An Ayahuasca retreat could be the best experience of your life, or it could leave you confused on more dimensions.

Your outcome depends upon 3 things: your readiness, preparation, and your ability to choose a high-quality retreat.

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1) To assess your level of mental and spiritual readiness, take this short quiz.

2) To understand more about ayahuasca, and to prepare for a retreat, check out our guide.

And if you're feeling the call and ready to choose a retreat, congratulations! This is a momentous occasion in your life.

3) Here are 12 recommendations to help you avoid sketchy options and choose a safe and transformational experience:

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1. Safety First: Unfortunately, many small retreat centers are not in a position to make meaningful investments into screening and safety. Our recommendation is to choose a retreat provider that does in-depth conversational, medical, and psychological screening to protect your safety and well-being, and the vibes of the whole group on retreat. ‍
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2. Legality:  Experienced practitioners who have dedicated their lives to plant medicine typically live in locations where the work is legal, so they don't have to live in a state of "what if". Our recommendation is to travel to legal locations where you can benefit from legitimate healers who operate above the radar, so you can truly relax on retreat.
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3. ‍Size of the group: It's common for retreats to have 20, 50, even 100 people in ceremony, which can be chaotic. An understatement! In a large group, you are less likely receive the level of attention from healers that you may be looking for. Our recommendation is to choose a retreat with an intimate group of say, 8-15 people. For those of you in a position to do so, you may also like to consider applying for a private retreat).
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4. ‍Length of the retreat: Shorter retreats feel rushed, and there are limits to what can be achieved in a few nights. We recommend you spend at least a week for an ayahuasca retreat to give your mind, body, heart, and soul the attention it deserves. ‍
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5. ‍‍Comfort: We recommend you choose a retreat where you are confident you will be physically comfortable and have your own private bedroom to decompress and integrate, especially if this is your first time. Go for the full jungle mosquito immersion on your second retreat, your future self will thank you later.
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6. Energetic Alignment: Select a retreat that feels energetically aligned and allows your own subjective experience to unfold naturally. The energetics of the retreat and its ceremony leaders will have a material effect upon your experience.
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7. 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 (because it won't!).
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8. Service: Select a retreat that you believe can meet your individual needs. 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.
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9. Booking process: Speak with the provider before finalizing your booking. If it's all online, ANYONE could be sitting next to you in ceremony. Everyone deserves to heal, but it's unlikely you want to be sitting in ceremony with a recovering addict going through their process next to you.
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10. 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.
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11. 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 :) You may also like to look up the Founders and see what their energy is all about (hint hint). A famous comedian recently went to one of the most popular Ayahuasca retreat centers (known for large groups) and mentioned there were people on the retreat who didn't even know what Ayahuasca was. Yes, seriously.
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12. ‍Volunteers: Please support ethical plant medicine work by selecting an organization that pays 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 life, 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.

Who you choose to attend an Ayahuasca retreat with is undoubtedly one of the most important decisions in your life, especially the first time.

We encourage you to take the time and energy to do your research, follow your intuition, and to know why you are choosing a specific retreat.

If our recommendations above resonate with you, and you'd like to explore a transformational journey with Behold, click on "Begin Your Journey" below to request a complimentary Discovery Call with one of our Medicine Guides.

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Want to know what a well-run retreat is like? We asked some of our past guests to do the impossible and summarize their retreat experience with us in 1 word.

Watch the video to get a sense of the magic that's possible:

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

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Ready to explore a transformational retreat?

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Now, on to the best ayahuasca retreats in the UK (or close by):

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1. Behold Retreats in Portugal, Netherlands, Costa Rica & Mexico:

Because of the legal grey areas, Behold Retreats doesn't facilitate Ayahuasca in the UK, but we do offer some close-by options. As we mentioned, there are very few places in the USA serving Ayahuasca legally, so if you're willing to take a short flight to Portugal, Behold Retreats offers a holistic and modern approach to plant medicine refined over serving 1,500+ clients. Our organization curates and facilitates life-changing plant medicine journeys with an emphasis on client goals, preparation, and integration.

Guests of Behold Retreats can also choose between a variety of other entheogens, locations, and options, for example a small group retreat overlooking the jungle in Costa Rica, on the dutch country side with Psilocybin in the Netherlands or perhaps a culturally immersive encounter in the golden mountains of Mexico with 5-MeO-DMT (Bufo).

For those who do choose to attend a retreats in the USA, Behold Retreats offers high quality coaching before and after your retreat, and we can point you in the direction of a trusted retreat within the country.  Apply for a free consultation with a plant medicine expert to share your individual needs and preferences, and to understand whether (or not) there is a mutual fit.

Group retreat sizes are smaller than most retreat centers - typically no more than 10-12.

Client safety and confidentiality are given the highest importance, and healers, facilitators, therapists, and coaches have decades of experience under their belt.

Find out more information, or apply for a free consultation.

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2. Shamanic Space Retreat Center

Disclaimer: This place does not offer Ayahuasca ceremonies in the UK, only in the Amazonian jungle.

Shamanic Space offers intensive Ayahuasca healing retreats with Shipibo plant doctors. The center was founded nineteen years ago, by the Peruvian-born Shaman Rubén Orellana and the American psychotherapist and shamanic practitioner Michele Costa Lukis.

Their aim is to offer safe and legal Ayahuasca and San Pedro ceremonial retreats in Peru. As with most Ayahuasca centers, they solely work with the medicine with the intention of healing, be it spiritually, mentally, physically, and/or emotionally. Recreational usage is not permitted.

Over the years, the center has evolved to include workshops and retreats in the UK, Europe, and New Zealand. However, Ayahuasca ceremonies are only offered in the brew’s natural habit: the Amazonian jungle.

Nonetheless, they do offer some healing retreats in the UK, such as their Shamanic ‘Walking in Wales’ weekend, for example. While these retreats do not include mother Ayahuasca, they can serve as a way to get to know the center a little better before embarking on a Peruvian Ayahuasca journey with them.

‍Good to know! The consciousness-expanding San Pedro cactus is known to engender deep introspective journeys, and the visionary plant perfectly complements Ayahuasca’s healing.

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‍3. Behold Retreats Portugal

Join us for a retreat at our exquisite healing facilities in the picturesque landscape of southern Portugal. Immerse yourself in nature while enjoying the comforts of our facility, where our dedicated staff ensures a serene and supportive environment.

Experience the expertise of our experienced retreat facilitators and medicine guides in intimate group settings. We prioritize your well-being in all aspects – physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.

Each day of the retreat, you will have the opportunity to start your day with yoga and meditation, fostering presence and connection. Additionally, our on-site somatic therapists offer optional healing modalities such as massage and bodywork to enhance your journey.

‍4. Origen Sagrada

‍Origen Sagrada describes itself as a community that helps others through Ayahuasca healing. This community is made up of like-minded people who want to provide health and healing through the power of sacred plant medicine ceremonies.

Their main Ayahuasca center is nestled in the Andes mountains just outside of Medellin, in Colombia where they host their aya healing ceremonies. As the center is surrounded by lush vegetation and beautiful flowers, the location is idyllic.

For those who can’t make it to Colombia, there is some great news: Origen Sagrada believes in providing the sacred medicine for all, and besides traveling to the US 4 times a year to host retreats, they also occasionally hold traditional Ayahuasca ceremonies in Ireland. You can check their upcoming events in Ireland here.

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5. Pachamama Shamanic Healing in Ireland

Pachamama Shamanic Healing offers 4-day Ayahuasca retreats in Ireland. The retreat serves as an opportunity to get to know yourself more intimately and find out who you truly are.

Throughout this entire process of self-discovery, you are accompanied by trained facilitators. Unlike in other Ayahuasca retreats, shamans do not guide the ceremonies. Instead, Pachamama Shamanic Healing’s staff consists of a group of experienced therapeutic counselors.

Apart from the Ayahuasca assisted therapy, these counselors also conduct a healing psychotherapeutic process of integration, emotional release, and sound therapy. The relaxing vibrations of numerous shamanic instruments guide you through the entire ceremony experience. Think of the beautiful sounds of the drums, didgeridoo, Tibetan bowls, and quartz bowls.

The retreat includes accommodation in the ceremony room, breakfast and lunch, shamanic remedies, psychotherapy work, varied cleansing rituals, and any follow-up support that you may need afterward. In addition to Ayahuasca, the powerful Kambo and Bufo Alvarius are also available.

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6. Behold Retreats Ayahuasca in Mexico

To help you get the most from your Ayahuasca retreat, Behold's team of diversely qualified therapists and coaches can guide you through a 1-on-1, 7-week Psychedelic Integration program to help you alchemize your Ayahuasca experience into life-long change. We also offer Integrative Health Coaching for those guests who want to reach their top physical shape before embarking on this journey of spiritual growth. 

We host our retreats with a few different partner retreat centers in the area depending on the season and availability. All of our venues are thoroughly vetted for safety, comfort, and conductivity for sacred medicine work.  Please request a discovery call to see where your preferred retreat dates will be facilitated.

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7. Sinchi Runa in Portugal

Sinchi Runa is a revered and well-known Ayahuasca center in Portugal. Nestled in the rolling hills above the Algarve coast, this center provides those who visit a deeply authentic experience.

They offer several 8-day retreats, and their 23-day retreat is specifically catered to those who want to fully immerse themselves into their Ayahuasca journey and uncover all that the medicine has to share with them.

Each retreat includes a transfer to and from the retreat venue, daily homemade organic meals, and an English/Spanish translator. In addition to the ceremonies themselves, they also offer integration exercises and therapeutic activities.

8. Union in Arutam in Spain

Union In Arutam is located on the beautiful island of Tenerife, the largest of Spain’s Canary Islands.

After learning from the Shuar Amazonian Shamanism tradition, the retreats’ founder, Arutam Ruymán, began teaching medicine at the age of 22. And today, the retreat center has been conducting Ayahuasca ceremonies for more than twelve years.

Ceremonies are held in quiet locations, deep in nature. To make sure that each participant is truly ready for the intense journey that lies ahead, a preliminary interview with the community coordinator is required. And besides Ayahuasca, they also offer other medicinal plants, such as San Pedro.

‍Interesting to know! The Shuar are an indigenous people of Ecuador and Peru, who are well-known for their Ayahuasca shamanism and their use of ‘natem’ (the indigenous name for the Ayahuasca vine Banisteriopsis caapi).

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‍Check out our article on the top 10 Ayahuasca retreats in Spain!

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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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5-MeO-DMT in Tepoztlan, Mexico

Ayahuasca in Costa Rica

Psilocybin in the Netherlands

5-MeO-DMT in Portugal‍