Home The Pelagus Method Referral Partners Colin's Story Journal Book A Call

Adventure-led Addiction Recovery Retreats in Ireland

Three Retreats. One Purpose.

Recovery looks different for everyone. Our three programmes are built around the people who need them — not the other way around.

Pathway 1 — Achill Wild: For 18-25s

Young adults in recovery need more than conversation — they need momentum, challenge, and a community that gets it. Achill Wild is an adventure-led programme on Ireland’s Atlantic coast, designed for 18–25 year olds who are ready to build a life they don’t want to escape from.

Pathway 2 — Deerstone: For Women

Women in recovery carry more than most people know. Deerstone is a women-only programme that creates the space to put that weight down — and to build, from that point, a life that actually sustains you. Trauma-aware, nature-led, and genuinely transformative.

Pathway 3 — Kilkenny: For Men

Recovery asks a particular kind of courage from men — and rarely gives them the space to show it. Kilkenny is a private programme for men who are ready to do the deeper work — set within the grounds of one of Ireland’s most distinguished estates. Discreet, structured, and built for lasting change.

A group campfire by the water at dusk
An evening campfire beside a lake at a Pelagus retreat
Looking up through tall forest trees
A mountain river and meadow landscape in Ireland
Kayaking at sunset — Pelagus adventure therapy
A Georgian country house and grounds — a Pelagus retreat venue

Why Pelagus?

Relapse is most likely in the first year. It happens not because people stop trying — but because they return to the same environment, the same pressures, and the same patterns without the tools or the support to navigate them differently.

Pelagus was built to close that gap. Our retreats take you out of the environment where relapse happens- and into one where recovery is the only focus. Nature, movement and expert therapeutic care work together to shift your perspective, strengthen your resolve, and show you what the next chapter looks like.

Every guest arrives at a turning point. Every guest leaves with a plan.

Aerial view of an Irish coastal cove

How Pelagus Works

We begin before you arrive. Every guest has a personal conversation with our team before the retreat starts — to understand where you are in your recovery, what you need most, and how to build a programme that is genuinely yours.

During the retreat, you move through a carefully designed sequence of adventure, therapeutic work, and reflection. Every element is chosen to challenge, restore, and equip — not just for the ten days, but for the life you’re returning to.

By the time you leave, you have more than an experience. You have a Recovery Map — a practical, personal plan for the months ahead — and a peer accountability structure that continues beyond departure.

The Pelagus Method

Adventure, therapy, and nature — working together to protect your recovery and rebuild your life.

A group gathered outdoors by the water — Pelagus peer support
Relapse Prevention

The foundation of everything we do. Our relapse prevention approach is practical, evidence-informed, and built around real life — not a classroom. Skills are developed in nature, on the water, and in honest conversation, making them second nature long after the retreat ends.

Qi Gong session at a Pelagus recovery retreat
Mindfulness & Presence

Daily practices that build calm, emotional regulation, and self-awareness from the inside out. Through guided mindfulness, immersion in nature, and complementary therapies including acupuncture, yoga, and Qi Gong, guests learn to return to presence wherever they are.

Sitting at the edge of the Cliffs of Moher
Recovery Coaching

Delivered in intimate small-group sessions of no more than six guests, in serene natural settings. Topics covered include triggers and cravings, emotional regulation, high-risk situations, and values-based living — the foundations of a life that lasts.

OUR RETREATS

Achill Wild Retreat, Ireland

An adventure-led recovery retreat on Achill Island, designed for young adults aged 18–25 to reclaim their lives. Through surfing, hiking, coasteering, and immersive therapeutic support, Achill Wild combines challenge, movement, and connection to build resilience and emotional growth. Raw, real, and transformative.

Sample Retreat Achill Wilds
  • Day 1

Island Orientation.

Welcome Ceremony.

Fire Circle.

Deerstone Retreat, Ireland

A women-only recovery retreat set in a quiet, nature-rich environment in Co. Wicklow. Through guided movement, therapeutic practice, and genuine connection with other women, Deerstone supports recovery while rebuilding identity, confidence, and purpose. Trauma-aware, compassionate, and designed for lasting change.

Sample Retreat Deerstone
  • Day 1

Individual Intake.

Guided walk - Co. Wicklow

Opening Circle.

Kilkenny Retreat, Ireland.

A discreet luxury recovery retreat in Ireland’s southeast, blending nature, movement, and expert care to support lasting change. Set across five star grounds, guests follow the Pelagus Method through immersive, personalised experiences — including golf, sailing, hiking, and equine therapy. Designed for privacy and excellence. Built for transformation.

Sample Retreat Kilkenny
  • Day 1

Collected from Dublin Airport by Chauffeur.

Brought to your luxury location where you will meet your fellow guests and the Pelagus team

You will then be shown around the property.

Ireland's rugged Atlantic coastline A stream running through Irish woodland An Irish town nestled in a green valley
Every Pelagus retreat begins with a conversation.
We take the time to make sure this is right for you — and that you arrive ready for what it offers.

Bespoke, Discreet, Transformative

No two guests are the same. No two programmes ever are either.

Every element of your retreat is built around where you are in your recovery — and the life you are returning to.

A one-to-one conversation at a Pelagus retreat
Personalised Experiences
Personalised Experiences

No two guests arrive the same, and no two programmes are built the same. Your retreat is shaped around where you are in your recovery- your history, your triggers, and the life you are returning to.

A supportive conversation by the water
Bespoke Wellbeing
Bespoke Wellbeing

Recovery-focused support combining personalised care, therapeutic guidance, and the rebuilding of healthy routines and relationships. Designed to strengthen emotional stability and long-term resilience.

Fresh, nutrition-focused meal prepared at a Pelagus retreat
Nutritional Recovery
Nutritional Recovery

Nutrition is part of recovery. Every meal is prepared fresh by a private chef- designed to restore, support and fuel the work you are doing. No decisions to make. Just food that serves you.

Private chauffeur transfer for Pelagus retreat guests
Seamless Arrival
Seamless Arrival

From the moment you arrive, everything is handled. Discreet door-to-door transfer means no logistics, no exposure, and no stress- so your focus can be entirely on what you came here to do.

Horse riding through autumn woodland — Pelagus adventure therapy
Equine Therapy
Equine Therapy

A one-to-one conversation at a Pelagus retreat
Personalised Experiences
Personalised Experiences

No two guests arrive the same, and no two programmes are built the same. Your retreat is shaped around where you are in your recovery- your history, your triggers, and the life you are returning to.

A supportive conversation by the water
Bespoke Wellbeing
Bespoke Wellbeing

Recovery-focused support combining personalised care, therapeutic guidance, and the rebuilding of healthy routines and relationships. Designed to strengthen emotional stability and long-term resilience.

Fresh, nutrition-focused meal prepared at a Pelagus retreat
Nutritional Recovery
Nutritional Recovery

Nutrition is part of recovery. Every meal is prepared fresh by a private chef- designed to restore, support and fuel the work you are doing. No decisions to make. Just food that serves you.

Private chauffeur transfer for Pelagus retreat guests
Seamless Arrival
Seamless Arrival

From the moment you arrive, everything is handled. Discreet door-to-door transfer means no logistics, no exposure, and no stress- so your focus can be entirely on what you came here to do.

Horse riding through autumn woodland — Pelagus adventure therapy
Equine Therapy
Equine Therapy

Working with horses has a unique effect on the mind. For some guests, time spent in equine therapy becomes one of the most clarifying experiences of the retreat, offering a different kind of stillness and a different kind of strength.

Ready to Take the First Step? •

Every retreat begins with a conversation. •

Your journey starts with a single decision. •

Whatever brings you here — and however long you’ve been thinking about it — we’re glad you’ve arrived. Every enquiry is handled with complete discretion. No pressure, no obligation. Just an honest conversation about whether Pelagus is the right fit for you.