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Are you searching for the perfect place to host your next event or retreat?
As a facilitator, you know that the "container" is just as important as the content. El Refugio is a masterfully converted barn sanctuary designed specifically to hold the depth, intimacy, and transformation of your next retreat or workshop.
Tucked into the heart of the Okanagan landscape, El Refugio offers the rare balance of secluded stillness and effortless accessibility. It is a place where your guests can truly drop in—moving away from the noise of the world and into the restorative frequency of nature.
The space between simple + unforgettable-
We built El Refugio with you in mind. Not the retreat centres that cost more than your participants can afford. Not the hotel conference rooms that strip all the magic out of the work. A space that is beautiful, flexible, and priced to make your offering accessible — to you and to the people you serve.
We know that many of the most gifted healers, teachers, and facilitators in this country have been waiting for exactly this kind of space. Something real. Something affordable. Something that doesn't require your participants to spend their entire retreat budget on accommodation before the first session begins.
El Refugio exists because we believe that transformational experiences should not be reserved for people with five-star budgets.
For Canadians who want something extraordinary without leaving the country.
The Okanagan valley is one of the most quietly magnificent landscapes in North America — and most Canadians have never spent a night in it. Vernon is the heart of it. El Refugio is the door in.
About the space:
Sleeping in the barn: 9 single beds + 2 top bunks! All beds are comfy bamboo, memory foam mattresses with organic cotton bedding and hypo-allergenic duvets.
Sleeping outside the barn: Our outdoor bunkhouse has 2 bedrooms which has 2 single beds + 1 queen bed. All beds have bamboo mattresses, organic cotton bedding and hypo-allergenic duvets.
Additional guest sleeping: (summer only): Our poppy and bloom tents can sleep an additional 8 guests on cots with bamboo mattresses and full bedding.
Bathrooms + showers: We currently have available- 2 toilets + 1 full shower inside the barn, 1 toilet inside the bunkhouse, 1 composting toilet outdoors, and 1 outdoor shower in the farm-spa area.
Cooking: Enjoy our open and spacious kitchen as it truly is the heart of the barn and the space where everyone tends to gather! We have a BBQ, 2 fridges, a stove/oven, microwave, air fryer, blenders, cookware, serving dishes, and ample spices, condiments etc. that will make meal prep fun and easy!
Eating: Gathering and sharing meals is what truly binds us and here, we have plenty of space to make that happen! Gather inside at our 2 dining tables (Table 1 seats 6) and (Table 2 seats 10). Need more space? We have folding tables available so no one has to miss out! And- we have everything to make the tables extra inviting (placemats, tablecloths, cloth napkins, candles, and more.) Prefer to eat outside? We get it! Casually seat guests between our 2 picnic tables (squeeze 12).
The Space: Grounded & Expansive
Our thoughtfully restored barn blends rustic character with modern refinement. It is a space designed for somatic movement, deep inquiry, and communal connection. With a warm, grounding aesthetic, El Refugio serves as a blank canvas for your unique vision—whether that is a high-intensity leadership intensive or a quiet, contemplative meditation retreat.
sweat. stretch. surrender.
The Red Barn's farm-spa and movement spaces were built around one simple belief: the body heals best when it's given the right conditions and then left alone to do its work.
Hot/ Cold Therapy: Our circuit consists of our 8-person cedar-fired sauna, our always-ready, cedar hot tub, our 2-person farm-style cold plunge, and our heated outdoor shower. Relax and integrate around our wood-fired (seasonal), or propane fire pit.
Movement/ meditation spaces: We’ve converted the old hayloft into the most magical loft- perfect for meditation, breathwork, yoga, and more! We’ve got sheepskins, mats, meditation cushions, backjacks, blankets, straps, blocks, and eye masks- all you need to do is step in and share your magic! (we have enough props for 20!) Want to enjoy the Okanagan sun and the incredible view? There is more than enough space outside on the lawn! And, we do have a very large outdoor tent available for an extra cost.
The Space: Grounded & Expansive
Our thoughtfully restored barn blends rustic character with modern refinement. It is a space designed for somatic movement, deep inquiry, and communal connection. With a warm, grounding aesthetic, El Refugio serves as a blank canvas for your unique vision—whether that is a high-intensity leadership intensive or a quiet, contemplative meditation retreat.
Location & Logistics: The Best of the Okanagan
We’ve removed the friction from the retreat experience, allowing you to focus entirely on your guests:
Seamless Arrivals: We are just minutes from the Kelowna International Airport, making it easy for out-of-province attendees.
Nature as Your Classroom: Immediate access to endless hiking trails and two stunning lakes for sunrise ceremonies or sunset reflections.
Year-Round Versatility: Perfectly positioned between two world-class ski resorts for winter immersions and surrounded by renowned golf and wellness offerings for summer resets.
Curious about exploring the area with your guests? We are happy to make suggestions for hiking, waterfalls, orchards, vineyards, lakes, shopping- and more!
A NOTE FROM MANDY
I want to tell you why we built this.
It wasn't because the retreat industry needed another beautiful venue. It was because I kept watching brilliant teachers and healers — people doing some of the most important work in the world — unable to make their retreats happen because the spaces available to them were either too expensive, too far, or too impersonal.
And I kept watching Canadians fly to Bali and Costa Rica and Sedona for the kind of nature-immersive, deeply held experience that was sitting right here in our own backyard.
El Refugio is my answer to both of those things.
It's not perfect. It's a barn. But that’s the point- it’s the place that will reconnect you back to what truly matters…nature, good people, and your Self.
Come find out for yourself.
With love,
Mandy 🌿
