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Where is Kalikalos?
- Our centre is located on the slopes of Mt. Pelion, on the Pelion Peninsula on the Aegean coast of east-central Greece. We are situated near Anilio, a small village about a fifteen minute drive from the beach village of Agios Ioannis.
- See our Getting Here page for more details.
What is Mt. Pelion?
- Mt. Pelion is an impressive mountain peninsula four hours north of Athens, well off the beaten track of industrial tourism. The area combines a lush green forest ecosystem with gorgeous white sandy Aegean beaches.
- Pelion is dotted with small villages, each featuring a square or platia, usually with a fresh water fountain and one or more large plane trees (platania). The closest villages to Anilio are Mouresi, Agios Dimitrios, Makrirachi and Kissos. A bit further away you can find two larger villages, Tsangarada and Zagora. The nearest city is Volos, a little more than one hour’s drive from Anilio.
- In Greek mythology, Pelion was the home of the Centaurs and where Jason set off in search of the magic fleece. Over 2,000 years ago it was the site of numerous healing centres for fasting and dream interpretation. We continue the tradition of the “wounded healer” at Kalikalos Anilio, also known as Spiti ton Kentavron.
- The centre is close to many Pelion beaches, villages and hiking trails. View this Google Doc for detailed descriptions of many of these attractions, including links to GPS files for many of the hikes.
What are the surroundings of the centre?
Because our centre is located on a mountainside within a forest, our surroundings may be a bit wilder and less controlled than where you live. Please consider the following factors before coming and contact us if you have any questions or concerns.
- The centre is located about 150 meters from the nearest paved street. It is easily accessible by a cobblestone track for people with at least minimal fitness. You will need to climb or descend a hill to go to and from the road where the cars are parked. This walk may be challenging for people with reduced mobility.
- We typically have one or more cats in residence. Please consider bringing allergy medication if you are concerned about having a reaction.
- Throughout the season, and especially during and after rainy periods, we experience lots of mosquitoes around the centre. All the rooms and tents have mosquito screening and we provide insect repellent and mosquito nets upon request. If you have sensitive skin or know you react strongly to insect bites, please bring your own repellent and / or skin care products.
- There are a number of other creatures in and around the forest that may bite or sting, including wasps, hornets, small scorpions, ticks and spiders. If you know you react strongly to stings, please bring your own first aid items such as an Epipen.
Who is the Kalikalos “community”?
- We consider everyone present at a given time to be part of our community.
- The Core Team are the long-term custodians of the Kalikalos legacy and hold the space for what happens. They are a dedicated team of volunteers continuing this project as a labor of love rather than for financial benefit.
How do I become part of the Kalikalos community?
- Many people come from around the world to to participate in transformative workshops within the framework of meaningful community. Our workshops are led by seasoned and skillful facilitators who are experienced in community as well as their particular field.
- Don’t fancy attending a workshop? You are also welcome to join us as a Community Guest for the ultimate combination of community living and freedom of choice.
- Want to be part of the staff team, helping to hold the community container for workshop participants and guests? We welcome you to apply to be a Community Participant or a Facilitator in Residence.
What are my responsibilities in the community?
- We ask all community members to participate in our Rota System by helping prepare meals and cleanup a few times each week. The number of shifts depends upon your role and the number of people on-site.
- Typically we ask workshop participants and community guests to contribute three shifts per week, FIRs to contribute three to five shifts per week and Community Participants to contribute three to six shifts per week. We do our best to maintain equity in this process.
- Staff members (Core Team, Community Participants and Facilitators in Residence) also contribute to certain daily tasks and periodic gatherings to keep the centre running smoothly.
- All community members attend the introductory community meeting on the first full day of each workshop week, as well as any other rarely scheduled community meetings.
What accommodations are available?
- Indoor lodging is limited and assigned on a first-come, first-serve basis. Standard indoor accommodation for workshop participants and guests is in simple shared quad or triple rooms in a traditional Greek house. Single or shared double rooms can be booked upon request at additional cost. Visit this page for more details.
- Single or shared tent accommodation. Each tent is set up on a wooden base and features a foam mattress, pillow and all bedding.
- Community Participants, Morning Facilitators and FIRs are typically accommodated in tents. When there is space in the house, indoor lodging may be available for people in these roles.
- Long-term staff are quartered in Bell Tents, a yurt and two small rustic huts.
- Indoor/outdoor kitchens with patios where community members gather for meals.
- Wireless internet which covers the office, Nook (lounge area), dining terrace, Long Room (main workshop space), tent areas and some bedrooms in the house.
- Non-denominational sanctuary open 24/7 for quiet contemplation.
- Yurt for small group sessions and private 1-1 healing sessions.
What food is provided?
- We offer three delicious, nutritious vegetarian meals each day, along with a healthy mid-morning snack.
- We do our best to accommodate special dietary needs, which you can tell us about during the registration process.
- Many of our vegetables come either from our own gardens or from other local growers. We try to always serve organic food to the maximum extent possible.
Can the whole family come?
- In general, families are welcome throughout the season. If you would like to come as a Community Participant, Morning Facilitator or FIR and bring your family, please contact us first to ensure this will be a good fit.
- The centre’s environment is not well-suited to unsupervised young children and we do not offer childcare. We expect parents to commit fully to the care and well-being of their children, either directly or by bringing along an adult caregiver. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us before coming.
- Some seasons we offer a Family Week workshop, which can be a great option for families seeking affordable, educational and holistic holidays together with access to healing arts, creative activities and cooperative games. Check the Workshop Page to see if one is being offered this season.
Can I bring my family pet?
- In general, we encourage guests and participants to leave their pets at home. We often have one or more resident cats on-site and want to respect their peace and well-being at all times.
- If you think it would be impossible for you to attend without bringing your pet, please contact us and we will try to find a strategy that works for everyone.
What is a typical day at the centre?
- 7:30 Yoga, meditation or other spiritual practice (depends on availability of facilitators)
- 8:30 Buffet Breakfast
- 9:10 Breakfast cleanup
- 9:30 Daily Staff Operational Meeting (Community meeting on first full day of each workshop week; sharing circle every three days)
- 9:30 – 13:30 Workshop Session, usually with a coffee/tea break midway
- 13:30 Buffet lunch
- 14:30 — 18:00 Beach / free time
- 18:00 Evening work shift
- 20:00 Dinner
- 20:45 Dinner cleanup
- 21:30 Free time and spontaneous offerings (closing circle / fireside sharing on the last evening of each workshop week)
- 23:00 Quiet time till the breakfast bell at 08:30 the next day
What does the price of a week-long workshop include?
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner each day. The first meal is dinner on the arrival day and the last meal is breakfast on the departure day. We eat out at a local taverna once during each workshop week.
- Shared accommodation in a triple or quad room. Single and shared double accommodation available with a supplement. In some cases shared or single off-site accommodation in the village of Anilio may be available for an additional fee.
- Twenty hours of workshop sessions, generally each morning.
- Daily lift to and from the local beaches at Agios Ioannis.
How do I book my stay?
- To participate in a workshop, book directly through the website listing on the Workshop Page.
- To join us as a Community Guest, book directly through the Community Guest listing.
- To join us as a Community Participant or Facilitator in Residence, complete the application process shown on the respective listings. We will book you in once you are accepted for one of these programs.
What are the payment options?
- During the booking process, you have the option to pay the €100 deposit with a credit/debit card or by bank transfer.
- We prefer payment of full balances in cash (Euros) upon arrival for your program. If you would rather not carry large amounts of cash on your trip to Greece, you can find ATM machines in Volos and in several Pelion villages near Anilio.
- If you prefer to pay using a method not listed above, please contact us.
What discounts are offered?
- 15% discount for traveling overland (not including countries bordering Greece by land or sea).
- 10% discount for attending two or more workshops in the same season.
- 10% discount on a community guest week attended before or after a workshop week.
- 10% discount for attending three successive community guest weeks, 15% for attending four community guest weeks.
- 10% discount on select workshops for Early Bird booking six weeks prior to workshop date.
- Greek residents may apply for a 33% discount if needed.
- We honor only one discount per booking. Please contact us to confirm your available discounts.
What do I need to bring with me?
- Please see our Things to Bring page for a list of what we provide and what we ask you to bring with you.
Is Travel Insurance Required?
- Travel insurance is required for all workshop participants, community guests and team members residing outside the EU. EU residents please carry your E111 card.
- If you are a participant on a walking or hiking week, your travel insurance must cover repatriation.
Terms and Conditions / Refund Policy
- Deposits and payments for workshops cancelled by a leader or the centre are fully refundable.
- In all other cases, deposits for workshops or retreats are non-refundable. However, they can be transferred to a friend or deferred for personal use for up to one year.
- Community Participant and FIR payments are non-refundable. They are transferable and deferrable for up to two years.
- Accommodation supplements are non-refundable and non-deferrable.
- Fully paid balances for workshops, retreats and the community guest program may be transferred or deferred for up to one year as described above. These balances are partially refundable depending on the timeframe of cancellation:
- Cancellation at least 3 months in advance: 80% refundable.
- Cancellation 2 – 3 months in advance: 67% refundable.
- Cancellation 1 -2 months in advance: 50% refundable.
- Cancellations less than 30 days in advance: Non-refundable.
- All refunds are made by the same method as the payment, unless otherwise requested.
- We are willing to consider requests for full refunds due to special circumstances on a case-by-case basis.
- Click here to see this information in a table.