Breakaway Andalusia
A 5-Day Immersive Coaching Retreat · 17–21 September 2026 · Ronda, Spain
There's a particular kind of thinking that doesn't happen in the office. Not because you lack the time - but because the diary, the inbox, and the daily rhythm of work don't create the conditions for it.
Breakaway Andalusia is designed for that.
Five days in Ronda - structured coaching, peer learning, and guided riding in near-guaranteed September sunshine. Not a cycling holiday with coaching bolted on.
A proper development experience, built around movement.
Who’s it for?
Senior professionals who cycle seriously and are at a meaningful inflection point. A significant decision to make. A transition to navigate. A promotion recently taken - or declined. The sense that something needs to shift, but the clarity to act on it hasn't arrived yet.
The retreat format works for people who want more than a single session can provide - and who are ready to invest properly in what's next.
You should be comfortable cycling for 3+ hours at a conversational pace. Routes are selected to suit the group.
Why Ronda?
Ronda sits at altitude in the Serranía de Ronda, with classic climbs, quiet roads, and near-guaranteed September sunshine.
Expect long, flowing descents, coffee stops in white villages, and routes that feel built for rhythm. Big-mile riding with space to think - challenging when you want it, forgiving when you don't.
Delivered in partnership with Andalucian Cycling Experience - 20+ years of supported riding in the region. They handle the logistics; the focus stays on the coaching and the riding.
Where do we stay?
Palacio del Moral is a boutique hotel in the hills outside Ronda - nine rooms, a pool, extensive private gardens, and a restaurant on site.
Small enough to feel like your own space; well-appointed enough that the recovery after a big day in the mountains is genuinely comfortable.
This is where the afternoons are yours. The pool, the gardens, the terrace. The kind of environment that makes unstructured time feel like a gift rather than a gap in the schedule.
The Programme
Five days structured around morning coaching sessions, afternoon rides, and unscheduled time that's genuinely yours.
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Included:
4 nights' accommodation, Palacio del Moral, Ronda
Road bike hire for 4 days
Airport transfers, Málaga → Ronda → Málaga
Guided riding, Days 2, 3 & 5 (GPX files for Day 4)
Selected meals: arrival lunch and welcome dinner (Day 1), group dinner (Day 4), pre-departure lunch (Day 5)
All coaching, facilitation, and group sessions
Pre-retreat preparation and post-retreat follow-up call
Not included:
Flights (Luton or Stansted to Málaga are typically under 3 hours)
Personal cycling kit and equipment
Meals not listed above
Optional massage (bookable in advance)
Travel insurance
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Day 1 | Arrive & Orientate
Transfers from Málaga airport. Settle in at Palacio del Moral, Ronda. Arrival for lunch (provided).
Afternoon orientation, introductions, and contracting – establishing individual focus and group ground rules.
Welcome dinner together at the hotel.
Day 2 | Ride & Reflect 1
Morning group work (sharing your challenges), followed by a guided ride, where the conversation continues.
Afternoon is yours – time for walking, reading, rest, or sampling the delights of Ronda.
Day 3 | Ride & Reflect 2
Morning group work (sourcing solutions from the group), followed by your second guided ride.
Afternoon is yours again.
Day 4 | Ride & Coaching
Free morning. Optional self-guided ride (GPX files provided), time in the pool, a massage, or an additional one-to-one coaching session with Mark, if you want it.
The afternoon will be a group session – focus on what you’ve learned about yourselves collectively.
Final evening group dinner– venue to be finalised (likely historic Ronda).
Day 5 | Ride & Close
Morning - final guided ride. Closing reflection and commitments.
Pre-departure lunch provided. Airport transfers to Málaga.
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£3,300 + VAT per person (£3,960 inc VAT)
A 30% deposit of £1,188 secures your place. Balance due 6 weeks before departure (6 August 2026).
Places are limited to six. A short discovery call is the right place to start - no commitment, just a conversation about where you are and whether this is the right fit.
Your coach & cycling partner
25+ years in senior leadership roles, including VP positions in FTSE 100 companies.
Associate Certified Coach (ACC) with the International Coaching Federation. England Athletics-qualified fitness leader. Current Outdoor First Aid qualification.
Regular cyclist with iCycle in Bedford, UK , with multi-day rides completed across the UK, France, and Spain.
Mark Taggart
Andalucian Cycling Experience - a friendly, family business run by Ashley and Claire Higgins, operating supported cycling in the Ronda region for over 20 years.
Ashley is a certified instructor and bike mechanic. They provide bike hire, guided rides, airport transfers, and route expertise - every logistical detail handled so the coaching focus is uninterrupted.
Ashley Higgins
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Senior Sales Director, enterprise tech
"I can't recommend Mark highly enough - his skill, patience, and ability to work hard together to achieve the outcome that I always thought was going to be elusive to me"
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Associate Director, NHS
"Mark is a thoughtful and caring specialist who is driven by delivering great work, which is human-centred and makes a difference."
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Director, Public Sector
“It's like any club ride, when you might talk to other riders about work, home, life as you chat during the ride. But in this case, it's with a specific focus, to solve a specific work issue, and with someone who can help you look at things differently and go about things differently afterwards.
The clarity I have in myself has enabled me to provide clarity to others and shifted and shaped the conversations I am having as a leader. It has impacted my strategic planning - and it's making me feel more purpose and fulfilled at work than I have in a long time.”