AVILA
Retreat Pilgrimage
10th – 16th October 2026
Led by Fr Matt Blake, OCD and Fr Kelvin Ekhoegbe, OCD
Join us in this adventure with St Teresa in her transformative journey of the soul to God through prayer. Let us walk in her footsteps as she lived and taught.
Patience Obtains all Things
Day 1: Travel to Spain
Pilgrims of Love
Meet your group Leader at Heathrow airport and fly to Madrid. On arrival you will be conveyed in an air condition bus to the accommodation centre in Toledo.
Evening: Dinner at the accommodation centre in Toledo
Day 2: Toledo
The ways of gentleness and Love
“What do you think that abode will be like where a King so powerful, so wise, so pure, so full of all good things takes his delight? I don’t find anything comparable to the magnificent beauty of the soul and its marvellous capacity.” (Interior Castle, I.1.1).
Teresa’s gentleness stands as a reminder to us of her humanity and a testimony to the continued work of grace as she clearly expressed in her writings of the Interior Castle which she began to write in the monastery of St Joseph in Toledo in 1577.
Evening: Dinner at the accommodation centre in Toledo
Day 3: Toledo – Segovia – Avila
“Prayer as the Foundation of this House”
“What does it profit me that our forebears had been so holy if I afterward am so wretched that I leave the edifice damaged through bad customs? For it is clear that those who come will not so much remember those who lived many years ago as those they see before them” (Foundations, 4.6).
Teresa’s writings, especially those concerning the building of strong healthy communities that Prayer constitutes its foundation. ‘Prayer must be the foundation of this house’ (Way of Perfection, 4.9). The Foundation in Segovia reflects this thought of Teresa both a solid physical and spiritual foundation of the monastery.
Evening: Dinner at the accommodation centre in Avila
Day 4: Avila
“The Grace of new Beginnings”
“And this should never be forgotten….There is no stage of prayer so sublime that it isn’t necessary to return often to the beginning” (Life, 13.15).
St Teresa understands how critical the first stages of Prayer are. When she sets out to teach on Prayer in the Book of Her Life, she spends much time providing advice for beginners, encouraging them not to become discouraged in their labours. Her determined determination manifested in the first foundation of the reform reflects this grace of new beginnings.
Evening: Dinner at the accommodation centre in Avila
Image: Luidger, CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/, via Wikimedia Commons
Day 5: Alba de Tormes
Love stronger than Death
“This is the reason for prayer…. the birth always of good works, good works. (Interior Castle VII.4.6). This is what I want us to strive for, my sisters: and let us desire and be occupied in prayer not for the sake of our enjoyment but so as to have this strength to serve”. (Interior Castle VII. 4.12).
The apostolic zeal of ST Teresa was fired up by her commitment and conviction to praying for the world in all its needs and struggles. It manifested in her willingness to pour out her life in prayer and works for the good of others and for the building of Christ’s Church. Her death in Alba de Tormes echoed her dying words: “I die a daughter of the Church” one dressed for service.
Evening: Dinner at the accommodation centre in Avila
Day 6: Avila
Let me be as Christ to you
(Solemnity of St Teresa in Avila)
“fix your eyes always on the ancestry from which we have come, those holy prophets…let us adopt the holy presumption that with the Lord’s help we will be like them. (Foundations, 29.33).
“if beginners with the assistance of God struggle to reach the summit of perfection, I believe they will never go to heaven alone, they will always lead many people along after them. (Life, 11.4)
St Teresa reclaims the wisdom of Carmel for her own day, and for ours too. For the life of prayer and purification to which we are all called to be partakers is for the sake of others.
Evening: Dinner at the accommodation centre in Avila
Day 7: Avila-Madrid
They returned Rejoicing
Prepare to Journey to Madrid after gathering the fruits of the retreat pilgrimage in a prayerful space.
What is Included
- Return Flight from London Heathrow
- 2 Nights in Toledo
- 4 Nights in Avila
- Half Board (Breakfast and dinner only)
- Transfers between airport and accommodation
- Executive coach for touring
- Hymn and Prayer Booklet
- Pilgrim Kit
- Daily Masses arranged at Various places in Spain (Toledo, Segovia, Alba de Tormes and Avila)
- Entrance fees as per itinerary
- Check-in luggage 23kg. (strictly one suitcase only)
Not included
- Lunches and inflight meals
- Travel Insurance
- Tips & Gratuities
- VISA if required
- Single Room supplement
- Personal Travel Expenses
Pilgrimage information
You will be accompanied by friars leading the pilgrimage and travelling is done by air-conditioned private coach. Days usually begin at 8am, and generally returning between 7pm, with dinner served afterwards. Each day features morning and afternoon sessions with prayer times, with an organised lunch stop to break up the day.
Airline
British Airways flights from London Heathrow to Madrid. When we book BA flights, we include a 23 kgs baggage allowance and allocated seat.
Flights Inclusive
This option allows you to travel with the group on the scheduled flight from London Heathrow to Madrid. Please ensure you arrive at the airport at least three hours before departure. As noted above, the baggage allowance for each passenger is 23kg.
Flights Exclusive
This option is designed for pilgrims travelling from different countries who prefer to arrange their own flights and personal logistics to the accommodation centre. However, if you wish to join the group coach transfer from the airport, a prior arrangement is required, and your flight must be scheduled to arrive in alignment with the official pilgrimage arrival time, as the coach will depart promptly.
Accommodation
As the Retreat Pilgrimage includes a significant portion of time in Toledo, our accommodation will be arranged in two locations: Toledo and Ávila.
Single Occupancy
This option provides accommodation for one person in a private, en-suite room, offering greater personal space, privacy, and comfort throughout the pilgrimage.
Double Occupancy
This option is available to couples, family members, or friends who wish to share a room equipped with individual single beds. Individuals who are open to sharing a room but do not yet have a roommate may contact the administrator to check availability and possible room-pairing arrangements: admin@carmelite.org.uk.
Dates and How to book
| Our programme | Leaders | Dates | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| A retreat-Pilgrimage 7 Days of Prayer encounter with St Teresa | Fr Matt Blake | 10th – 16th October 2026 | Download poster: Avila Poster |
| | Fr Kelvin Ekhoegbe | | BOOK NOW – See options below |
| | | | Make an enquiry |
How to book
1. Click on the “Buy Now” button and pay £150 non-refundable deposit to secure your participation.
2. Flexible payment available, however, final balance to be paid by August 1st 2026. Contact us for details.
3. You can choose to pay the full payment.
Avila Pilgrimage (Excluding Flights)
£150 non-refundable deposit)
£1248 (double occupancy full payment)
£1308 (single occupancy full payment)
Avila Pilgrimage (Including Flights)
£150 (non-refundable deposit)
£1361 (double occupancy full payment)
£1432 (single occupancy full payment)