"Solitude is a place where the mind is free to explore, to dream,
to wander, and to discover the secrets of the self."
- Annie Dillard, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek
SELF-GUIDED RETREATS 2026
The Hermitage · A Writer’s Cottage on the Camino de Santiago
Tucked beside the monks’ garden in the quiet heart of Rabanal del Camino, The Hermitage is a small stone cottage offered to writers, creatives, and quiet seekers. It is a place for deep rest, steady work, and the kind of silence that helps a book come into being, especially a Camino book waiting for its last chapters.
The cottage sits just steps from the Camino Francés, so the rhythm of the pilgrimage trail and the simple life of the village naturally shape each day. Some guests come to finish a manuscript. Others come to begin one. Some come simply to breathe, walk, and listen.
Retreats are self-guided, with gentle support available if needed. Kim lives in the village and is happy to offer a warm welcome, light guidance, or practical help at the beginning of your stay so you can settle in with ease.
You may stay for as few as three days or as long as a month, depending on your project and the pace you wish to follow.
The Hermitage is part of the creative work unfolding through The Stone Boat, a project Kim is shaping alongside her friend and writer Rebekah Scott.
The retreat itself remains a private space for your own writing, held within a larger vision of story, reflection, and the spirit of the Camino.
If you feel called to spend time in this quiet corner of the mountain, please email Kim for dates, details, and availability.
A warm welcome and a peaceful work table await.
