Ayahuasca Retreat Reviews — Helping You Stay Safe with 5,000+ Independent Reviews
Pandorita offers deeply transformative, indigenous-led ayahuasca retreats in beautiful Costa Rica!
Nestled in the lush rainforest of the Golfo Dulce region, we host intimate 7 or 11-day journeys guided by experienced female Shipibo shamans and loving facilitators.
Here you have an opportunity to re-write your own story in a place where the possibilities are endless.
Forge your path with the loving support of a land where humans and nature live in harmony, where emails can wait and the dolphins invite you to play, where there are no limits to your power to change your mind and open your heart.
Whether you’re seeking trauma healing, spiritual clarity, or a return to self, this is a space to slow down, feel held, and reconnect with your true nature.
No distractions, no pressure, just the power of the plants, the wisdom of the land, and the safety to explore your inner world.
In this time of global transformation, we believe that empathy, emotional intelligence, and intuitive connection — the gifts of the feminine — are essential to healing ourselves and our planet.
The tender, smooth energies of our shamans harmonize beautifully with the light, magical energy of the land, creating a container that is deeply supportive, gentle, and profoundly powerful.
All women and men are invited to find their inner balance between their masculine and feminine strengths.
What’s Included
Ceremonies
Our retreats now come in two formats: the 11-day retreat with five ayahuasca ceremonies, including a diagnostic first ceremony and a final arkana, and the 7-day retreat with three ceremonies.
The dosage for each ceremony is determined in close communication between the guest, the facilitator, and the Onayabo.
Yoga & Meditation
Our facilitators Montserrat and Aum gently tune into the needs of each group and design supportive practices such as yoga, breathwork, or guided meditation.
These sessions help the body to release tension, strengthen inner balance, and prepare for the deep work of the ceremonies.
In the quiet mornings or late afternoons, participants are invited to reconnect with their breath, stretch and cultivate presence.
Nourishment
On ceremony days, fresh smoothies or soups are prepared to optimally support your experience.
On non-ceremony days, our kitchen serves wholesome dishes that include not only vegan options but also fresh fish, meat, or other protein sources, depending on availability.
Whenever possible, ingredients from our permaculture garden are used in our meals.
Wildlife Tours
Included in your retreat is a boat tour of the Golfo Dulce to spot dolphins, whales, manta rays, and sea turtles, as well as a kayak tour up the Esquina River mangrove swamp to see birds, crocodiles, and more.
Additionally, enjoy a guided snorkeling experience at Puma Beach. Please note that all tours are subject to weather and tide conditions.
Daily Activities
Snorkel equipment, 1- and 2-person kayaks, and stand-up paddle boards are always available to you.
Visit our coral reef, test your balance at high tide, or paddle up the coastline.
We offer well-maintained trails that lead through the national park, providing excellent opportunities for wildlife observation. If you walk all the trails in one go, it takes about 1.5 to 2 hours.
Integration
In addition to the nature activities that naturally support integration, both individual and group sessions are offered.
The more information the Onayabo and the faciltators have, the deeper they can carry out their work.
We believe in you, we support you, and we cannot wait to see what you create.
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Read More ReviewsReviews (20)
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biancaserina
May 1, 2024 at 4:37 pmI was in the same workshop as the lady who wrote gave the one star review. When I read this, I felt the need to share my impressions of the encounter with her and also to clarify, how safe and professional this center is. On the very first day, she told me and probably also some other guests that she had lied during the info pre-call with the Pandorita team. She had been rejected by several Ayahuasca centers and had therefore lied about her psychological state of health during the call in order to avoid being rejected again. In addition, the way she was acting during the first two days weren‘t really introspective, but more like she just wanted to „have a good time“. She also kept bringing up her desires for possible sexual encounters during the retreat, eventough this is a complete no-go whilst working with the medicine and participants are asked to adhere to this rule such as other safety precautions like not taking medications etc. She joked about starting an Ayahuasca Sex Cult there.. When her second ceremony didn‘t go like she wanted, she started blaming the shamans, that they are illiterate people and that they are no doctors.. Some of the things she said seemed quite racist to me.. I felt that she – eventough she wanted to try the medicine – was not ready to face the depths, shadows and fears the medicine can bring up and experienced a panic attack or just was in extreme fight- and flight-mode. Also from my point of view, the facilitators took great care of her and did everything possible to make her feel safe, they tried to talk her down also the morning after, all whilst also being very considerate towards the rest of the group and asking us how we were doing after her outburst and making sure that we also felt safe and being cared for.
Her journey back was organized for her after having had mutiple discussions also with the professionally trained medical doctor of the retreat who was not on site but on call in Switzerland.
Once she left, the energy shifted and we all could dive deeper into our processes and just focus on what we came here for. Everything happens for a reason and I am sure Grandmother Ayahuasca had orchastrated this exact situation for all of us.
When it comes to my own experience on Pandorita, I had the most magical, healing and beautiful time ever. Not saying that it was not hard, but after having studied the information on the website and the information call with the kind hearted spirit that is Marco, I knew what I was letting myself in for and that this was the exact right place to heal and at the same time be surrounded by paradise. Before the first ceremony we were also thoroughly briefed on site. I knew about the symptoms to expect when taking MAO inhibitors, such as dizziness, agitation, hot or cold flashes, increased blood pressure or a pounding heart. In addition, after the first ceremony, the dose for the next ceremony was determined in consultation with each guest. The shamans were extremely powerful and highly skilled masters of the medicine and knew exactly how to treat each and every one of us.
I could not have had a more perfect first Ayahuasca Retreat and have to give it 5 stars plus!
The workshop was a deeply impactful experience and helped me a lot for my physical and mental health and also when it comes to my spiritual development. The ocean, the jungle and the wildlife are breathtaking, the Shipibo shamans are loving healing artists from an ancient tradition with magical icaros, and the facilitators are kind-hearted, devoted souls with a lot of experience. The massages, yoga sessions and food all complimented this amazing work with ayahuasca. It had inspired me to dive even deeper into the medicine that I ended up going to Peru and do a dieta and have ever since regularly partaken in more Ayahuasca ceremonies. Whenever I have the possibility again I will definitely come back to this beautiful sacred paradise!Thank you for everything Pandorita!
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manuelacorazon
February 19, 2024 at 7:19 amPandorita was a very profound, healing experience for me, it touched me deeply – and I am still in inner contact with this special energy from this special, wonderful place. The place is located directly on the Pacific Ocean within a peninsula, the sea is very calm and peaceful, just like the whole place.
I felt wonderfully looked after, the treatments and activities were great, the food was just right, naturally fresh, made with love and with the consistency needed for a respectful implementation of such a power workshop.
Our group was the focus, it was all about us and our process. I particularly noticed how everyone stepped back to give us the best possible experience and healing. I already had experiences, but they are not comparable to my experiences here on Pandorita. A lot of healing happened to me here that I could not have imagined.
One of the best and most important times in my life so far. Thank you all 🙂 -
lasse
February 19, 2024 at 5:44 amI recently booked my second workshop at Pandorita. And I can’t wait to get back to this breathtaking, marvellous place after just one year! A place of deep healing and transformation, situated in a gorgeous national park, that is lovingly cared for by Pandorita’s staff. I was equally stunned by their efforts in permaculture and looking after this wonderful piece of land as by their deeply rooted connection with the local plants. You can learn so much under the guidance of Pandorita’s permaculturist, on a cognitive level and maybe even more so on a spiritual level. I have never felt so deeply connected to plant-life before – Bobinsana’s presence on the estate is palpable, as is of course Caapi and Chacruna, which are also growing everywhere. This connectedness lays the groundwork for intense and deep ceremonies. I understand this intensity might be frigthening for unexperienced guests, I, however, felt extremely safe and cared for during the entirety of my stay. The shipibo shamans are on another level, masters of their craft and a very loving, caring presence at Pandorita. I was extremely moved by their unwavering compassion and dedication to helping and healing and I connected deeply with them. To this day I care very much about them. Hence it is crucial to me that they are treated well at Pandorita, which they are for sure. The owners understand that the shipibos run the show and need to be cared for and paid well. I know for a fact that this, unfortunately, is not common place and Pandorita is a prime example of what working with medicine and native curanderos should look like.
I am eternally grateful to have found this paradise, to have been able to meet its amazing people and connect with its luscious wildlife. Last year’s workshop marks a turning point in my spiritual and personal development. There was never any doubt that I would return this year. I am certain that you will want to come back, too.
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Celine
February 16, 2024 at 7:52 amOne of the most wonderful places I’ve ever been. I have been working with this wonderful medicine for a long time and was impressed and deeply grateful to see and experience how this medicine is worked on Pandorita. The shamans set up and lead the ceremonies in a very traditional way. The chants and energies were very healing. The supervisors also did a very good job and looked after the people very well and accompanied them on their journey. The food, the rooms, the scenery, simply enchanting. I will be back and can only recommend this retreat!
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panarao
February 15, 2024 at 7:53 amI had the opportunity to go to Pandorita last summer. I’ve already had some experiences with Ayahuasca, and through that, I also felt the call to go to Pandorita. Furthermore, I had full confidence in the founders and knew that I was in the best of hands. After a long journey, everything exceeded my expectations. The journey there by boat and the first encounters with the dolphins were beautiful. We were warmly welcomed by the facilitators and taken to our accommodations. I stayed in the treehouse, which I highly recommend. We were given a tour of the land, and I became increasingly aware of what a beautiful place I had landed in. The trees and plants were shown to us, as was how their permaculture was set up.
The Ceremonies in this environment on the edge of the jungle were intense and accompanied by a soundscape of animals and plants, which could be very challenging during the ceremonies due to the sharpening of the senses. It was all the more beautiful when I could make peace with it and let go, from then on It was a beautiful experience where I felt connected to the world like never before. I was able to gain a lot of new trust in myself, my environment, and fellow human beings. I felt arrived and carried by the Earth as its child.
I could never have imagined it like this, as is often the case with the work of medicine. The medicine Ayahuasca challenged me, as it often does, and also put me into deep sorrow at times, thus addressing issues that were deeply rooted in childhood. Of course, the experience is very individual, as everyone bringstheir own issues. The voices of the shamans and their Ikaros were new to me and healing above all else. I felt safe with them as well as the facilitators who grew dear to my heart. Their care and open manner were very welcome to me. Nevertheless, one is very free on Pandorita and can give space to one’s own process. You can go out on your own with the kayak, linger in the hammock, explore the jungle paths, and much more.
For me, the excursions with the Facilitators were a welcome change and exciting. The group was small, with 4 participants, there was an intimate atmosphere, where everyone went through they’re process, and this was respected. They cooked and washed for us and much more. The food was good, and the juices on the ceremony day are an acquired taste and require discipline. We were all there to experience healing from our burdens. This is and can also not be a walk in the park. It will not be the Last time, I was in Pandorita!
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Lisa Giglio
3 months agoI’ve just spent the last week at Pandorita & I can’t recommend it highly enough. Our flight into Costa Rica was cancelled & we arrived two days late, but Montserrat kept in constant touch and arranged pick up with Aum and Maestra Teolinda. They were waiting with smiles and hugs. Nothing was too much effort to ensure we arrived safely. It’s a 30 minute boat ride in & the view is stunning. Pandorita sits in the jungle within Piedras Blancas National Park. You can hear & see howler monkeys, iguanas, and many birds. The team works hard to care for the land & keep the space beautiful. Every meal cooked by Artemisia & Ruty is delicious and feels like medicine. I am vegan & every meal was perfect. The food is wholesome & often grown on the property. Ceremonies are led by Maestra Teolinda & her daughter Edita, powerful Shipibo healers who surround you with love & care. The medicine is strong & their icaros help you release and heal. Aum & Montserrat ensure you are never unsupported. The healing I received in three ceremonies gave me what 20 years of therapy and previous ceremonies elsewhere could not, all while feeling safe. If you’re looking for an ayahuasca retreat that respects you, the land and the medicine, Pandorita is the place. You won’t regret it.
Fairlight Fehrenbacher
4 months agoBeauty, nature, nurture, intrigue, and relaxation filled my week at Pandorita. The staff were helpful, spirited personalities, full of song, care, and laughter. Our shamen worked long and hard in their craft to bring healing, peace, and insight through their powerful icaras (songs). My ayahuasca experiences were both challenging and peaceful by touching my body, mind, and spirit, and offering me a different perspective for events in my life. The retreat keeps a schedule of events, but there are plenty of windows for individual activities or rest. During those 7 days, I loved exploring where the rainforest touched the ocean, and saw dolphins, toucans, iguanas, sting rays, howler monkeys, currasaws, hummingbirds, a huge cane toad, and dozens of beautiful native flowers. Pandorita returns its participants to simplicity, nature, and spirit and that journey is a true blessing to experience.
Jill Leturgey
2 months agoI went into my experience a bit nervous but with an open mind. Immediately we welcomed with open arms and open hearts by the facilitators Aum and Monserrat. They were always kind, supportive, and open to listening. I felt really well taken care of at Pandorita. The food Artemisia and Rudy made was absolutely amazing. It was colorful, nutrient dense, and easy on my sensitive digestive tract. Julia and Oliver have done a great job caring for the grounds. They make it such a beautiful place to be. Marisol and the volunteers did a lovely job keeping the buildings clean. Everything felt so fresh on a daily basis. The shamans were incredible. I am so honored to have had my ayahuasca experience with Theolinda and Edita. Their voices were beautiful and went through me like a storm shaking up and cleansing what they could during ceremony. I will forever be grateful for this magical place. I will be back.
Veronica Lafranchi
5 months agoThere are no words to describe my experience at Pandorita. The place is out of this world! The shamans and facilitators are loving, caring and experienced. They are there to assist you throughout your journey and bring as much healing. If you are looking for a deep healing and connecting to nature as you have never before, this is your call! It was incredible to witness the transformation of each participant, being spititual, psicologica and phisical. Thank you everyone for having made my experience at Pandorita a life changing one. ❤️
Kira
a month agoPandorita is truly magical, I came here to do Aya for the first time and I’m so thankful that Aum and Montserrat were leading the rereat, their vibes are immaculate- they made everyone feel so safe, seen and welcomed. The group was small and felt like family by the end. The land is literally an untouched rainforest and the bay is where dolphins go to have their babies, we were able to go on the boat and see them up close. Aya put aside, this is a magical place to disconnect from the buzz of life and reconnect with nature. The accommodations are rustic, but it made the whole experience feel more authentic. I enjoyed my experience so much, I will definitely be back.