10 Best Ayahuasca Retreats Costa Rica in 2024 (Updated)

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First and foremost, we encourage that wherever you decide to embark on your Journey, you consider Safety as your number one filter. For deeper insights into what makes up a safe and quality plant medicine retreat, check out the results from our recent plant medicine retreats survey.

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1. If you would like a holistic understanding of your wider opportunities to improve your quality of life, take this self-diagnostic.

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2. If this is your first time contemplating an Ayahuasca experience, this short quiz will help you assess your level of mental, emotional, and spiritual readiness for this powerful and sensitive work.

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3. If you would like to understand more about the nature of psychedelic healing work, the overall human potential, and who (and what) you really are, watch the video below.

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Now that we have provided some resources, let's move on to some practical filters we encourage you to use when choosing your Ayahuasca Retreat. Like most things in life, there are a broad variety of retreat options, and a number of factors that effect the safety, quality, and the cost of such an Ayahuasca Retreat:

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Safety First: Many small retreat centers are not in a position to make meaningful investments into screening and safety. Even if you're ready for this experience, someone next to you on retreat may not be, which will affect your overall experience. Our recommendation is to choose a retreat provider that does in-depth conversational, medical, and psychological screening to protect your safety and well-being.

Legality: Experienced practitioners who have dedicated their lives to plant medicine typically live in locations where the work is legal. This way, the plant medicine guides don't have to live in a state of uncertainty about their work, makes sense. Our recommendation here is to travel to legal locations where you can benefit from legitimate healers who operate above the radar, and you can truly relax on retreat, focusing only on what's important - you!

Size of the group: It's common for retreats to have 20, 50, even 100 people in ceremony, which may be energetically chaotic to most. In such large groups you are less likely to receive a sufficient level of attention from the facilitators. Our recommendation is to choose a retreat with an intimate group, in the range of 6-15 people. Of course, taking a private retreat allows for the greatest outcome.

Length of the retreat: Shorter retreats often feel rushed, do not support the cultivation of meaningful relationships, and can limit what can be achieved in time available. We recommend you spend at least a week for an Ayahuasca Retreat to give your mind, body, heart, and soul the attention that all deserve. This experience will have a huge impact on your life, give it the space you deserve.

‍‍Comfort: We recommend you choose a retreat where you are confident that you will be physically comfortable and ideally have your own private bedroom to decompress and integrate, especially if this is your first time.

Alignment: Select a retreat that feels aligned with your values and allows your own subjective experience to unfold naturally. There are many different worldviews out there and having a different worldview pushed on you through the retreat may not be in your highest healing interests. This is also particularly relevant for first-timers. Listen to your gut.

Holistic approach: Work with an organization that takes a holistic approach to working with plant medicine, and has options to support and guide your mental and emotional evolution alongside a retreat. If a provider implies that "medicine will solve all your problems", proceed with caution.

‍Service: Select an Ayahuasca Retreat that you believe can meet your individual needs. Are you being treated as a human, or as participant #248 in their fourth retreat this month? Consider whether or not they've taken the time to get to know you and understand you, or it's more of a take it or leave it retreat center.

Booking process: Take the time to physically speak with the provider before finalizing your booking. If the provider does not have a screening process in place during the booking process anyone could be sitting next to you in ceremony. Some people are not yet in the right place to work with this powerful plant medicine, and it is the responsibility of the organizers to ensure that only people who can handle Ayahuasca are accepted onto the Retreat. This is for your safety and theirs.

Expertise: Find an organization that emphasizes healing, and you believe has the breadth and depth of expertise to guide your transformation. Look for facilitators and healers who have a lightness of being and a sparkle in their eyes. Healing work is all about the transmutation of energy, so you are looking for people who have the energy you aspire to. If they aren't able to keep their energy right, that tells you quite a bit about either where they are at and their capabilities.

Reputation: At a minimum, Google the provider, you may be surprised by what you find. If there's not much information, that is also information. A reputable retreat center will have a professional online presence with testimonials from previous retreat attendees. This is essential for you to see that they are a legitimate organization who you can trust to contain this powerful experience.

Volunteers: Please support ethical plant medicine work by selecting an organization that pay their team. Unfortunately, it is common practice for retreat centers to cycle through young, eager, and worn out volunteers and/or not pay healers fairly. If the people supporting your retreat aren't living their best lives , they're not going to be able to lead you to yours. Don't be shy to ask this question directly when you speak to prospective centers.

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Looking for a little more guidance for one of the most important decisions of your life? Watch this video.

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The world is changing. Are you?

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After nearly 6 decades of prohibition, psychedelics are coming back in a big way, with institutions such as the Imperial College in London, Johns Hopkins University, and Harvard studying, for example, the anti-depressant effects of psychedelics and entheogenic plants such as psilocybin (magic mushrooms) and Ayahuasca. The results of these studies for treating mental health concerns such as post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, addiction, depression, trauma, and recurrent negative behaviors has been overwhelmingly positive - when administered in the right set and setting.

Ayahuasca is an ancestral medicine from the Amazon, and has been used for thousands of years for it's incredible healing benefits. The healing that Ayahuasca offers can be positively life-changing, and as the psychedelic movement grows in popularity, the options for choosing a retreat can get a bit overwhelming. The abundance of options can lead us to what we call "analysis paralysis", causing us to either give up, or choose a retreat impulsively. Choosing a place to have your experience may be one the most important decisions you'll ever make, and it's important to choose your retreat with diligence and care. Published research based upon 2,267 ceremonies has shown that ayahuasca:

• Helps us understand and heal the roots of our depression, addition, anxiety, trauma, and PTSD
• Eases the fear of death
• Deepens our connection to spirituality
• Helps us discover our life's purpose
• Enjoy deeper, more intimate relationships
• Accelerate your growth and reach a higher level of consciousness
• Develop intuition for better decision making
• Quiet your mind and discover inner peace
• Live each day with more peace, love, joy, clarity

Truly, the potential for healing and growth that ayahuasca offers humanity is as infinite as the human potential itself, but for those of us in the western world, finding a safe, ethical, therapeutic, and legal access point to this medicine can be challenging. There are literally thousands of Ayahuasca Retreat Centers and overnight shamans who are working underground and happy to profit of this sacred medicine, so how do you know you're choosing the right one?  This is a question we take very seriously here at Behold, and we are here to guide you!

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The options can be overwhelming. We're here to help you find the right fit for your ayahuasca retreat.

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Looking for an Ayahuasca Retreat center in Costa Rica?

Great! Costa Rica is a very popular destination for Ayahuasca Retreats. The work is legal, there's numerous beautiful retreat centers, flights are frequent, and Costa Rica attracts high quality facilitators and healers, and being one with nature among the Costa Rican Rainforests is a sight not to be missed.

Post-retreat, you can enjoy a broad range of activities, and miles of beaches to relax and integrate your experience.

You will find retreats that follow a broad variety of traditions from indigenous people in Central America and South America (Peru Shipibo, shamanic, and neo-shamanic) to fit your preferences and goals for healing and growth.

If you'd like more help to understand your options and how to select a great retreat, check out our ayahuasca guide.

If you'd like to learn more about how to get more breakthroughs and avoid the common mistakes, years of retreats, and slow progress, check out our webinar.

If you're ready for a big shift in your life, want to be guided by experts, you're coachable, and you're committed to doing the necessary mental and emotional work, request a complimentary Discovery Call.

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Top 10 Ayahuasca Retreats in Costa Rica:

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1. Behold Retreats Ayahuasca Retreat, Costa Rica

Location: Monteverde, Costa Rica and Esterillos, Costa Rica "highly recommended!"

Behold Retreats facilitates small groups (7-14 people, depending on the retreat) for healing Ayahuasca journeys in our Costa Rica Luxury Retreat Center and our Eco-Friendly Monteverde, Costa Rica option.

If you’re seeking to experience a modern, high quality retreat with breathtaking views of the jungle, spacious rooms, modern comforts, and great food, look no further.

Behold prides itself on highly-experienced healers and facilitators and ensuring best-in-class medical screening to ensure your safety and that you will get the most out of your experience.  You will have access to a beautiful wellness center and healing modalities including yoga and meditation.

Behold Retreats also offer high quality preparation and integration around the retreat, to help you get clear on your future self, identify mental and emotional blind spots, for deeper breakthroughs and more sustained benefits. If you're interested in a retreat and/or coaching you can apply for a free consultation today.

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2. Behold Retreats Private Ayahuasca Retreat, Costa Rica

Location: Anywhere, Costa Rica

For the most transformational spiritual healing journey, you can expect to have the most profound journeys working 1:1 with various practitioners during your Ayahuasca experience. Alongside the most popular Ayahuasca experiences, please note that Behold also facilitates Retreats with Psilocybin Ceremonies, and 5-MeO-DMT (Bufo) Ceremonies.

If you would like further assistance choosing a modality, click APPLY and sign up for your complimentary discovery call. You may also read our curated summarized info-blog here.

The benefits of working privately are endless; you can choose your preferred location and accommodations (beach in Costa Rica, jungle in Peru, Amazon rainforest, you name it!), decide which traditions you would like to work with (traditional plant medicine retreat or a more Western approach), select your facilitators (Shipibo shaman, Andean shaman, male shaman, female guide, psychotherapist, trauma therapist, coach), and if there are any other modalities you would like to incorporate into your retreat (yoga retreat, master plant dieta, etc.)

Each Ayahuasca Ceremony will help you get deep into your psyche to give you the breakthroughs you've been searching for. The benefit of working 1:1 really can facilitate the most profound transformations as there are no distractions or energy shifts happening around you.

Finding quality practitioners is not easy, and they typically cost more and require additional planning. Enlisting guidance from a company such as Behold Retreats for your ayahuasca experience can make this process seamless.

Share a few details to speak with a plant medicine experts here.

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3. Resonance Ayahuasca Retreat, Costa Rica

Location: Esterillos, Costa Rica

Discover mountain retreats exhibiting a 270-degree panorama of nature, the Central Pacific Coast, and the Cloud Forest of Monteverde. Prioritizing guest comfort, the retreat offers hot showers, ocean-view balconies, and plush beds. Unwind in the non-chlorinated salt pool, meditate amidst breathtaking backdrops, and savor sunset swims for indelible memories.

Embark on holistic well-being with diverse offerings, including transformative Ayahuasca experiences facilitated by compassionate guides. This sacred journey leads to complete body and spiritual restoration. Amidst panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean, our serene locations seamlessly integrate nature into the retreat experience. Join in for a brief yet profound escape, where mind, body, and soul find nourishment in a transformative Ayahuasca-enhanced haven.

Resonance Retreats is more than a retreat center, it is a lifestyle of conscious living.

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4.Soltara Ayahuasca Retreat Costa Rica

Location: Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica

In this luxurious, nature-immersion retreat situated on seaside cliffs overlooking the beautiful turquoise waters of Costa rica's Nicoya Peninsula, you will have a choice between a 5 or 7 day retreat. Choose between shared or private rooms with modern, luxurious amenities, and enjoy their relaxing spa, yoga, breathwork, bodywork, and creative expression workshops.

Additionally, you will be supported by an experienced preparation and integration team who have a foot in both Western and traditional medicine practices. They will provide you with extra resources and education, and access to their community to help with the integration and healing process post-retreat.  

During your quest for spiritual awakening at Soltara healing center, you will be in great hands with the indigenous Peruvian Shipibo female and male healers who will led the sacred ceremony and provide shamanic healing.  You can feel safe knowing that they have a qualified first-responder on-site and a 24-hour clinic nearby.

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5. Rythmia Ayahuasca Retreat Costa Rica

Location: Guanacaste, Costa Rica

If you’re looking for a retreat that offers a luxury vacation in addition to your ayahuasca journey, look no further. In between ayahuasca ceremonies you will be able to enjoy yoga, metaphysics classes, hydrocolonic cleanses, volcanic mud baths, dead sea cleanses, breathwork, massages, and farm-to-table organic food at Rythmia Life Advancement Center.

Group sizes are quite big, so if you're looking for something more intimate and 1-1 time, this might not be the place for you. The plant medicine ceremony begins at night under the stars as you listen to the sounds of the Icaro begin.

During the 7-day program you will receive three personalized workshops taught be Gerard Powell and Michael Beckwith. You will be very comfortable in their luxurious and spacious accommodations which are located in a quiet, tranquil setting, and are furnished with original art and therapeutic beds. The resort offers stunning views of the forest so you can feel one with Mother Nature.

If you have the time to spend a few extra days, they  offer many adventurous trips such as horseback-riding, waterfall hikes, zip-lining, surfing, golfing, paddle boarding, and more!

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6. New Life Ayahuasca Retreat Costa Rica

Location: San Ramon, Costa Rica

Located in the mountains of San Ramon, on a remote 20-acre property, this retreat center encourages a close connection with nature and offers a wide range of excursions and additional therapies such as waterfall hikes, yoga, and massage.

Your 5 or 7 day retreat will have 2-3 traditional ayahuasca ceremonies, 1 complimentary massage, 2-3 hatha yoga sessions, and locally sourced meals.

The ayahuasca ceremonies will be an intimate group of maximum 9 people and will be led by Matthew Mormello, their ayahuasca shaman. Having worked with plant medicine such as Iboga and Ayahuasca since 2011, he follows the Peruvian traditions and traditional shamanism, guided by Icaros, the medicine song.

This is not your typical traditional ayahuasca retreat experience, as your accommodation will be in a private room with a queen bed and full private ensuite. The common areas for socializing and relaxing include a large indoor pool, a hot tub, and many hiking trails to explore.

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Looking for a first-class retreat  with expert facilitators and a small number of participants?

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‍7. Ayahuasca Costa Rica Ayahuasca Retreat Costa Rica

Location: Pérez Zeledón, Costa Rica

A great introduction for those new to experiencing and healing with sacred plant medicine, Ayahuasca Costa Rica promises a harmonic environment for profound self-exploration, integration, and healing.

The Ayahuasca retreat center is located in a tropical forest near the Pacific coast and in the highlands on the Cordillera of Talamanca, conveniently located in high energetic centers.

Using shamanic traditions, this retreat center’s mother ayahuasca ceremonies are led by an experienced facilitator and many assistants to provide a safe environment. They offer both Ayahuasca and Kambo ceremonies during their retreats, as well as  detox treatments, meditation, yoga, holistic body work, and vegan organic meals.

Accommodations vary from private and shared rooms, to tent camping and sleeping in hammocks.  Your group will have the chance to do activities like hiking into the cloud forest, trips to a nearby beach, and waterfall tour.

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8. Tree of Lights Ayahuasca Retreat Costa Rica

Location: Dominical Beach, Costa Rica.

Another unique retreat center, Tree of Lights works independently from the traditional Shamanic tradition. Facilitators Pedro and Carolina have worked with over 30 Shipibo healers in Peru during their years of study and have undergone many traditional plant dietas and trainings since 2012. While they embody many of these teachings in their retreats, such as the energetic healing qualities from their ikaros, they also use multiple healing modalities from around the world and have an understanding of many different types of trauma.

Their ceremonies are intimate, with a maximum of 11 participants, and are specialized in in supporting and healing cases of sexual abuse and other deep traumas in both men and women. During the 11 day retreat you can expect 4 ayahuasca ceremonies, a plant cleanse, full time support, yoga, a sacred geometry class, and jungle hikes.

Additionally, they provide 1-1 preparation and integration counselling, as well as the opportunity to do a month-long plant dieta, and include Noya Rao or the heart-opening Bobisana into the experience.

The retreat location is set amongst the beautiful jungle where you will be able to feel the fresh mountain breeze and see local wildlife. You will be extra comfortable with their modern, and private accommodations. Common areas include a large saltwater swimming pool, plenty of hammocks to relax in, a yoga space, and a fire pit.

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9. Ocean’s Forest Eco-Lodge Ayahuasca Retreat Costa Rica

Location: Oso Peninsula, Costa Rica

Sitting on the edge of the forest and the ocean, you will find this beautiful eco-lodge, boasting rich and active wildlife and breath-taking sea views. Connect deeply with Mother Earth in either a 7 or 10 day retreat.

Your ayahuasca experience will be guided by author and ethno-botanist Jonathon Miller Weisberger, who has over 30 years of experience with medicinal plants and can share his knowledge with you on plants such as psychotria and san pedro. He grows the ayahuasca vine (banisteriopsis caapi vine) on their property, so you can be assured of the quality of the brew.

In between your 4 ayahuasca ceremonies, you will have the chance to go on ethnobotanical hikes, join group integration and art therapy sessions, take a daily yoga class, enjoy medicinal flower baths, and walk or snorkel your way along the pristine ocean shore-line.

Accommodations feature private or shared rooms with en-suite bathrooms, partial or full ocean views, and a cool ocean breeze to keep you cool. Onsite- there is also a psychedelic integration therapist and yoga teacher, who can provide extra support as needed, as well as an astrologer.

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10. Casa de la Luz Ayahuasca Retreat Costa Rica

Location: Alajuela, Costa Rica

Casa de la Luz offers 1 night or 5 day Ayahuasca retreats with 2 ayahuasca ceremonies in private groups of 4 people with both private and shared accommodation.

With their specialized and experienced staff, you will experience ayahuasca tea made from the Amazon Jungle as well as farm-to-table food made from natural, vegetarian ingredients.

During this healing experience you will also have 3 sacred Ha-pey medicine sessions, 3 dance therapy or meditation classes, and a local tour to a nearby river or lake. You can also enjoy massage therapy and private psychotherapy sessions for an additional cost.

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If you haven't found what you're looking for here, there are other locations to consider in South America such as Spirit Vine in Brazil, or many retreat centers in the Sacred Valley in Cusco and Iquitos in Peru. Another Costa Rican retreat worth checking out is Nada Brahma Healing Center.

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More about the sacred medicine Ayahuasca

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Ayahuasca is a medicinal plant made from two plants, the banisteriopsis caapi vine and chacruna plant (psychotria viridis, p. viridis). Growing in popularity for its healing properties, people around the world are participating in ayahuasca tourism and attending psychedelic retreats in Latin America, where the brew originates from and where many spiritual leaders facilitate plant medicine ceremonies.

Ayahuasca legality is a tricky subject. DMT (which is the is the psychotropic substance in Ayahuasca) is under the Controlled Substance Act in the USA and therefore illegal to consume. But, Peaceful Mountain Way for example, is a Native American Church that has been granted an exemption to use ayahuasca in their religious sacraments. Attending an ayahuasca church is a legal way for ayahuasca consumption in the USA and will entail religious ceremonies. There are movements pushing forward the. decriminalization of psychedelics, but we are not quite there yet.

With many notable research institutions studying these psychotropic substances as psychedelic medicine, we are seeing incredible results with psilocybin, ibogaine, bufo alvarius, and ayahuasca for the treatment of depression, anxiety, PTSD and addiction. Psychedelic drugs such as ketamine and MDMA are already approved for therapeutic uses in many states.

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Before you journey on your soul quest keep in mind that searching for ayahuasca centers is not that same as looking for a wellness retreat or other similar spiritual retreats. Sure you can google "ayahuasca costa rica reviews" and find a load of material to sift through, but reading a review does not give you a full understanding of the retreat center.

There are many shamanic practitioners out there with dangerous behaviours and you may not even be fully aware. At the minimum, thorough medical and psychological screening must be done to protect your safety and well-being ahead of a psychedelic retreat. If for example, you are on prescription medications such as MAOIS, you are in real danger if you consume ayahuasca. Herbal medicine like ayahuasca is no joke!

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Still need some help choosing a retreat?

We would be honored to guide you in choosing the best retreat for your needs.

Behold Retreats coordinates expertly guided retreats with Ayahuasca, Psilocybin, and 5-MeO-DMT (Bufo Alvarius) with highly experienced facilitators. Reach out to us to set up a complimentary discovery call and we can point you in the right direction.

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