About


Hello and welcome to travel-retreats.net! This isn’t just any travel site; it’s a portal to some of the most extraordinary art, food, exploration, and wellness retreats around the globe.

Marco Chelo

Marco Chelo – an Italian maestro, a whiz of a travel agent, tech guru, entrepreneur, and a sailor who’s journeyed from New York City to the Bahamas on a 27-foot sailboat.

In Italy, Marco steered tour companies like ABC Charters, Viaggiare Network, and Swing Travel. His passport tells tales of adventures across five continents, with special love for Italy, Africa, and the Caribbean.

Marco is more than a guide; he’s a travel detective, unveiling hidden local secrets in Tuscany, the vibrant life of Jamaica, and the pulse of Brazil. He’s also the co-founder of the New York Jazz Workshop, marrying music and teambuilding events with travel.

And for those drawn to Tuscany, La Pineta awaits – not just a farmhouse, but a piece of Italian heaven, stewarded by Marco’s family and his winemaker nephew Giulio.

Ready for an adventure spiced with Italian charm and a sailor’s spirit? Reach out to Marco at 917-340-0270 or leave a note below. Your story of extraordinary travel is just a call away!

Maria Alfaro

Maria is a native Italian and a California resident since 1997. Her eclectic background includes massage, dance, Chinese martial arts,  and decades of teaching different styles of yoga. She is also a senior TRE® Certification Trainer and the co-creator of Neurogenic Yoga™, a sister method of TRE®.

Since 2004, Maria has facilitated Yoga and TRE® for thousands of people in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East by leading hundreds of public workshops and over 130 certification trainings worldwide.

During this weeklong retreat Maria will teach an energizing yoga class in the morning, which will be geared towards the participants’ needs and abilities and a restorative class or a TRE® session in the afternoon, depending on the participants’ preference.

Maria is known for creating a supportive, compassionate, and entertaining learning environment that is fun and feels safe.