that week of getting away. It was the same for me. Two weeks before the retreat my cousin was killed, and it was around the same time that my brother got married, so it was such a chaotic and stressful time. Six months ago I couldn’t have envisioned just how much I needed this Crete holiday. Regardless of what was going on in everyone’s lives, they showed up to the retreat and it wasn’t until they arrived that they understood the true value of the break. You have to listen to that voice that is telling you to book the trip or do the thing, because you only live once. 

Not Just For CrossFitters

Yes I own a CrossFit box and teach yoga, but this retreat wasn’t just about CrossFit nor was it a yoga retreat. Three of the people that came had never been to a CrossFit gym in their life, and on this retreat they tried CrossFit workouts for the first time. But the retreat is about so much more than CrossFit, and fitness in general; I like to think of it as a movement retreat. There was yoga, hiking and swimming - all different activities that anyone and everyone can get involved with, regardless of their experience. My focus is broad and super inclusive, and I make sure that I programme my retreats and workouts so that anyone of any fitness background can join in and enjoy.

A Safe Space For Magical Memories

The conversations around the dinner table, all the little jokes and all the silly moments, that’s what I remember most. Yes the big logistical things are great, but it’s all the little things that create the magic. There were so many conversations day and night where we talked about things that some people didn’t necessarily feel comfortable about. But it was such a safe, open, welcoming space, and it’s so important to have conversations where everyone doesn’t always agree. It’s powerful to be able to understand why someone thinks a certain way, or has a certain view. There was absolutely no judgement, even if opinions and values were different; it really was such a safe space to learn more about different experiences and perspectives. 

The Greek Factor

Greece is such a special place and played such a pivotal role in the overall experience. The water there is just unmatched - the sea is so crystal clear. Plus the food is so healthy, you feel like you are eating incredible, fresh food all the time. And the people, wow. Everyone is so nice and accommodating and helpful, you definitely don’t find that everywhere in the world. 

The Next One(s)

I’m already thinking about what next year’s Crete retreat will look like. I locked in the date as soon as I got back to the US, because it was such a magical week that I know I need to do it again next year. I’ve thought about what I might change, but honestly, this one was just so special that I’d keep a lot of the structure the same. Starting each day with yoga followed by a fitness session will remain, but now I know exactly what equipment is on site, I can plan the workouts slightly differently and mix things up. I just love how things flowed and the freedom that everyone had. Most people sign up to fitness retreats knowing there’s fitness involved, but once they arrive, they want to chill out as much as they want to work out. My view with retreats is that fitness is what will get people there, but not overpacking the days is what will make them come back.

Read More: Why Movement & Adventure Are The Perfect Pair, with Kayla Marie