Algarve, Portugal
A weight loss retreat, done honestly
Who this is for
For anyone who’s already tried the quick fix
A lot of guests who come to Moinhos Velhos for a juice fasting week are hoping, at least in part, to lose weight — and we’d rather say that plainly than dance around it. A week without solid food typically does involve some weight loss. What we won’t do is promise you a number.
This retreat suits people who’ve tried the crash diets and the extreme programmes already, and want something different: a week built around rest, structure and understanding your own habits, rather than another plan to fail at by February. If a sustainable shift matters more to you than a fast one, you’re in the right place.
How a fasting week helps
Rest, routine and real education — not a crash diet
None of what happens here is a trick. It’s the same three ingredients, given a proper week to work: your body gets a rest, your days get a routine, and your head gets some genuinely useful nutrition education to take home.
Rest
A week off solid food gives digestion a genuine break, while juices every few hours keep you nourished. Many guests simply haven't rested this completely in years — and rest, on its own, changes a lot.
Routine
Waking, moving and eating on a steady rhythm for a week resets habits that diets alone rarely touch. There's no counting, no tracking — just a structure that runs for you instead of one you have to police yourself.
Education
Afternoon workshops cover practical nutrition — how to think about calorie density, what your plate actually needs, and small daily habits worth keeping long after you've gone home.
Afternoon workshops touch on calorie-density thinking — why a plate of vegetables can leave you fuller than a plate of processed food at the same calorie count — alongside practical habits like reading your own hunger cues, which most guests say outlasts the week itself.
A typical day
A rhythm that does some of the work for you
Every day follows the same gentle structure, so you’re never relying on willpower to decide what happens next.
- 07:00Wake, gently
- 08:00Morning yoga
- 10:00 · 13:00 · 16:00Fresh juice, three times a day
- 16:00Nutrition workshop
- 19:00Evening broth
- 19:45Evening meditation
Health & safety first
Not a clinic — but not casual about your health either
We sit deliberately between the two: a genuinely supportive structure, without pretending to be medical supervision we don’t provide.
A health check-in on arrival
Every guest meets our resident team for an initial health check-in when they arrive, so the week ahead can be shaped around you rather than a generic template.
A questionnaire before you travel
You'll complete a health questionnaire at least 14 days before arrival, which lets us flag anything worth adjusting in advance — a standard part of booking, not an afterthought.
Move at your own pace
Yoga, the sauna and the pool are there to use as much or as little as suits you. Nobody is expected to push through a class or a swim they're not up for.
Realistic expectations
Bodies differ. So will your results.
Guests who arrive carrying more weight typically see a bigger change over a week or ten nights; guests already close to their natural weight usually notice less. Both are normal. What almost everyone reports, regardless of the number on the scale, is feeling lighter, less bloated and more comfortable in their own body by the time they leave.
We’ll say this as plainly as we can: Moinhos Velhos is not a medical weight-loss clinic. More than one journalist over the years has arrived expecting a story about kilos lost, and left writing about something else entirely — the habits, the headspace, the sense of having reset the whole system rather than just the scale. That’s the outcome we’d rather you came for too.
Investment
From €995 for a full week
Retreats run 7 or 10 nights, with accommodation from shared twin bell tents to premium singles in the old mill. A €350 deposit secures your place, with the balance due 14 days before you arrive.
Before you book
Questions specific to weight loss stays
These come up often from guests weighing this retreat up against a more conventional diet or spa break.
How much weight will I actually lose?
It genuinely varies. Guests who arrive carrying some extra weight tend to see a noticeable change over a week or ten nights; those already close to their natural weight usually see less. Almost everyone leaves feeling lighter and less bloated, whatever the number on the scale says — we'd rather be honest about that range than promise a figure we can't guarantee.
Is this a medical weight-loss programme?
No, and we're careful never to present it as one. Moinhos Velhos is a juice fasting and wellness retreat, not a medical weight-loss clinic — there's no clinician overseeing the programme and no treatment plan for a diagnosed condition. If weight loss is tied to a medical need, please talk to your own doctor before booking.
Will the weight stay off once I'm home?
That's really down to what you do next, not the week itself. What the retreat can offer is a genuine reset — a clearer sense of how food, rest and routine affect you — and the workshops are built to help that stick. But we won't claim a week here guarantees anything long-term; the habits you carry home do the real work.
I have a health condition — is this still suitable for me?
Possibly, but tell us on your health questionnaire so our team can advise you properly. We're not a medical facility, and juice fasting isn't right for every condition or every body. Anyone with an existing diagnosis should check with their own doctor first, and we'd always rather have that conversation before you travel than after you arrive.
Should I book 7 nights or 10 if weight is my main goal?
Ten nights gives the routine longer to settle in and, for most guests, a more noticeable change by departure — but seven is a genuine, complete programme on its own, not a taster version. Either way, the bigger factor tends to be what happens in the weeks after you leave, not which option you pick now.
Ready for a reset that lasts?
Check live availability and reserve your place with a €350 deposit — or read the full FAQ first if you still have questions.