Reviews of Macalla Farm. (Coffee Shop) in Westport (Mayo).

Macalla Farm

14 Reviews

14 Comments

Coffee shop

Vegetarian cafe and deli

Macallla farm and yoga retreat centre Ballytoohey Clare Island, Co. Mayo, F28 TR96, Ireland

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Information of Macalla Farm, Coffee shop in Westport (Mayo)

Here you can see the location, open hours, popular times, contact, photos and real reviews done by the users.

This place has good reviews, this means that they treat their customers well and you’ll feel great with their services, recommended 100%!

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Reviews of Macalla Farm

C. M.

Simply, incredible! Macalla Farm was a gift from my mother-in-law and it was a magical experience from start to finish. We did the yoga & meditation with horses course. Not only were our hosts wonderful and welcoming, their food was some of the best I've had in my life. Almost everything was harvested and made right there. The meditation and breathwork was much needed as my daily grind was beginning to take it's toll. After a weekend here you will feel completely renewed. I also didn't have a great relationship with horses before this trip, and now I dream of working with them again soon. I can't wait to go back again one day. Thank you so much to Ciara and Christophe for making this type of retreat a possibility. It has helped me more than you can know :)

A. H.

Just returned from my second Yoga retreat with Christophe and Ciara and I cant say how much I love this place. If you are looking for authentic Yoga and Mediation practice with amazing food in a stunning setting this is the place for you. Ciara and Christophe are both wonderful teachers whose kindness and grace are inspiring. The meals are delicious and nearly all sourced from their organic garden. From walks of the island to swims in the sea, Clare Island is very special place. I hope I can return again. Not to be missed.!!!

L. M.

First of all I must say that my five-month stay at Macalla was probably quite different to other volunteers´ due to Covid 19. We couldn´t have yoga courses or any visitors until August, so it was much more quiet than it would normally be. However, that situation, despite some disadvantages, had surprisingly a lot of advantages too ;-). Let me start with the hosts. Ciara, Christoph, Maude and Theo are simply amazing. They made us feel very welcome, Ciara prepared a dish with sauerkraut for me for the first dinner, knowing it was typical for my region ;-). In the garden Ciara made us feel like we almost owned the place too – she consulted decisions with us and gave us a lot of freedom to do things our way. We had lots of very interesting and thought provoking debates about a wide range of topics – environmental protection, gardening, politics, social issues etc. Ciara and Christoph´s generosity is marvelous: they shared their space, their knowledge and their home-produced food with us. You do need to be prepared to work quite hard during busier periods, but you will still be able to enjoy everything this unique place has to offer. The Clare Island scenery with all the cliffs and nature is spectacular. I think it´s a little paradise, even with its rainy and windy days and occasional midges‘ attacks. It´s rather quiet, but not totally – there are two pubs and quite a lot of tourists and yoga course participants come in the summer. A number of interesting people live here, e.g. a handweaver or some musicians. I met an amazing amount of really nice and interesting people here, including other volunteers too. I learned loads about gardening, cooking, animals, sustainable living, yoga, and even sailing! I discovered the Clare Island and Ciara told us loads about the local and the Irish history. I brushed up on my English and learned lots of new phrases. I learned to weave and wove my own scarf. I enjoyed the crystal clear sea, which we don´t have in Czechia. I gained so much from this place. I certainly recommend it! Ciara, Christoph, Maude, Theo, Beth, Anna, Vera and Lorraine, thank you so much, I will miss you!

G. O.

Everything is unique to Macalla Farm, everything is in tune with nature, the setting, the yoga studio, the food is grown on the land, so even the food taste unique to the vibration of the farm & the hosts. the walks are spectacular. The café is so wonderful, you may get served by Christophe & Ciara's son & daughter, what a treat, it's all a joy and a true re-treat.

M. N. S.

This is my third time staying at Macalla Farm, Clare Island Yoga retreat centre for a week long retreat/course. Each time exceeds my expectations. Ciara and Christophe are dedicated and passionate yoga teachers, yoga is clearly a way of life for them and to living a healthy life - sustainable to the environment. Yoga asana practice, pranayama meditation, mindfulness are all part of daily life and all of equal importance. The food at Macalla farm is soooooo delicious and healthy. It is hard to believe that such healthy food can be so good but it is true - every brunch and dinner accompanied by exclamations of great joy and satisfaction! The food is organic and mainly produced on the farm at the toil of Ciara, Christophe & family. For joy, health and well-being and lots more I recommend Macalla Farm with all my heart. A huge Namaste to all at Macalla Farm for the care and attention. Much Love Máire Ní S.

F. D. R.

I have been 10 times to Macalla Farm, mainly for yoga, but also for enjoying the peace and quietness and the fabulous food. Ciara and Christophe are extremely knowledgeable teachers and helped me from day 0 of my yoga practice. They are real professionals and I have met very few people like them in my life. Macalla Farm is an ideal place for yoga, meditation and to rest your mind. I warmly recommend it nad I look forward to my next visit!

K. H.

A truly inspiring experience! Ciara and Christophe generously share their seemingly lifetime commitment to yoga and meditation practices. Together they creatively and synergistically weave yoga and meditation techniques. They particularly and purposefully emphasize the potential of applying these practices in everyday life, through the cultivation of awareness, and greeting what comes up with openness, kindness, and curiosity. The Macalla Farm experience is a true gift. The food is stellar as it is carefully grown and prepared in their home. Amazing meal after amazing meal! They open their warm home with astounding generosity. All this served from their wonderful farm with magnificent horses and animals, surrounded by lush wilderness and breath-taking views of sea, sky, and land. Wisdom and wonder flow freely ... I whole-heartedly give the Macalla Farm retreat experience my highest recommendation.

J. T.

Macalla Farm now holds a very special place in my heart. I feel fortunate for being one of the 12 lovely, compassionate, and energizing women who participated in the New Year Yoga & Mediation Retreat from 28 December, 2018 - 2 January, 2019. Our hosts, Ciara and Christophe are people who care deeply for what they do and how they do it; their offering is so unique it takes people like them to make it successful. The New Year retreat was primarily focused on meditation and the breath; the yoga practice (Sati Yoga) was a perfect way to embrace and explore the blending of meditation, breathwork, and asanas - really getting into the fundamentals of the latter. Rarely have ever felt so relaxed yet energized at the same time. The meals were heaven-sent. Made (and served) in Ciara and Christophe's own kitchen, from fruit and vegetables they grow on the farm; they make their own breads - hearty and healthy; and, they source cheese and other goods as locally as possible to supplement as needed. Everything is jam-packed with flavor and you just feel healthier looking at it. You won't leave hungry, trust me. You're also able to peruse their kitchen-library and check out books to read while you're there: cooking, gardening, mediation, and more. You are welcome to take a tour of the gardens, meet their horses, or just go for a walk (they can provide instructions and maps). Or, in your free time, you can curl up on the sofa in your cottage - with a book, some knitting, or just a nap. The New Year's Eve celebration was wonderful: an exercise in mindfulness (eating as well) and silence, until a late meditation to welcome the new year, after which we were presented with hot cider (non-alcoholic) and sweets - and loads of good banter amongst everyone. If you can find time to visit Macalla Farm, I highly recommend it. Just leave a spot for me.

Macalla Farm on Clare Island - an oasis of beauty, colour, flavour - a feast for the senses, recharging of the body and refreshment for the mind. This August Bank Holiday was a return visit for me to take part again in a yoga retreat - and I left after the weekend - as with previous visits - with the feeling of fullness - not only from the delicious food, but filled with positivity, refreshed from the time out, my body nicely tired from stretching, yoga postures and walking, and my mind rested and calm. The weekend of meditation and yoga was beautifully melded by the hosts and teachers Ciara and Christophe. The classes were held in the purpose built spacious studio within their family home. Sessions are complemented by delicious and wholesome vegetarian dishes using produce from the surrounding farm and prepared in the inviting kitchen and eating space. The farm offers plush graze for the friendly goats, milking sheep and ducks with polytunnels blooming and filled with a wide assortment of healthy produce. The stunning vista from the windows extends down from the colourful companion planting of poppies and borage intertwined with rows of thriving vegetables populated by swallows and thrushes, blackbirds and robins, bees and hoverflies, through fields with grazing horses, past mature woodland, down to the tidal jagged coastline and across the sea to the summit of Croagh Patrick on the mainland. The silence of the morning meditation sessions having being continued from the evening before and extending until the brunch meal offered a rare opportunity for peacefulness and serenity to one's nights and early mornings - a welcome break from the everyday hustle and hum of technology that can distract us so much- the short walk to the studio from our cottage accommodation was accompanied only by the gentle hum of early morning bees on the blue hydrangea and red honeysuckle. Being on an island lends itself to a feeling of escapism - a sanctuary surrounded by water where one can breathe deeply and relax. Ciara and Christophe exhibit a humility, peacefulness and patience that is much appreciated on a retreat. They are tolerant, encouraging and compassionate with their teaching. One doesn't have to be a Yogi or even have prior experience in practicing yoga. This course brought together complete beginners who had never meditated or knowingly sat in a yoga pose with more experienced practitioners of yoga – and all levels were catered for in a seamless manner. In between classes the weekend allowed for time to relax, to explore the island, to dip into the sea, to track up the mountain, to hike down to the famine potato fields, to visit the ancient Abbey, to discover the castle of Grace O Malley, to walk to the lighthouse and peer over at the dazzlingly high cliffs, to hear the cry of the sea birds and take in the sunset over the watery horizon. I have filled up my eyes on the myriad of colours along the hedgerows with bright oranges, vibrant purples, hazy honeyed swaying grasses - under the changeable elements from the hottest sun to blustery stormy winds and rain – whatever the scene the island remains beautiful. I look forward to my next visit.

R. B.

Every year my experience at Macalla Farm is better and better, very good food, very good yoga, very good people.....and peace, and silence, and space all around you!