Sun & Stoneware

Greek Island Pottery Retreat

June 2026

Skala Eresos, Lesvos

17-23 or 24-30 June 2026

Hosted in a charming 19th century stone house, in a secluded spot close to the seaside village of Skala Eresou, this immersive ceramics retreat invites you to slow down and connect to your creativity.

Nestled in a lush, green valley by the crystal waters of the Aegean island of Lesvos, Chalantra Residence will be our home and our pottery studio for the week. Join us for a week of making, glazing and firing beneath the ancient olive tree in the courtyard of our traditional stone house.

What to expect

Clay Practice: Five days of making in our serene, shaded courtyard. Morning and afternoon sessions (3 hours each) with options to explore hand-building, wheel-throwing, and surface decoration techniques, giving you time and space to experiment and build your skills.
Artistic Guidance: Whether you are a beginner or an experienced potter, we will meet you where you are in your clay practice, drawing on your individual points of interest and inspiration to create pieces designed with intention.
Pottery wheel-throwing: You will learn essential skills to throw with confidence and ease, covering clay preparation, centering, opening and pulling, as well as shaping simple and complex forms. For experienced throwers, tailored sessions will concentrate on your specific goals such as throwing larger/taller, improving consistency, or developing mastery of a particular shape or technique. Taught in small groups (max. four participants), each session will include hands-on practice with tailored feedback and guidance.
Hand-building: Come with ideas, images, drawings and be ready for lots of coiling. We will have plenty of time and lots of clay to make big or small pieces. I will show you how I coil according to a design, paying attention to measurements, curves and proportions, and how I sgraffito, inlay, and add decorative elements. Things will dry fast enough so we can work on many pieces. I will bring some plaster so we can also make sprig molds, exciting!
Glaze making 101: Find out how glazes work in this hands-on session combining essential glaze chemistry with practical testing so you leave with real results. We will be formulating, mixing and applying glazes to test tiles of our stoneware clays. If you find a glaze you love you’ll be able to recreate it to decorate your piece in the future. Bring your curiosity, glaze inspo pics and a notebook.
Firings: There will be one bisque firing mid-way through the retreat for smaller pieces, followed by a surprise alternative firing. Any larger works which are not ready for firing during the retreat will be bisqued once dry and shipped to you (shipping costs not included).
Free time: We will balance our clay practice with time to enjoy the island. Hike to a local viewpoint, go for swim, chill at the beach, grab a cocktail by the water, read, rest. Or simply enjoy some independent clay time in our outdoor studio. This choice is yours.

Accommodation & Meals

Six nights in a beautiful, traditional stone house set in valley of Eresos, just minutes from the sea. The house offers restorative communal spaces, light-filled bedrooms, and peaceful outdoor areas for creativity, reflection and gathering.
Breakfasts and lunches will be served daily, prepared with care from locally-sourced produce. Snacks and beverages will be available through the day. Dinner is not included.

Optional excursions

Visit to the traditional island pottery of Dimitris Kouvdis, for a demonstration of the harvesting and preparation of wild clay and a tour of his wood fire kiln.
Trip to the petrified Forest, an otherworldly landscape and quiet place to walk and reflect.

Who this retreat is for

Beginners and experienced makers welcome. With a maximum group size of 10 people, facilitated by two experienced craftswomen, teaching will be intentionally paced and person-centred, adapted to meet you where you are as a human and a maker.

Safe Space

Our retreats are safe spaces.

We create an environment grounded in respect and kindness, where you can arrive as you are and be seen without judgment. We honour diverse identities, experiences, and ways of being. Harmful language or behaviour will not be tolerated.

Join us in sunny Eresos for a week of mindful making and restorative nature.

Hosted at Chalantra Residence, a traditional stone house offering a mix of double/triple bedrooms and serene indoor and outdoor communal spaces.
Main House:
- 3 double rooms - shared bathroom
  Suitable for couples or friends who are happy to share a double bed, or for those who would rather have a room to themselves.
- 1 double room (double bed + bunk bed) - shared bathroom
  Suitable for a couple, those who would rather have a room to themselves, or two friends who prefer separate beds.
- There are 2 shared bathrooms, 2 living rooms and a kitchen in the main house.
Annex/studio (ensuite) with small kitchen:
- 1 double bed & 1 sofa bed
  Suitable for a couple or three friends who are happy to share the space.
Free wifi is available throughout the property.
If you would like to hire your own car on the island, parking is available at the property.
Breakfast: A selection of fresh, locally sourced ingredients will be provided in the shared kitchen each day, so that you can prepare your own meal and start your day your way (we will be asking you about your food preferences and dietary restrictions beforehand).
Lunch: Will be catered by a local vegan chef (Food by AJ of The Lettuce Cafe) and served family-style. We’re happy to provide allergy-friendly swaps as long as you give us plenty of notice.
Dinner: Not included in the retreat package, but we will be giving you our curated recommendations for a wide variety of outstanding and delicious local options to try in the evenings.
Please let us know any food preferences, allergies, or dietary restrictions when you sign up for the pottery retreat. If you have multiple or complex requirements (severe allergies, medical diets, or cultural/religious observances), include details and we’ll work with you to ensure safe options.
- Mytillini (MJT) is an international airport with direct flights from many destinations and regular connections to and from Athens.
- There are also regular ferry connections to Lesvos from the Greek mainland and islands and Turkey.
- Transfers between Mytilini (MJT) and Eresos are included.
- Contact us, for more information if needed.
Pottery is a physically active craft but there is plenty we can do to make it accessible; please let us know about any sensory sensitivities, mobility, or health considerations so that we can do our best to adapt and make your experience as welcoming and comfortable as possible.
Accommodation: The studio/annex provides accessible accommodation on the ground floor, with a shower room.
The paths around the property are gravelled. And we will be eating all our meals outside in the courtyard or on the porch which accessible via a small staircase.
- Bicycle and moped hire
- Visit to the thermal baths—for restorative, mineral-rich waters and slow relaxation
- Morning Vinyasa Yoga
- Visit to Meditation Centre
Contact us in advance for more information about these options.
Cancellations made more than 60 days before the retreat start date:
- If you cancel more than 60 days prior to the start of the retreat, you will receive either a 50% refund of your deposit or 75% of the full retreat cost, whichever applies to your booking.
Cancellations made less than 60 days before the retreat start date:
- Refunds are only issued if we are able to rebook your spot. If we successfully fill your space, you will receive a refund pro-rated to the amount we recover from the replacement booking. If we cannot fill your spot, no refund will be provided.
Notes
- All refunds are processed to the original payment method and may take up to 14 business days to appear.
- To cancel or request a rebooking, please notify us by email with your name and booking details.