The Foundation

Splendid Torch is a non-profit organisation. We keep our rates intentionally low and offer partial and full scholarships to scholars from low-income countries and independent scholars with fewer opportunities. If you think you may qualify, let us know.

Remaining profits go to funding local initiatives that promote projects in environmental justice and bioethics. We highly encourage scholars to have their institution fund a retreat with us and are happy to bill universities directly.

Standard pricing
1 week: 350 euro
2 weeks: 550 euro
4 weeks: 950 euro

The Premises

The Splendid Torch house has three floors and a big terrace with sea view. The programme is kept intentionally small, with 2 to 4 scholars at most visiting simultaneously. The photos presented here show the premises and facilities as they have been during the second year of the retreat programme (2022- 2023). Seasons run from beginning of October to end of May. We are accepting reservations for the upcoming season. Feel free to contact us for more information.

The Coach

After 12 years of travel, working as a journalist, photographer, and divemaster, Mayli obtained her PhD in medical ethics and philosophy of technology. You can find her dissertation on ‘Responsible Prediction under Critical Uncertainty’ here. She also obtained funding from the highly competitive Marie-Skłodowska Curie Actions (score of 96,80%), among other European scholarships

Crucially, Mayli’s academic experience – especially in contrast with her other, more adventurous professional lifestyle – gave her expert knowledge on how to best face the demands put on academic researchers, be resilient, and obtain a healthy work-life balance. As many have said before, ‘success comes from experience and experience comes from failure’ but – as Mayli likes to point out – ‘no one ever said it has to be your own failure’.

Mayli – like the other ST coaches – encourages scholars and writers to learn from her and her peers’ mistakes and the experience of the many trailblazers that came before so you can avoid falling into common traps and, instead, live your best life. The small scale of the retreat programme allows for personal , one-on-one coaching. That said, if you want to merely escape your usual routine and take a solitary break from everything, you just say the word. Your coach will make sure Splendid Torch gets you the paradise-like escape you’ve been dreaming of.

The Surroundings

Splendid Torch is located right on the more private bays of San Jose beach. Going North you will find La Cueva del Tabaco and Cala Higuera which you can reach with a canoe or stand up paddle board. South you can hike to the most famous beaches like Los Genovesos and Monsul. If you’re more adventurous, your efforts will be rewarded…

The Name

Splendid Torch is a reference to the poem of the same name by George Bernard Shaw.

This is the true joy in life, 
the being used for a purpose
recognised by yourself as a mighty one;
the being a force of nature 
instead of a feverish, selfish little clod 
of ailments and grievances complaining
that the world will not devote itself 
to making you happy.

I am of the opinion that my life
belongs to the whole community
and as long as I live it is my privilege 
to do for it whatever I can.
I want to be thoroughly used up when I die,
for the harder I work, the more I live.

I rejoice in life for its own sake.
Life is no ‘brief candle’ to me.
It is a sort of splendid torch 
which I have got hold of for the moment,
and I want to make it burn 
as brightly as possible 
before handing it on 
to future generations.

George Bernard Shaw