Fly High Retreat
Flying Pole & Lyra
At Casa Chango in Puerto Escondido, Mexico
Instructor: Elke Bucher
May 2-9, 2026
Spend a WEEK in PARADISE with new friends, the beach, delicious, fresh, local food, and learn loads of new Aerial Lyra & Fly Pole Skills!
This retreat is for aerial students who are excited to learn skills on FLY POLE and LYRA.
This retreat will have 2 daily classes. The morning class will focus on fly pole & lyra skills, transitions, and spinning. Afternoon classes will include flexibility, creative exploration, and aerial sequences.
Fly pole is a daunting but oh so beautiful beast. This workshop will help you get familiar and confident on fly pole. Elke will break down skills, entries and spins to learn how to control spin, move between poses slowly. If you are new to fly pole, this is a great way to start your journey. If you have experience with fly pole, you will take it up a notch by working on endurance and speed and leveling up transitions.
When you aren’t training, you’ll be eating amazing, healthy food, lounging at the pool, swimming in the ocean, reading in hammocks, and enjoying being in nature. Get ready to move, play, breathe, feel, stretch, and express. At Casa Chango you are invited to shine and be yourself!
Daily Schedule Sample: Everything is optional!
- 8-9:30 am: Coffee, Tea and Breakfast
- 10am-12:30pm: Warm up & Aerial Skills
- 1pm: Lunch
- 1-3:30pm: Pool-time, siesta, relaxing
- 3:30pm: Afternoon Treat
- 4:30-6pm: Creative Exploration & Flexibility
- 7pm Dinner
- 8-10pm Evening activities
We will take you to our favorite beaches for swimming, surfing, snorkeling, and releasing baby turtles into the sea. Optional evening adventures include a bioluminescent lagoon & local night market.
Read more about our excursions here.
Intermediate Level Retreat
This retreat is perfect for aerial students at the intermediate skill level on lyra and/or flying pole. If you have more experience with one of them, that is fine. If you are new to flying pole, but are intermediate level on lyra, that is great. If you have any questions about your skill level, please email SweetRetreatsMexico@gmail.com and send us a short video of your aerial practice.
Space is limited, so sign up now!
Your Teacher
Elke Bucher
Elke Bucher (she/they) is a passionate, award-winning aerialist who’s been in love with pole in all its forms for a long time and, more recently, with aerial hoop and hair hanging. Over the last decade Elke has performed, competed, placed in multiple competitions (such as Miss Pole Dance UK and Pole Sports Org in the Championship, Artistic and Improv divisions) and judged two pole competitions. Her performances include performing live for bands such as Steel Panther in Germany, for House of Serpents in London, for Lazer Jest at the Glasgow School of Art for The Woom Room and more recently, doing a one-month circus residency at Aerial Atitlan in Guatemala. Future opportunities include circus shows at the Edinburgh Fringe and at Kelburn Festival. Elke teaches at Pole Place Glasgow, two Scottish Universities as well as guest teaches elsewhere in the UK and abroad. She considers dancing a meditative but also exhilarating act of self-expression and empowerment for all people. A big fan of travel, Elke never leaves without her dear outdoor aerials and loves to dance and do aerials outside in all elements. She’s shared her love for outdoor pole by organising many collective aerial photo shoots and by crafting her own aerial practice as part of nature’s sensory experience. Elke’s signature style consists of fairy-like strength tricks, big flips as well as a strange balance between gentle and loud, dramatic choreography. Although she loves being on stage, she now finds most joy in exploring new pathways in her aerial practice and sharing them with students and she cannot wait to meet you all for fly pole and lyra shenanigans!
Find Elke on Instagram here.
Retreat Pricing (in USD):
| Room | Early Bird Price | Full Price |
| Shared Dorm (gender mixed) | $2000 | $2300 |
| Shared Private Room (2 friends sharing a room) 1 king size bed or 2 individual beds | $2200 | $2500 |
| Private Room with Shared Bathroom | $2500 | $2800 |
| Private Room with Private Bathroom | $2800 | $3100 |
| Private Room with Private Bathroom and Air Conditioning | $3100 | $3400 |
Early bird price is good through April 4.
Full tuition is due by June 4.
Rates refer to cost of one person’s tuition.
Couples must sign up together.
Rates refer to cost of one person’s tuition.
Couples/SO’s are welcome at an additional price.
Need a payment plan? Email us at SweetRetreatsMexico@gmail.com and we will set that up for you.
What’s included:
- Ground transportation to/from the Puerto Escondido Airport (PXM) to our accommodations*
- Arrive on May 2. Depart on May 9.
- Accommodations for the duration of the retreat
- Daily meals – breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert & snacks
- 2 Daily classes
- Aerial photoshoot
- Evening activities
- Trips to local beaches and night market
- 24 hour use of Swimming Pool, Jacuzzi, and Community Spaces
- High Speed Starlink Wifi Internet
- Evening Jacuzzi soaks
What People Are Saying:
See Sweet Retreats Reviews HERE!
Sweet Retreats has encouraged me to be a better version of myself both physically in the circus arts and also personally in my interactions with friends and the community. The instructors at Sweet Retreats are not only world class performers, they are also some of the most caring, beautiful, and authentic individuals. I’m so fortunate to have discovered this paradise of athletic endeavors, delicious food, unending laughter, and all within the gorgeous surrounding.
Liz Marotte, Oakland, CA
Sweet Retreats taught me how much more than a workout aerial arts could be, an artistic expression, an outlet, even therapy.
Emily Hughes – Virginia Beach, USA
“Sweet Retreats was the perfect compliment to my regular circus training. What could be better than daily training in paradise with fabulous coaches? I met and learned from other people who love circus as much as I do and I had the chance to perform a draft of my act in a supportive (and gorgeous) environment. I came home newly inspired, with new tricks to play with and new ideas to revitalize my warm-up and stretching routines.”
Sarah Hluchan, Arlington Virginia
Questions? Email us at SweetRetreatsMexico@gmail.com.
Links for more information:
- Accommodations – room descriptions
- Meals and Food*
- How to get here. Info and advice on booking your travel to Puerto Escondido.**
- Weather in Puerto Escondido
- Testimonials
- Excursions
Discounts
- Sign up early to get the Early Bird Discount
- Refer a friend to any of our upcoming programs and get a $100 referral discount. You get $100 discount for each person you refer. Referrals must be for first timers at Sweet Retreats.
- Sign up on our mailing list to find out about more discounts.
ECO RETREAT CENTER
Casa Chango is an Eco Retreat Center. We do our best to live in harmony with the natural world. We are off grid, and use 100% solar power. We have dry composting toilets and use the humanure and food waste to create soil to feed the amazing plants and trees all around the property. We ask all of our staff and guests to come with the mindset of learning about and respecting nature. The gray water from our sinks and showers filter out to water the plants. Therefore we ask you to bring natural shampoos, conditioners, and toothpaste to your retreat. All of our buildings were designed and built to be cool and comfortable, and we hope you enjoy your stay with us.
Casa Chango is an animal friendly place. There are several friendly animals on site including dogs and cats. They will not enter your rooms, but they will be on property and in common areas during your retreat. Animal lovers will be in their happy place.
Native insects live in this area of Mexico. We fumigate regularly to keep insects away and out of your rooms. We also acknowledge that the insects are an important part of keeping nature in balance. Most of the community spaces at Casa Chango, including the gym, dining area, pool, lounge are open air which means there are no walls. You can expect to see a variety of native insects, birds, and lizards during your visit. We hope you enjoy the experience of living more connected to nature.
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*Food service begins with dinner on arrival day and ends with breakfast on departure day. The food is amazing!
** Your taxi to/from the PXM airport is included if you arrive/depart on those designated days.
Cancellation Policy:
- No Refunds. We are a small business. Thanks for your understanding.
- You are responsible for purchasing a travel insurance policy that in case of cancellation (for any reason) covers the full cost of the retreat fee. Also, consider protection for canceled or delayed flights, lost luggage, medical needs while traveling, and additional travel and lodging costs. Please bring the policy with you in case of emergency.
- Cancel more than 60 days before 1st day of retreat: 50% of your tuition paid can transfer toward a future Sweet Retreat within 18 months of cancellation.
- Cancel 30-60 days before the 1st day of retreat: 25% of your tuition paid can transfer toward a future Sweet Retreat within 18 months of cancellation.
- Cancellations up to 30 days before the 1st day of the retreat will not be credited or refunded for any reason.
- See complete list of terms and conditions here.