Ayahuasca retreats in Ecuador —
safe, authentic, small.
A place where ayahuasca is held with depth and compassion in a pristine cloudforest setting.
Small group ayahuasca retreats. Twenty-five years of experience. Music, care, and real integration support.
4 Day Ayahuasca Retreat Next date: October 18–21, 2026 Mindo
Of the ayahuasca ceremonies I've attended throughout South America, those led by Paulina are the most beautiful I've experienced. This is the place I recommend to family and friends.
Lee — returned participant, multiple retreats
128 acres of primary cloudforest in the Chocó–Andes
Alma is located inside Nuestra Tierra Aldea Creativa (NTAC) — a 52-hectare (128-acre, and expanding) private cloudforest reserve in the Chocó-Andean corridor of western Ecuador, at 1,400 metres elevation, 3 hours from Quito.
The Chocó-Andes is one of the most biologically rich regions on the planet — more endemic species per square kilometre than almost anywhere else on earth. The surrounding forest holds hundreds of species of tropical birds, orchids, bromeliads and amphibians, many found nowhere else, alongside old-growth trees and a river that runs clean year-round.
NTAC operates as a living project: protecting primary forest, restoring degraded land, and running as a creative and healing community. Land, creativity, and healing — under one purpose. When you attend a retreat at Alma, you are a guest of that project. The forest does some of the work before the ceremony even begins.
About the center →- 52 ha / 128 acres of private primary cloudforest — and expanding, bordered by a river
- 1,400 m elevation in the Mindo cloudforest, 3 hours from Quito
- Hundreds of species of tropical birds, orchids, bromeliads and amphibians — many found nowhere else
- Chocó-Andes corridor — one of the most biologically dense regions on earth
Nuestra Tierra Aldea Creativa is the conservation community that holds this land. It runs as a living project — protecting forest, restoring habitat, and hosting creative and healing work on the same ground. Alma operates within it. Attending a retreat here is a direct contribution to keeping this corridor intact.
Paulina & Sandra · Alma Healing Center · Ecuador
Our Team
We didn't set out to build a retreat business. We set out to do this work well — with honesty toward the people who come, care for the medicine, and respect for the land that holds all of it. Alma is bilingual (English and Spanish), female-led, and based in Ecuador's Mindo cloudforest, 3 hours from Quito.
Paulina Quilla Pakari
Medicine Woman · Ceremony GuidePaulina leads the ceremonies. She has worked with plant medicine for over twenty-five years, trained within living traditions through years of direct apprenticeship. She received the blessing of Shuar elders to continue her path as a healer, and spent years learning with Shipibo medicine keepers in Peru and Piaroa teachers in Venezuela.
She is also a certified Gestalt therapist who brings genuine therapeutic sensitivity to everything she holds — her work sits at the intersection of psychedelic-assisted therapy and ancestral plant medicine traditions. She is an artist, an investigator of ancestral songs and chants, and a long-standing advocate for women's healing.
Sandra
Founder · Ceremony Support · Medicine MusicSandra has walked her own medicine path for over 13 years — as a vision quester, as someone who has sat in ceremony innumerable times, and as a medicine music artist whose guitar and voice have become part of how Alma holds its ceremony space. She does not serve the medicine, but she is present and active in other ways: translating, playing, accompanying.
She founded Alma because she needed a place like it herself. She handles all preparation and integration support, and is the first person you'll speak with when you reach out.
How we work together
We are normally both present for every retreat, although occasionally Paulina's sister, who also has more than 20 years of experience, will lead a ceremony and other team members may be present to support.
Alma is female-led, bilingual, and LGBTQ+ affirming.
How we hold the container
Every participant completes a health screening before we accept them. We keep groups genuinely small. We have turned people away when the timing wasn't right. We would rather do that than put someone at risk.
Plant medicine retreats in Ecuador
4 Day Ayahuasca Retreat
Two ceremonies, integration sessions, lodging and meals deep in the cloud forest. The place to start if you're new to Alma.
Overnight Ayahuasca Ceremony
A single night ceremony for those with limited time, or returning participants.
7 Day Women's Healing Retreat
Annual gathering for women. Ceremony, sharing circles, embodied practice. September 7–14, 2026 — space fills early.
San Pedro / Wachuma Hike
A day with San Pedro, a long walk, natural hot springs.
6 Day Private Therapy
One-on-one ceremonies and integration for individuals, couples, or small groups — at your own pace and timing.
Annual Vision Quest
Days of solitude in nature. A rite of passage, not a program.
Upcoming retreat dates
| Dates | Location | Retreat |
|---|---|---|
| Sept 26–29, 2026 | Mindo Cloudforest | 4-Day Ayahuasca Retreat |
| Oct 18–21, 2026 | Mindo Cloudforest | 4-Day Ayahuasca Retreat |
| Nov 1–4, 2026 | Tumbaco | Overnight Ayahuasca Ceremony |
| Dec 13–16, 2026 | Mindo Cloudforest | 4-Day Ayahuasca Retreat |
| Jan 24–27, 2027 | Mindo Cloudforest | 4-Day Ayahuasca Retreat |
| Feb 21–24, 2027 | Mindo Cloudforest | 4-Day Ayahuasca Retreat |
| Mar 21–24, 2027 | Mindo Cloudforest | 4-Day Ayahuasca Retreat |
| Apr 18–21, 2027 | Mindo Cloudforest | 4-Day Ayahuasca Retreat |
| May 16–19, 2027 | Mindo Cloudforest | 4-Day Ayahuasca Retreat |
| Jun 6–9, 2027 | Mindo Cloudforest | 4-Day Ayahuasca Retreat |
| Jul 11–14, 2027 | Mindo Cloudforest | 4-Day Ayahuasca Retreat |
| Aug 29–Sept 1, 2027 | Mindo Cloudforest | 4-Day Ayahuasca Retreat |
| Sept 7–14, 2027 | Mindo Cloudforest | 7-Day Women's Healing Retreat |
| September 2027 | Mindo Cloudforest | Water Dance (Danza del Agua) |
| Sept 20–23, 2027 | Mindo Cloudforest | 4-Day Ayahuasca Retreat |
| Oct 17–20, 2027 | Mindo Cloudforest | 4-Day Ayahuasca Retreat |
| Nov 14–17, 2027 | Mindo Cloudforest | 4-Day Ayahuasca Retreat |
| Dec 12–15, 2027 | Mindo Cloudforest | 4-Day Ayahuasca Retreat |
| Ongoing | Tumbaco | 6-Day Private Retreat |
Dates don't fit? Write to us — private retreats are always possible.
Ready to reserve your place?
Tell us which retreat interests you and a little about yourself. Sandra will write back within 24 hours.
What people carry home
Alma Healing Center · Mindo Cloudforest · Ecuador
From the moment you arrive, you sense the deep respect they have for this medicine. I can highly recommend Alma for anyone looking to establish — or deepen — a relationship with ayahuasca.
Alex G.4-Day Retreat · MindoThe remote and untouched nature surrounding the center supports its authenticity. A healing environment to digest the ceremonies without interference from the outside world.
Gerard4-Day Retreat · MindoI felt safe. This is a place where the medicine is taken seriously and where profound insights can come to you. The calm and respect Paulina and Sandra showed made me feel I was in the right place.
Timothy5-Day RetreatWords cannot express the power, the heart, the love. I came for the retreat and left deeply nourished. This retreat holds each person in love and care, which has a ripple effect on the world.
Ahmane2-Day Retreat · near QuitoA wonderful, memorable experience. So kind and helpful at all times. I plan on returning. I will do everything I can to spread the word. — The Old Man in the Mud.
Jim, age 704-Day RetreatThank you, Sandra — your music, your sweet melodies are still in my head and continue in my heart. My love to Pauli for nurturing and guiding me through things I never imagined.
Arlene5-Day Retreat · Quito and MindoWhat sets this place apart
Four things that matter. Not marketing language — just what's actually different about how we work.
Medicine learned from real teachers
Paulina's training happened over twenty-five years of direct apprenticeship — learning from Shuar elders, Shipibo medicine keepers, and Piaroa teachers. Not a course. Not a certification. Years of sitting with people who received the same knowledge the same way.
Music is part of how ceremony is held
Sandra brings live music into every ceremony — guitar and voice alongside Paulina's work. Arlene, a past participant, wrote: "Your music, your sweet melodies are still in my head and continue in my heart." That's the intention.
Safety screening and an honest container
Every participant completes a health safety screening. Certain medications and psychiatric histories mean someone shouldn't sit with ayahuasca right now. We know this and we act on it, even when it means turning someone away.
Ayahuasca integration support is built in, not bolted on
Most centers stop when you leave. We don't. Integration sessions are part of every retreat — before, during, and after — and Sandra stays in personal contact in the weeks that follow. Paulina brings her Gestalt therapy training into every container, which means this is psychedelic-assisted therapy in the truest sense. The ceremony is one night. What you do with it is the rest of your life.
Ayahuasca is the center — not the whole story
Paulina's practice includes a range of ancestral plant medicines, many of which are woven into the retreat experience alongside ayahuasca. Each has its own purpose, its own protocol, and its own intelligence.
All plant medicines →Ready to take the next step?
Begin a conversation with Sandra
Don't book first and ask questions later. Tell us where you are and what you're looking for. We'll write back within 24 hours.
Ask us anything. We read every message.
This form goes directly to Sandra. She reads every submission and responds personally — usually within 24 hours.
WhatsApp & Phone
+593 985 271 478
Email
[email protected]
Location
Mindo Cloudforest & Tumbaco, near Quito, Ecuador
We received your note. Sandra or Paulina will write to you within 24 hours. If it's urgent, message us on WhatsApp.
Before you ask
Is ayahuasca legal in Ecuador?
Yes. Ecuador treats ayahuasca as a valued part of national and ancestral heritage. It is not illegal here, nor in Peru, Brazil, or Colombia.
Will I vomit?
Probably. Not everyone purges, but nausea is common and the purge is considered part of the process — a physical release that prepares the body. We walk you through this in preparation.
How long do the effects last?
The most intense effects happen during the ceremony, which runs through the night. The compounds clear within 24 hours. What the plant surfaces can continue working for weeks. That's why integration support matters.
Is it dangerous?
Honestly: yes, like any powerful medicine. The risk is not in the plant when held properly — it's in the context. Wrong medication combinations, insufficient preparation, inadequate guidance. We screen every participant for exactly this reason.
Can I come if I'm on antidepressants?
It depends on the medication and dosage. SSRIs and MAOIs can have dangerous interactions with ayahuasca. Fill in our health screening and we'll give you an honest answer specific to your situation.
Do you work with mushrooms or psilocybin?
Yes. Paulina works with mushrooms and psilocybin in specific retreat contexts, alongside ayahuasca and other plant medicines. This isn't a standard part of the 4-day retreat, but it's part of her practice. If you're curious about a mushroom ceremony in Ecuador, ask us directly — we'll tell you what's possible.
Can couples or small groups attend together?
Yes. Couples and small groups are welcome on all group retreats. For a more tailored experience, the 6 Day Private Retreat is designed for individuals, couples, or small groups and can be scheduled at your convenience.
