Nexwlélexwm (Bowen Island), British Columbia
September 21 - 25, 2026
SOLD OUT
Enrolment Opens August 2, 2025
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10:00AM PST / 1:00PM EST / 6:00PM GMT
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Enrolment Opens August 2, 2025 〰️ 10:00AM PST / 1:00PM EST / 6:00PM GMT 〰️
Nestled in the heart of Bowen Island, the 2026 Return to the Wild Retreat marries nature with craft for five inspiring days of immersive storytelling and connection.
Return to the Wild goes beyond a typical writing retreat. It offers a full immersion in the land through local wisdom, as well as creating an inclusive, mindful, and inspiring space for writers to elevate their craft and reconnect to their creative spirit through a nature-centered perspective. This retreat is guided by published authors and industry experts.
Over the course of a week, writers will partake in daily nature-based, immersive writing craft circles and faculty talks, designed to inspire and enhance your skill and to (re)kindle your connection with writing and with nature.
Evenings will feature communal gatherings where writers can share their work, discuss ideas, the day, and build lasting connections.
Included in this retreat
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Nectar Yoga Retreat is a healing space that sits on 20 acres of forested land on Bowen Island, just a short 20 minute ferry ride from Vancouver. Nectar acknowledges and honours that Nexwlélexwm (Bowen Island) is the ancestral and unceded territory of the Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) Nation.
Here’s a blurb from Nectar:
“Our life's work is the stewardship of this land, to care for and know its forests and waterways… By holding space for guests to slow down, our intention is to seed consciousness that naturally comes from immersing oneself in the land.
Our modern, Scandinavian-inspired cottages provide the container for an easeful getaway in nature. Rest and recharge among the Alder trees, and vast varieties of Pacific Northwest flora and fauna.”
Nectar has been host to brands like Lululemon and Arc'teryx and featured by The New York Times, British Vogue, Condé Nast Traveler, and more!
See available room options below
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Nectar will be providing catering for us. The vegetarian menu will be emailed 14 days prior to the retreat. All meals are vegan adaptable, gluten-free adaptable, and peanut-free. Nectar can accommodate allergies; however, they do not cater to specific diets such as smoothies-only, sugar-free, keto, no/low carbs etc.
Nectar is a fish and meat-free kitchen. They are not a gluten-free or nut-free kitchen. However, they do make great efforts to avoid cross-contamination, although they cannot guarantee it. If you do have any allergies, an opportunity to disclose will be available to you upon enrollment.
Return to the Wild and Nectar are not liable for any allergic reactions or conditions that may arise due to the consumption of food and drinks provided by Nectar.
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Prepare for true story and craft elevation! Every day we will return to the wild and our craft with nature-based and craft-focused writing exercises. You can apply these sessions to your current WIP or start fresh and flex those storytelling muscles away from your comfort zone! Every session will come with an opportunity to share our ideas and writing and work as a group.
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After breakfast, we will start every day (weather permitting) with a guided forest walk. Together we’ll embark on a tree-supported journey through the trails that meander through Nectar’s property. Throughout the week, Marina will share nature-based writing exercises and talks during our immersive roam. Don’t forget to bring your notebook or your notes app to immortalize those incredible sensory moments. Our forest walks serve to compliment our craft exercises.
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For one incredible evening, an indigenous storyteller will join us for an hour of wisdom and welcoming.
“The listener is very important in the storytelling process. For stories to live, they need the hearts, minds and ears of listeners. Without the listener, there is no story.” - Storytellers of Canada
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One morning, instead of our guided forest walk, writers will be invited to gather in Nectar’s yoga dome for a cleansing and creatively inspiring sound bath session.
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After the retreat, you’ll have six months to book a 1:1 chat with Marina to go over your query letter! If your writing journey doesn’t include querying, Marina is offering a complimentary 1:1 first chapter critique.
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Mist Thermal Sanctuary at Nectar offers a calm pause to return to your elements through private forested saunas and reviving hot-cold waters.
Mist uses mineral-rich spring water from an aquifer beneath our premises, enhancing resilience against water scarcity caused by climate change.
Optional Mist Thermal Spa Add On for a discounted rate of & $55 USD ($67 CAD).
Three Mist Spa experiences have been donated to Return to the Wild Retreat by a very generous alum. If you would like to claim one of these spots, please contact Marina. Securing your Mist Thermal Experience will be available post-enrolment.
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Writers will have access to Nectar’s venue as well as access to personal bookings for
• Massage
• Tarot
• Reiki
• Breathwork
• Yoga
• Meditationat your own expense.
Online booking platforms will be provided 20 days before the event. Please be mindful of our schedule before booking.
Please be mindful of allotted free time so you don’t miss out on group sessions.
Who is the Return to the Wild Retreat for?
This gathering offers something truly unique. Storytellers of every level who wish to dive deeper into their craft, take part in a thoughtful critique group setting, or those seeking an unforgettable experience infused with a sense of magic alongside fellow writers will enjoy a week well spent. You’ll also make connections that will inspire your creativity and your writer life long after we leave.
Be inspired by nature and each other. Go wild.
FACULTY
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Emily Varga
Author of FOR SHE IS WRATH
(#1 International Bestseller & Instant Indie Bestseller)Emily Varga is a YA Fantasy author with a fondness for getting lost in bookstores, eating copious amounts of rice, and watching a lot of terrible reality tv. She has lived all over the world, but currently calls the Rocky Mountains of western Canada home, where she lives with her family and their menagerie of pets. When she’s not writing, Emily works as a family lawyer, where she learned more about storytelling than she ever expected. Emily’s debut novel FOR SHE IS WRATH is a Pakistani-inspired Count of Monte Cristo retelling meets Kill Bill and is out now with Wednesday Books.
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Amanda Linsmeier
Author of A DANCE WITH DEATH
(Coming January 2026)Amanda Linsmeier has been a book nerd as long as she can remember, and it was that great love of reading—especially R.L. Stine novels and fairytales—that eventually brought her to writing her own stories. In high school, she won the senior class vote for “Most Romantic Girl”, a title she’s still ridiculously pleased with. She feels most joyful when writing, scream-singing her favorite songs, playing in the water, and laughing with her beloved family. She lives in a magical place with a man who smells like maple syrup and woodsmoke, their wonderfully wild children, a dog, and an assortment of half-feral cats.
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Marina Green
Literary Agent, Editor, & Host
By day, Marina is literary agent, previously a Big 5 acquiring editor. Avid supporter of the Oxford Comma and the em dash, Marina is also a freelance editor by night, founder of Marina Edits and Return to the Wild.
In her free time, you can find Marina with her nose in a book or clicking away at her laptop, chasing new stories and wrangling them into wild submission. When she isn’t immersing herself in story, you can find her with a cup of tea in hand, trying a new yoga asana—never at the same time—or practicing Armenian, the language of her ancestors.
Storytelling is rooted in the land
Retreat Schedule
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4:00 pm | Check-In & Group Orientation + Welcome Snack // Check-In and an introduction and welcome from the Nectar team + an afternoon snack. Get to know Marina and your faculty as well as the other guests on the retreat. We’ll go over the details of the days ahead.
5:00 - 6:00 pm | Tour the Grounds // Settle into your rooms, get into comfy clothes to fully unwind from a day of travel. Tour the grounds and prepare yourself for a nourishing dinner.
6:15 pm | Dinner + Dessert // A delicious vegetarian meal in the lodge followed by dessert + tea.
7:30 – 9:00 pm | Fireside Chats & Socialize // Relax in the lodge, connect with other guests, or wind down in your cabin. Prepare for a great night’s sleep however you wish!
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8:00 – 9:00 am | Breakfast // Start your day in the lodge with a delicious breakfast.
9:00 – 10:30 am | Guided Forest Walk & Nature Writing // Marina will lead the group on a nature-based forest walk. Be sure to wear comfy shoes and bring something to write with.
10:30 – 12:00 am | Story Elevation Session 1 // With your small group, embark on a story elevation session with one of the faculty.
12:00 – 1:00 pm | Lunch // Lunch at the lodge to energize and nourish.
1:00 – 3:30 pm | Story Elevation Session 2 // With your small group, continue today’s story elevation session.
3:30 – 5:00 pm | Free Time // Take this time to get to wander, rest, write, or indulge in Nectar’s MIST experience.
5:00 – 6:00 pm | Faculty Talk // An hour of craft knowledge with one of our amazing faculty.
6:15 pm | Dinner + Dessert // A delicious vegetarian meal in the lodge followed by dessert + tea.
7:30 – 9:00 pm | Fireside Chats & Socialize // Relax in the lodge, connect with other guests, or wind down in your cabin. Prepare for a great night’s sleep however you wish!
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8:00 – 9:00 am | Breakfast // Start your day in the lodge with a delicious breakfast.
9:00 – 10:30 am | Guided Forest Walk & Nature Writing // Marina will lead the group on a nature-based forest walk. Be sure to wear comfy shoes and bring something to write with.
10:30 – 12:00 am | Story Elevation Session 1 // With your small group, embark on a story elevation session with one of the faculty.
12:00 – 1:00 pm | Lunch // Lunch at the lodge to energize and nourish.
1:00 – 2:30 pm | Indigenous Storytelling Hour // Gather as a group for an hour of Indigenous Wisdom and Storytelling.
2:30 – 5:00 pm | Free Time // Take this time to get to wander, rest, write, or indulge in Nectar’s MIST experience.
5:00 – 6:00 pm | Faculty Talk // An hour of craft knowledge with one of our amazing faculty.
6:15 pm | Dinner + Dessert // A delicious vegetarian meal in the lodge followed by dessert + tea.
7:30 – 9:00 pm | Fireside Chats & Socialize // Relax in the lodge, connect with other guests, or wind down in your cabin. Prepare for a great night’s sleep however you wish!
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8:00 – 9:00 am | Breakfast // Start your day in the lodge with a delicious breakfast.
9:00 – 10:30 am | Guided Forest Walk & Nature Writing // Marina will lead the group on a nature-based forest walk. Be sure to wear comfy shoes and bring something to write with.
10:30 – 12:00 am | Story Elevation Session 1 // With your small group, embark on a story elevation session with one of the faculty.
12:00 – 1:00 pm | Lunch // Lunch at the lodge to energize and nourish.
1:00 – 3:30 pm | Story Elevation Session 2 // With your small group, continue today’s story elevation session.
3:30 – 5:00 pm | Free Time or Bowen Cider House Tour // Take this time to get to wander, explore Bowen’s family-run Cider House, rest, write, or indulge in Nectar’s MIST experience.
5:00 – 6:00 pm | Faculty Talk // An hour of craft knowledge with one of our amazing faculty.
6:15 pm | Dinner + Dessert // A delicious vegetarian meal in the lodge followed by dessert + tea.
7:30 – 9:00 pm | Fireside Chats & Socialize // Relax in the lodge, connect with other guests, or wind down in your cabin. Prepare for a great night’s sleep however you wish!
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8:00 – 9:00 am | Breakfast // Start your day in the lodge with a delicious breakfast.
9:00 - 10:00 am | Closing Circle // Join me for a closing circle in the lodge to say farewell and close the retreat.
10:30 - 11:00 am | Check-Out // Prepare to check out at the Nectar shop by 11 am.
About Nexwlélexwm (Bowen Island)
Nexwlélexwm (Bowen Island) the ancestral and unceded territory of the Squamish Nation. Nestled in the Howe Sound, just a short ferry ride from Vancouver, British Columbia, this small island has a generous heart. Bowen is renowned for its lush forests and rugged coastlines.
Accommodations
The 2026 Return to the Wild Retreat will be hosted exclusively at Nectar Retreat Centre
Nectar Yoga Retreat is a healing space that sits on 20 acres of forested land on Bowen Island, just a short 20 minute ferry ride from Vancouver.
We acknowledge and honour that Nexwlélexwm (Bowen Island) is the ancestral and unceded territory of the Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) Nation.
Breathe in. Feel the serenity of the trees, the whispers of the wind, the beauty of unspoiled nature. Breathe out. Let go of the daily grind. The meetings. The screens. Feel life’s chaos give way to a sense of oneness with the world around you, deep in your bones. This is our promise of a deeply healing space for inner connection and outer exploration. This is Nectar.
There are only 15 spots available! Get them before they’re gone!
Prices are displayed in USD. If you are a Canadian attendee, please contact Marina before or after enrolment to secure your spot with an e-transfer.
Sunstone, Jasper, & Opal A-Frame Cottages
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Warm, pine-clad angled walls welcome you at our modernized 60s-throwback A-frames. The comfy beds and cozy linens await your dreams, while the picture window and its lush foliage views await your daydreams. Use the space for creative pursuits, or as a basecamp for a walk in the forest. Rainy day? Sit outside on your covered porch and enjoy the fresh, pine-scented ocean air and the sound of raindrops caressing the old-growth trees.
Sleeps 1 guest
1 double bed
Covered front deck with year-round seating
3 A-Frames share 2 detached bathrooms (10 meter outside walk away), with showers
Natural, locally-made toiletries
Wi-Fi available in the Onyx Lodge
Moonstone Cottage
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This cottage offers similar amenities as our deluxe cottages with added seclusion. Wake up to sunbeams illuminating the room through the windows before sipping tea on your porch nestled on the edge of our Alder grove. A rustic outdoor shower awaits you with sweet-smelling natural products to lather on.
Sleeps 2 guests (we suggest booking with a loved one as the beds are close together)
2 twin beds or 1 king bed
Private deck
Reading chairs
Mini fridge
Ensuite bathroom (toilet and sink inside, shower outside)
Outdoor shower (located on the deck, maximum 7 minutes of hot water)
Natural, locally-made toiletries
Wi-Fi
Smart TV
Jade Cottage
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Our modern, Scandinavian-inspired deluxe cottages were designed with simplistic coziness in mind. Comfy beds, soft linens, fluffy pillows and a reading window seat offer perfect places to snuggle up to a loved one, or with a good book. Wake up and take a morning shower in the gorgeous bathroom, or take it outside in the steamy, outdoor shower adjoining the bathroom. A covered porch lined with warm cedar perches you with a perfect view of the property’s centerpiece, our magnificent maple and alder trees.
Sleeps 2 guests
2 XL twin beds or 1 king bed & one lofted bed
Covered front deck with year-round seating
Reading nook with picture window
Writing desk
Mini fridge
Ensuite bathroom with indoor and outdoor shower
Natural, locally-made toiletries
Smart TV and in-room Wi-Fi
Amethyst Cottage
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Our modern, Scandinavian-inspired deluxe cottages were designed with simplistic coziness in mind. Comfy beds, soft linens, fluffy pillows and a reading window seat offer perfect places to snuggle up to a loved one, or with a good book. Wake up and take a morning shower in the gorgeous bathroom, or take it outside in the steamy, outdoor shower adjoining the bathroom. A covered porch lined with warm cedar perches you with a perfect view of the property’s centerpiece, our magnificent maple and alder trees.
Sleeps 2 guests
2 XL twin beds or 1 king bed & one lofted bed
Covered front deck with year-round seating
Reading nook with picture window
Writing desk
Mini fridge
Ensuite bathroom with indoor and outdoor shower
Natural, locally-made toiletries
Smart TV and in-room Wi-Fi
Quartz Cottage
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Our modern, Scandinavian-inspired deluxe cottages were designed with simplistic coziness in mind. Comfy beds, soft linens, fluffy pillows and a reading window seat offer perfect places to snuggle up to a loved one, or with a good book. Wake up and take a morning shower in the gorgeous bathroom, or take it outside in the steamy, outdoor shower adjoining the bathroom. A covered porch lined with warm cedar perches you with a perfect view of the property’s centerpiece, our magnificent maple and alder trees.
Sleeps 2 guests
2 XL twin beds or 1 king bed & one lofted bed
Covered front deck with year-round seating
Reading nook with picture window
Writing desk
Mini fridge
Ensuite bathroom with indoor and outdoor shower
Natural, locally-made toiletries
Smart TV and in-room Wi-Fi
Whether you are a seasoned writer or just beginning your journey, the Return to the Wild Writing Retreat is a haven for creativity and reflection, encouraging you to unleash your imagination in a wild and beautiful setting. Join us for an unforgettable experience that will renew your passion for writing and maybe even inspire your next project!
Enrollment Details
Sold Out!
Here are the payment details:
Enrolment opens August 2, 2025
A nonrefundable enrolment deposit of $500 USD goes toward your overall retreat cost on August 2nd.
Full Balance Option can be paid at any point after enrolment
Please note: We are encouraging participants who are able to pay in full in advance so we can secure trip experiences!
Instalments Option:
First Payment Due October 4, 2025
2nd Payment Due February 7, 2025
Your enrolment will register you for the retreat, which includes accommodations, all activities including critique circles, & all meals. Transportation to Nectar and back is not included. Marina will provide a detailed how-to guide after sign-up. See the FAQ section below for a brief overview.
Cancellation policy: The enrolment deposit & all other payments for this retreat are nonrefundable.
We highly recommend you purchase travel insurance to cover your expenses in the event of cancellations or rescheduling.
More Details
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Yes. Arriving late or leaving early will mean you won’t get the full experience.
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Our daily schedule includes daily walks in nature. These are completely dependant on weather and will mostly be short. Other activities are being planned that will be nature-based and therefore will require movement.
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Yes! if you would like to room with your friend, please coordinate before enrollment so that you both choose the same type of room. After enrollment, you will be provided opportunity to disclose your chosen roommate. We will do everything in our power to accommodate roommate requests to the best of our abilities.
If you do not have a specific roommate in mind or if you do not get your requested pairing, don’t worry! You’re coming to a place with like minded people who you could very well make life-long connections with. You will also have tons of time during the day to spend time with all of your friends—new and old.
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We will provide a detailed packing list in April. If you like to prepare extra, extra early, think spring in the Pacific Northwest. Cool gusts of wind, potential warm spells, mud, rain, and sunshine. Among other things, Marina will be bringing her waterproof hiking boots, an umbrella, and (waterproof) jackets to layer.
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To get to Bowen Island, you will need to take a ferry from Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver. The ferry terminal is located at 6755 Keith Road, West Vancouver, BC. BC Ferries operates regular sailings between Horseshoe Bay and Snug Cove on Bowen Island. The ferry crossing takes approximately 20 minutes.
If you are driving, follow signs to Horseshoe Bay from Vancouver or the surrounding areas, and purchase a ticket for your vehicle and passengers at the terminal. There is also passenger-only service; you can park in the Horseshoe Bay area and board the ferry on foot. It is recommended to arrive early, especially during peak travel times, as the ferry can fill up.
Once on Bowen Island, the ferry docks at Snug Cove, where you can access local transportation, taxis, and walking trails. Public transit options on the island are limited, so it’s advisable to plan your transportation in advance.
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You must be at least 19 years old to participate.
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Life happens. Don’t we know it. We highly recommend you purchase good travel insurance to protect against rare incidents like this!
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Yes! Although, if you’re an extra hungry hobbit like Marina, consider bring your own non-perishable stash just in case you get peckish!
