FROM RUINS TO RETREAT
WHERE IT STARTED
When we first arrived, we were not looking at a finished retreat. We were looking at old stone walls, unfinished buildings and a dream that seemed much bigger than our budget.
Many parts of the property still needed rebuilding. Funds were low, progress was slow, and there were many moments when we did not know exactly where the journey would lead.
But we believed the place could become something special.
ONE SECTION AT A TIME
Dragonfly was not created by property developers. Mark and I rebuilt, planted and shaped much of it ourselves.
Every wall repaired, every path created and every garden planted became part of the story.
There were long days, difficult decisions and times when progress felt painfully slow. Instead of focusing on everything still unfinished, we decided to keep moving forward one section at a time.
One wall.
One path.
One tree.
One flower bed.
One day at a time.
THE SYMBOL OF DRAGONFLY
During lockdown, the isolation and uncertainty made everything feel even harder. Much of the property was still unfinished and funds were running low.
One afternoon, I was sitting in the jacuzzi looking across the work still to be done when an orange dragonfly appeared.
It hovered nearby and, without really thinking, I began talking to it.
It seemed to signal back.
The next day it returned.
Soon, meeting the dragonfly became part of my daily routine.
I later read that dragonflies are often associated with change, transformation, hope and new beginnings.
Those words felt deeply connected to what we were living through.
THE NEXT CHAPTER
About a year later, two dragonflies began appearing.
By then, we were much further forward. The gardens were growing, the pool had become the heart of the property and the place was beginning to look like the retreat we had imagined.
That was when we decided to see how it felt to welcome people here.
WELCOMING PEOPLE IN
We joined Booking.com and welcomed our first guests.
The first year went better than we expected. Guests enjoyed the peace, the gardens, the pool and the feeling of being somewhere different.
The reviews encouraged us to keep going.
Over the next few years, more dragonflies appeared around the property.
To us, they became a quiet reminder of how far the place had come.
THE MEANING WE KEEP
The dragonfly represents change, transformation, hope and the courage to keep moving forward.
It reminds us that even the hardest periods can lead somewhere beautiful.
Dragonfly Retreat is not simply somewhere to stay.
It is a place to pause, reconnect, dream again and discover a new direction.
THE PLACE WE CHOSE
Andalucía felt magical from the beginning.
The people are warm and welcoming. The light, the mountains, the white villages and the slower Mediterranean rhythm made it feel like the perfect place to build our own little fairytale.
A DIFFERENT WAY OF LIVING
We wanted to step away from the rat race and create a different way of living.
Dragonfly gave us the space to build, create and live more slowly.
That decision changed our lives, and we hope the place gives others the chance to pause and imagine what might change in theirs.
MORE THAN A STAY
Sometimes all it takes is a little space, a little sunshine and perhaps even a dragonfly.
THE TRANSFORMATION
YOUR NEXT CHAPTER
DISCOVER MORE
