What the evening looks like
You arrive in the afternoon, settle in, and eat a light early meal. As it gets dark the group gathers in the ceremony space, a covered pavilion looking out over the valley. Erick explains how the night will go and answers any last questions. Each person drinks in turn, and the ceremony continues for several hours, with singing, silence, and a facilitator present and sober throughout. When it closes, you sleep at the retreat. In the morning there is breakfast and time to talk before you leave.
Who it is for, and who it is not for
A single ceremony suits people who already know the medicine and want to sit again without committing to a full retreat. It also suits travelers already in the southern zone of Costa Rica, in Dominical, Uvita or Pérez Zeledón, who have a night to spare. And it suits people who live in the country.
It is a harder fit for a first experience. Not because a first ceremony cannot be done in one night, but because the first night is often spent arriving, and the second is where most people go deeper. If you have never worked with ayahuasca, read our guide for first-timers before deciding, and consider the 4-day retreat.
Same screening, same preparation
The length of the visit does not change what the medicine is. Every guest, including for a single night, completes the same health application: medical history, medications, psychiatric history. Certain conditions and drugs rule out participation. And every guest follows the seven-day preparation diet before arriving. We would rather turn someone away than hold a ceremony that is not safe for them.
Getting here
The retreat is in the mountains near San Isidro del General, the main town of the Pérez Zeledón region, about three and a half to four hours by road from Juan Santamaría airport in San José. We pick guests up in San Isidro del General at no charge. If you are coming from the coast, Dominical and Uvita are under an hour away. Details are on the location page.
Price and what it includes
$750 per person. That covers the ceremony, a light meal before and breakfast after, your bed for the night, and the conversation the next morning. It does not cover transport to San Isidro del General from elsewhere in the country. Compared with a multi-day retreat it is the smallest commitment we offer; compared with the cheapest ceremonies in the country it costs more, and the difference is the screening, the group size, and who is in the room. Our pricing guide explains how to compare.