La Dolce Vita

Retreat with Daniela Maiorano

Cooking • Connection • Culture

February 20-23, 2026

Experience the Retreat

Step into the heart of Italian hospitality,  where food, family, and connection are everything.

Hosted by celebrated chef, storyteller, and culinary teacher Daniela Maiorano, La Dolce Vita is an immersive long weekend of cooking, culture, and slow living in the Gold Coast Hinterland.

Over four delicious days, you’ll roll handmade pasta, simmer rich sauces, bake rustic breads, and share long-table feasts that feel like home, even if you’re far from it. Between the cooking, there’s time to breathe: forest walks, yoga, spa time, laughter, and conversations that linger long after the last bite.

It’s a retreat about food that feeds the soul, and moments that remind you to slow down and savour life.



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Expect to experience:

Guided by Daniela’s soulful approach to Italian cooking and storytelling, this retreat celebrates the beauty of simplicity with seasonal produce, time-honoured recipes, and the joy of gathering around a shared table.

Across four nourishing days, you’ll:

  • Learn traditional Italian techniques from fresh pasta to rustic breads.

  • Cook and share long-table feasts inspired by the seasons.

  • Explore slow living through yoga, forest walks, and spa rituals.

  • Discover the stories, traditions, and love that shape every dish.

  • Create a grand finale menu with Daniela, celebrating everything you’ve learned and shared.

This isn’t just a cooking retreat. It’s a celebration of life’s simple pleasures with food, friendship, and connection.


Example Daily Routine: 


Day 1 – Arrival & Welcome Feast

  • Afternoon arrivals and check-in at EcoView Retreat.

  • Aperitivo & antipasti to meet the group.

  • Opening long-table dinner cooked by Daniela and her brother Attilio, a true

    family-style welcome.

Day 2 – Seasonal Italian Cooking & Unwind Time

  • Morning cooking workshop: fresh pasta & sauces.

  • Long lunch under the trees.

  • Afternoon spa or leisure time.

  • Storytelling dinner with wine pairing, a night of laughter and flavour.

Day 3 – Market-Inspired Cooking & Celebration

  • Morning masterclass on shopping & cooking seasonally and sustainably.

  • Co-created menu and hands-on cooking session.

  • Afternoon rest: yoga, spa, or poolside nap.

  • Celebration dinner, a shared feast guided by Daniela.

Day 4 – Farewell & Connection

  • Morning reflection breakfast overlooking the valley.

  • Depart with recipes, stories, and new friendships.

All activities are optional, giving you space to follow your own rhythm and soak up the tranquillity of EcoView’s forest surroundings.

Location: EcoView Retreat

Nestled in Queensland’s serene Tallebudgera Valley, EcoView Retreat is a sanctuary of nature, luxury, and calm. Only 25 minutes from Gold Coast Airport, it’s where the rainforest meets refined comfort.

Architecturally designed villas open onto sweeping valley views, inviting you to breathe deeply and unwind. Wake to birdsong, wander forest trails, or relax by the pool — every space invites stillness and connection.

EcoView is designed for immersion in nature, comfort, and peace. It’s the perfect setting for la dolce vita.



This is for you if…

  • You love Italian food and want to learn authentic recipes and techniques.

  • You crave connection and conversation around a shared table.

  • You’re drawn to slow living, nature, and meaningful experiences.

  • You’d love to cook side by side with a warm, inspiring chef.

  • You want a retreat that feels like home, comforting, creative, and deeply fulfilling.

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Food That Tells a Story

Every dish is a love letter to Italy.

Guided by Daniela’s passion for authentic, seasonal cooking, each meal celebrates simplicity, flavour, and connection from antipasti boards piled high with local produce to long-table feasts under the stars.

You’ll cook together, eat together, and share stories that linger longer than the meal itself.

This is food made with heart and eaten with joy.

What's included…

  • 3 nights of luxury accommodation at EcoView Retreat

  • All meals and drinks curated by Daniela Maiorano and EcoView’s chef team

  • Hands-on Italian cooking workshops and masterclasses

  • Long-table feasts and shared storytelling dinners

  • Optional daily yoga or forest walks

  • Access to EcoView facilities including pool, sauna, gym, massage chairs, fire pit and forest trails

  • Gifted recipes and mementos to take home

  • Plenty of time to rest, reflect and reconnect

Not included: Flights to/from the Gold Coast, transfers outside scheduled times, and travel insurance.

Early Bird Pricing until 1 December 2025

  • Double villa rate: $4,250 pp

  • Private villa rate: $5,995 pp
    Triple and quad share available on request

Rooms are limited so book early to secure your place.

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What Awaits You

Four days of cooking, connection, and culture in the Gold Coast Hinterland.

You’ll roll pasta, pour wine, share stories, and savour slow moments with kindred spirits.

You’ll leave with new skills, new friends, and a heart full of la dolce vita.

Join Daniela Maiorano for a retreat that celebrates the Italian way of life — where every meal is

a memory and every moment is meant to be savoured.

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