1:1 Master Plant Dietas with Sacred Tobacco (Mapacho) & Amazonian Master Plants
Private & Intimate Ayahuasca Ceremonies

Guided personally by two traditional healers. Maximum five guests.

Templo del Tigre is an intimate plant medicine retreat center in the rainforest of Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula, at the edge of Corcovado National Park. Our work centers on the master plant dieta with Sacred Tobacco (Mapacho) and Amazonian master plants. We are the only center in Costa Rica carrying the Mamancunawa tobacco-and-trees dieta lineage.

Every dieta is private, one-on-one and guided personally by the two of us, Negar and Gwendal. We welcome no more than five guests at a time, so each person is held individually from the first conversation to the last day of integration.

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Why Templo del Tigre

• The only center in Costa Rica carrying the Mamancunawa tobacco-and-trees dieta lineage
• Always private: every dieta is one-on-one, never a group process
• Two healers personally present from your first call through integration
• No more than five guests at a time
• Medicine we prepare ourselves, with plants grown on our land whenever possible
• A real jungle sanctuary at the edge of Corcovado, one of the most biodiverse places on Earth
• Integration built into the 15-Day Healing Immersion: yoga, breathwork, sound healing, plant baths and nature
• One-on-one integration support, even after you return home
• Guidance in English, French, Spanish and Farsi

Why a Dieta

In the Amazonian tradition, master plants are regarded as teachers and doctors. A dieta is how you build a relationship with one. Through solitude, a simple diet and a daily ceremony with the plant, a bond forms between your spirit and the spirit of the plant. The plant works directly on the soul level, healing on the physical, emotional, energetic and spiritual levels. In our lineage, this healing is understood to reach the cellular level and extend through up to seven generations of your family line.

At Templo del Tigre, you diet for seven days and seven nights in silence, with no phone, internet or outside distractions. You eat two simple meals a day, such as fruit or a light soup, with no salt, oil, sugar or spices, and receive a private ceremony each day. Every day we also sit with you one-on-one to talk through your process and your dreams. Purging, tears and release are a natural part of the work, and we are with you throughout.

Sacred Tobacco and the Master Plants

Your first dieta is with Sacred Tobacco whenever your health allows it. In the Amazon, tobacco is honored as La Medicina Rey, the King Medicine, master of all plants. It is psychoactive but not psychedelic. Instead of giving visions, it speaks through the body and the dream world, and its teachings arrive in vivid, often lucid dreams. It is a strong and demanding medicine, and it is the foundation of our lineage.

On later dietas, tobacco is paired with another master plant, such as Bobinsana, Chiric Sanango, Chuchuhuasi, Ajo Sacha, Abuta, Ayahuma, Bellaco Caspi or Tamamuri, among others. When someone can’t take tobacco, we choose another master plant for them. You don’t need to know which plant you need. Choosing it is our work.

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Your Safety

• Every guest completes a full health and medication screening before being accepted.
• Tobacco is replaced with another master plant for anyone with heart conditions, asthma or blood pressure irregularities. Our medicines are not suitable during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
• We sit with you every day during the dieta and are on the land with you throughout.
• We live on the land, a short walk from the guest rooms, and are here for you at any hour.
• The nearest clinic is in Puerto Jiménez, about 20 minutes away.

What does the 10-Day Master Plant Dieta include?

• Free consultation and health screening before you book
• Personal preparation guidance for at least two weeks before arrival
• 7 days and 7 nights of dieta in solitude and silence
• 7 private ceremonies, one each day
• Daily one-on-one consultations and dream reflection with your healers
• A closing ceremony with a plant bath and an afternoon of rest by the river
• 9 nights in an open-air Jungle Room with private river access
• Organic meals following traditional dieta guidelines
• Airport pick-up and drop-off in Puerto Jiménez
• One-on-one follow-up after you return home

Early Bird $2,500 / Standard $2,700 per person

The 15-Day Healing Immersion adds:

• 6 days of guided integration
• Yoga, breathwork and gong sound healing sessions
• Optional rapé and sananga ceremonies, when appropriate
• A plant bath, waterfall hike, beach time and a permaculture tour of our land
• One-on-one consultations after the closing and on your last day
• A closing circle around the fire
• 14 nights in total

Early Bird $3,600 / Standard $3,800 per person

Early Bird applies when you reserve 60 days or more in advance. Casita del Tigre, our private cabin, is available as an upgrade for one guest per retreat (+$1,000). Prices are per person; retreats are highly personalized, and any adjustments that affect the price are discussed with you before your reservation is confirmed. Guests who feel called can do several dietas in a row on a custom schedule.

Upcoming start dates: December 7, 2026; January 14, February 12, March 14, April 12 and May 12, 2027.

How to Reserve Your Place

Step 1: Book a free discovery call with us.
Step 2: We get to know you and recommend the plant and retreat that best support your healing.
Step 3: Reserve your place and begin your preparation with our guidance.

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When We Work with Ayahuasca

Gwendal is also a Shipibo-initiated ayahuasquero, trained under the late Maestra Olivia Arévalo (Panshin Beka). We don’t offer ayahuasca by default. We bring it into the work when we feel it is truly needed:

• for a guest who can’t take tobacco, alongside their dieta with another master plant
• for returning guests, toward the end of a dieta, when we feel the medicines can work together
• for someone who isn’t doing a dieta but needs ayahuasca medicine, as a focused process of three or more spaced-out ceremonies

Every ceremony is private or very small, with no more than five guests, and we are both present throughout. We cook the medicine ourselves, using vine and chacruna grown on our land whenever possible.

Ceremony rates: $700 for a private ceremony; $500 per person with 2–3 guests; $450 per person with 4–5 guests. For guests coming only for ayahuasca, accommodation and meals between ceremonies are discussed during your consultation. Whether ayahuasca is right for you is something we decide together.

Your Healers

Negar is a curandera and tabaquera of the Mamancunawa lineage, with 16 years of healing practice. Sacred Tobacco and the master plants are the heart of her work, and she guides each dieta personally, with deep attention to the guest’s process and dreams. She also brings women’s healing through womb massage, Maya Abdominal Massage learned with Mayan midwives in Guatemala, and Chi Nei Tsang, and leads gong sound baths.

Gwendal is a curandero, tabaquero and Shipibo-initiated ayahuasquero with 14 years on the Amazonian medicine path, shaped by long solo dietas in the jungle. He has a deep Ashtanga Yoga practice and brings shamanic drumming, Mongolian throat singing and sound into ceremony and integration.

We were both initiated into the Mamancunawa lineage by Maestro Ernesto García Torres in Peru.

The Land

Blue morpho butterflies, toucans and scarlet macaws are daily company. The Río Tigre runs alongside the rooms, and the forest is close enough to fall asleep to. You practice in our open-air shala, surrounded by fruit trees and permaculture gardens. Here the jungle is part of the medicine.

Where You Stay

Open-air Jungle Rooms: private rooms open to the forest, with the sound of the river. Bathrooms are shared, with bamboo showers, compost toilets and a bathtub.

Casita del Tigre: a fully private cabin with its own kitchen, outdoor area, marble bath and compost toilet. Available as an upgrade for one guest per retreat (+$1,000).

Hear from Our Guests

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Watch Amanda share why she returned
More guest stories

Getting Here

Fly from San José to Puerto Jiménez (about 50 minutes). We pick you up at the airport, and Templo del Tigre is a 20-minute drive away. You can also drive from San José (about 6 hours) or take the bus (about 8 hours).

Is This for You?

First-timers are welcome. Every guest is carefully screened, and we adapt the plant to your health. This work is not for comfort or entertainment. It is for people who feel a sincere call to heal and are willing to stay with what arises.

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Location

Google Reviews

• 
  Andrea SN

  7 months ago

  A truly special place! Their home – nestled in the heart of the jungle, by the river and near the hills – is alive with nature. Everything is built sustainably, and you can feel that you’re living with, not apart from, the land. Sometimes a guacamayo flies overhead or a snake quietly passes by – it’s wild, real, and magical. It was a deeply healing 7-day experience guided by Gwendal and Negar. Profound and transformative. Negar guided me with such presence and care - helping me understand my dreams and the lessons of the medicine in a way that felt safe, respectful, and deeply insightful. My partner was guided by Gwendal, and we both experienced meaningful healing. The food was prepared with love and intention. The gong, river sounds, massage, yoga - all of it was beautiful and powerful. You can feel their wisdom, dedication, and genuine desire to help in every detail. I hope to return again.

• 
  Francesco Marti

  5 months ago

  My experience at Templo del Tigre was transformative. I spent a month immersed in nature, surrounded by incredible biodiversity and the River Tigre, an environment that feels deeply peaceful and rejuvenating. Gwendal and Negar create a truly special atmosphere, putting care and intention into every detail. I appreciated the meaningful conversations, the fresh fruit and produce from the garden, and the genuine sense of being cared for. I also took part in a ceremony, where I experienced deep connection and inner growth, guided with professionalism and sensitivity. Their knowledge is vast, and they create a safe and respectful space for self-exploration. We also shared yoga practices and beautiful moments singing together. The area offers great opportunities to explore nature, with hikes and guided experiences to discover the forest and observe wildlife. I’m truly grateful for everything this experience has given me. Thank you so much Gwendal and Negar

• 
  Cassidy Salv

  2 years ago

  One of the greatest hidden gems! I stayed here for a week and had a wonderful time. The hosts are a very welcoming and knowledgeable couple who have the best recommendations and great stories. They are very passionate and caring to build a beautiful home and property for others to experience. The property is beautiful and extremely peaceful. There is a river, 3 dogs, immersed in the trees and a ton of wildlife around. The rooms are open air and so peaceful to sleep especially when it rains. The town is pretty walkable and there’s a small market and a couple tour places just up the road. In the opposite direction to the right just a quick walk down there is an entrance to some of the most beautiful hikes and waterfalls in the mountains which some of the local pups may guide you on. This spot is the perfect getaway and place to heal, meditate and really feel like you are connected to the nature around you. If it weren’t for me having to leave early I would’ve stayed for a month if I could! I speak about this place often as one my biggest highlights of my month long trip to Costa Rica. A great solo destination. Very grateful and highly recommend.

• 
  Tom Whitfield

  a year ago

  Gracious and knowledgeable hosts, Gwendal and Negar. Very private, relaxing and energized vibe. New, quality construction. Lovely grounds. Nearby excellent hiking trails at Bolita Nature Preserve. May encounter naked hikers! Ha! Great birding here and the Tropical rainforest vegetation is spectacular! Walk upstream on Rio Tigre to a waterfall or head downstream to the refreshing ‘swimming hole.’ Locals in the tiny village of Dos Brazos appreciate ecotourists. Ask hosts about the medicinal plants they have established. Yoga studio on upper level. Other rooms have a shared, very well-equipped large kitchen with room for groups. This is a very special place. They have created something really quite unique. I booked 5 days and had lots to see and do. Came away very happy and uplifted! Enjoyed my time here very much! Gracias! Tom

• 
  Julia Pi

  5 months ago

  My time at Templo del Tigre was a truly beautiful and meaningful experience. I felt very safe, supported and genuinely cared for throughout the whole process. The place itself is incredibly special — surrounded by nature, peaceful and deeply grounding. You can feel how much love, intention and respect is put into this space, the medicine and the people who come here. I leave with a lot of gratitude and I am very happy I had this experience. Thank you for everything! ✨🦋☺️

Reviews (5)

• 
  lazofia

  July 24, 2026 at 11:04 am

  I came to Templo del Tigre needing a pause—a chance to reconnect with myself, regulate my body and nervous system, and simply slow down. From the very first moments, Negar and Gwendal welcomed me with such warmth, kindness, and calm that I immediately felt at home.

  Their temple, nestled in the heart of the jungle and surrounded by an incredible abundance of fruit trees, vegetables, wildlife, and rich history, has a deeply soothing presence. It didn’t take long before I found myself naturally attuning to the rhythm of nature.

  Both of them have truly generous hearts and share their knowledge with openness and humility. Gwendal introduced me to the foundations of Ashtanga Yoga, and thanks to him I began every morning practicing in their beautiful yoga shala, surrounded by the towering trees of the rainforest. Negar introduced me to the wisdom of Ayurveda and mindful nourishment—knowledge that I know will stay with me for the rest of my life.

  Just a short distance from Dos Brazos lies the breathtaking Playa Preciosa, and right beside the house flows a beautiful river where I went every day to meditate and cool off in the tropical heat.

  Throughout my entire stay I felt deeply cared for, and with each passing day I found myself returning to greater balance, peace, and vitality. Negar and Gwendal are truly exceptional hosts. They carry fascinating life stories, profound knowledge, sensitivity, genuine humility, and very kind hearts. Their devotion to this land and to the path of plant medicine is evident in everything they do.

  During my stay I participated in both a cleansing tobacco ceremony and an ayahuasca ceremony. I felt completely safe and was guided through every step of the process with great care, presence, and intuition. I had experienced ayahuasca before, but under their guidance the work felt remarkably focused and precise—almost like the work of a surgeon’s scalpel. Perhaps this is also connected to their deep relationship with Tobacco, whose grounding and protective qualities are woven into the way they hold the space.

  It was a truly nourishing and transformative experience. I sincerely hope to return one day to continue deepening my relationship with plant medicine in this very special place.

  Forever grateful

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  ajferranti

  January 12, 2026 at 8:56 am

  This plant medicine experience offered a rare opportunity to slow down, reconnect, and realign. I left this beautiful oasis with greater clarity, inner strength, and a strengthened vibration of gratitude and peace. Negar and Gwendel’s thoughtful guidance and respectful approach made the entire experience feel safe, intentional, and deeply transformative.

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  Alexa

  November 7, 2025 at 3:38 pm

  A magical and deeply healing tobacco diet guided by Gwendal and Negar with wisdom and love.
  My experience at Gwendal and Negar’s place was truly one of the most special and transformative moments of my life. Their home – nestled in the heart of the jungle, by the river and near the hills – is alive with nature. Everything is built sustainably, and you can feel that you’re living with, not apart from, the land. Sometimes a guacamayo flies overhead or a snake quietly passes by – it’s wild, real, and magical.
  My partner and I did the 7-day tobacco diet, he was guided by Gwendal and I was guided by Negar. It was a profound journey. Each day, she would bring the tobacco drink and sit with me. She truly listened – to my words, to my dreams, to the medicine. The dreams I experienced were vivid and filled with meaning, and Negar helped me understand how the tobacco was speaking to me. Her interpretations were insightful and always respectful, allowing me to feel held, seen, and safe in such a vulnerable process. It was surprising how clearly the tobacco knew what lessons I needed, and Negar’s presence made all the difference in helping me integrate them.
  There was a truly sincere desire to help and heal from both Gwendal and Negar. The experience brought deep healing – both for me and for my partner – and left only a positive and lasting impact on us.
  The food was another part of this sacred care – carefully prepared each day, with intention and love. At the end of the journey, an amazing meal awaited us, and it felt like a sacred offering in itself.
  Negar also brings other powerful gifts to her healing work – her gong playing during the closing ceremony was stunning, and she is trained in abdominal massage, which added a physical healing dimension to the experience. Gwendal is a very skilled yogi, we had a few mornings practicing yoga with him. The unplanned closing ceremony they held – with sound, song, and presence – felt like the perfect farewell to a sacred journey.
  What touched me most was how much love and care they brought to every step of the process. Gwendal and Negar are warm, wise, and deeply connected to the medicine path. You can feel the intention, wisdom, and dedication to their path in each of their steps. Their knowledge of the medicine plants, the jungle, and the traditional ways they carry and the discipline they follow is both impressive and inspiring. Being with them feels like being in the hands of the jungle itself – protected, awakened, and gently transformed. You feel that what they offer is not just knowledge, but transmission – coming straight from the jungle itself.
  This was one of the most meaningful experiences of my life, and I hope to return again to diet with them in the future.

  
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  Binyamin

  November 7, 2025 at 8:37 am

  Gwendal and Negar are wise, caring, and intuitive healers who embodied the confidence and calm that I required throughout my Dieta to make it a safe, transformative, and positive experience. The sanctuary they have built is as mentally nourishing as the many fruits that hang from vines and branches throughout the jungle retreat where I consciously walked, exploring and reflecting during my days with Mapacho. Really—the architects here are both the healers and the forest; the paths, the facilities, and everything growing in between are seamlessly designed for function and comfort while also wild and alive, with singing birds and friendly lizards taking part in the uniquely welcoming atmosphere that lives there. Gwendal and Negar are authentic and genuine healers whose many years of experience are reflected in the care and connection they provide to the seekers of their temple. I am deeply grateful for the space they made for me, the care and leadership they provided, and the memories and written reflections I took with me. Big hugs to you both!

• 
  luMo

  November 1, 2025 at 7:42 am

  This place is pure magic. It starts already with the journey there to this remote place at the edge of Corcovado national park. Located at a small village sorrounded by jungle. Singing birds and countless chirping insects, just the sounds of the environment fill you with joy and connect you to the natural rhythms of life. Another highlight is the small river with super fresh water at their doorstep always ready for refreshment. Their land has received a lot of love and care in the last years and you will discover heaps of fruit trees, beautiful flowers and medicinal plants strolling through it. Gwendal and Negar are incredibly passionate and knowledgable about their work with the master plants and in general genuinely kind people. Through the ceremonies they make a lot of effort to take care of your personal needs and to make you feel comofortable. I felt very welcome and safe there and overall it was a truly amazing experience!