Meet the Vision of TheVagar’s Host: Marta Domingos

On pauses, listening, and the birth of the “Programs with Vagar”.

There are places we visit. And there are places we feel.

TheVagar was born from a sensation that is hard to put into words, yet impossible to forget. In this conversation, we sit down with Marta, host of TheVagar, to talk about the journey that brought her here, the importance of slowing down, and the new Programs with Vagar now taking shape in the Serra da Esperança.

Thevagar's Host - Marta Domingos

1. TheVagar has always been a place of pause. What did you feel was missing? What began asking for space?

I always felt that TheVagar was more than just a beautiful place to rest. From the very beginning, there was something here that was difficult to explain, but easy to feel. When I first visited this land, I felt it in my body, a clear sense of slowing down, presence, and truth.

Over time, I realised that what was missing was giving space to that feeling. Not creating something new for the sake of it, but allowing that pause to go deeper. To have form, time, and care.

Then came the conversations with our guests. People arriving exhausted, on autopilot, and after just a few days saying they felt different, more present. The programs were born exactly there: from listening to the place, to my own experience, and to the real needs of those who come here.

2. Does this listening come more from your personal experience or from observing your guests?

It comes from both, very naturally. These programs began with a very personal need to improve my rest, my relationship with time, with food, and with silence.

But then come the shared stories of our guests. And we realise how many of us are caught in this constant rush, where stopping feels almost impossible. TheVagar became a safe space for those conversations, free of judgement. That’s when it made sense to create something deeper, more intentional, and more aligned with who we are.

3. Was there a moment when you realised this was a real need, not just a trend?

Absolutely. When different people, at different times, start saying very similar things — “here I managed to switch off,” “here I finally slept,” “here I stopped and did nothing” — you realise it’s not a trend. It’s a genuine need.

We live with little time, little presence, and far too many stimuli. Time has become a luxury. And travel is increasingly used not just to escape, but to pause, reflect, and sometimes change direction. That can be deeply transformative.

4. Over the years, what needs have your guests revealed to you — even those that are sometimes hard to admit?

Many of them, and some are shared almost in a whisper. We receive many couples who tell us this is, sometimes, their first break together in years — two, four, six, even seven years without shared silence. Without children. Without routines. Without responsibilities.

They often share this with a mix of relief and guilt, as if they need to justify that need. Here, nothing needs justification. I truly believe these pauses are essential to become better people, better partners, better parents. More present.

The decision for TheVagar to become an adults-only space came very much from this attentive listening. From respecting what so many guests have shared over the years. I’m a mother myself, and perhaps that makes this understanding even more natural.

Here, we make space for silence, for the couple, and for rest, without judgement..

5. The Programs with Vagar focus on very specific areas of wellbeing. Why did you choose these themes?

Mind and body are deeply interconnected. When one is out of balance, the other inevitably feels it. These choices came from both listening carefully to our guests and from a path I personally felt the need to take in response to challenges that arose over time. I realised that our relationship with digital life, the way we nourish ourselves, and the quality of our rest are not separate issues, they are essential foundations for living with more balance.

The programs reflect this vision: complementary paths, simple and honest, designed to slow down, listen, and restore, without haste, and at each person’s own pace.

These first programs are just the beginning. We want to continue developing a collection of experiences that touch other dimensions of wellbeing, always guided by the same philosophy without rigid formulas, and without losing the simplicity, authenticity, and connection to nature that define TheVagar.

6. Why didn’t you call them “retreats”?

Because TheVagar hasn’t stopped being TheVagar. These programs don’t change our essence, they simply deepen a possibility for those who seek it.

We remain a place of welcome, simplicity, and nature. The programs are complementary to the stay, designed for a specific niche, but never closed, rigid, or dogmatic.

7. How do you feel the place itself — the Serra da Esperança — and the experiences you’ve created help guests reach this state of pause and reconnection?

The place plays a fundamental role. There is something here that’s hard to explain with words — you feel it. Nature sets the rhythm of the day, and the landscape invites presence. I often say that at TheVagar, the body slows down before the mind even realises it.

What we’ve done is respect the land and honour it. Create comfort without domesticating it. Then we designed very simple, purposeful experiences: the barefoot sensory path, aromatic and contrast baths, the outdoor hot tub even on cold days, moments gathered around the fire.

None of this is complex. It’s simplicity in its purest form. And I believe it’s this simplicity, combined with the strength of nature, that creates the conditions for guests to pause, listen, and return to what truly matters.

8. You often speak about care without judgement. Why is that so important to you?

Because I believe everyone arrives with their own story, their own fatigue, and their own timing. Here, no one has to be different, better, or more conscious. It’s enough to simply be.

These programs aren’t about performance — they’re about presence. And that’s only possible in an environment where care is genuine, where the team truly enjoys welcoming, listening, and accompanying each person.

9. What was your greatest concern when creating these programs?

Transparency. That’s why I made it very clear that they don’t replace any medical or clinical care. I’m not a healthcare professional. I’m a host, an observer, and someone who has lived, and continues to live, many of the challenges so many people face today.

These are honest programs, inspired by real life. And that honesty is what I want people to feel.

10. Who are these programs for?

For those who feel they need to stop. For those who feel tired, disconnected, or simply curious to experience life differently, even if just for a few days.

They’re not for everyone — and that’s perfectly okay.

11. What do you hope people take with them after living this experience?

A feeling. The feeling that it’s possible to live with more vagar. That time can be lived with more purpose. That caring for oneself isn’t a selfish luxury, but a necessity.

If I can inspire someone to live a little better, more present, and more aligned with themselves, then all of this truly makes sense and feels deeply rewarding.

Thank you, Marta. Without your "vagar", your listening, and your genuine way of caring, TheVagar wouldn’t be so deep.