I have arrived home from Pandorita; it is so difficult to be home after being in Paradise for 10 days with such kind staff and facilitators.I stayed in the Mariposa which was perfect!If you want to be in a peaceful setting and get away from the main area,this was lovely.I absolutely loved the Mariposa; it's very close to the bathroom and the maloca, just beautiful. The kitchen staff, Ally the volunteer, Elisabeth the facilitator, and Charlie the jungle connoisseur, were so kind and helpful. Ally shoud be a facilitator one day, she was such a beautiful human and I would follow her wherever she goes; she really contributed to my positive experience at Pandorita.I understand some guests did not like the food, I loved it, and I know another guest enjoyed it as much as I did. I did wish there was some fruit out until 4p on ceremony days, but if I asked they would provide it without a problem. We all are on our own personal journeys and I found myself separated from the group often. Personally, I came to connect with nature and to have a relationship/respect with the medicine, which I feel is important for me in order to heal. I enjoyed walking the property and took major appreciation in all the beautiful flora that they put so much hard work into. The land there is gorgeous and I was so appreciative that they put that work into it to make it beautiful just for us. I couldn't stop thanking them in my head with every tree and flower I came across. We had kayaks to take out whenever we wanted, there were multiple areas to get into the water if you wanted to be more on your own, there were lovely trails in the jungle, and coconuts provided whenever we wanted from the magnificent Charlie. The shower water was cold, but it is so hot there, that it didn't bother me at all; it was only a little difficult in the mornings, but I got use to it quickly. I understood before going that this was an ecolodge, which I have so much respect for; the last thing I desired/expected was a 5-star resort, I can stay home and do that. I have to save the best for last...... the super kind Julio and Rudy (love them), and the Shamans! Maestro Luis and Mama Mica were INCREDIBLE. During the ceremonies, especially my first one, all I could think about is how much hard work they put into each one of us. They are there to help US, just wow, how fortunate are we! I was blown away with their hard work and warm hearts, thank you thank you thank you!! I would have been perfectly content with hanging out with just them the entire time, with their kindness, positive energy and undeniable care for each one of us. They really know what they are doing and put hard work into for us. In many shipibo traditions, which I researched before I went anywhere, they blow Agua de Florida on you to help with any bad energy; I found it very refreshing and helpful during my journeys. The only downsides I would mention are that I didn't have any profound insight or experiences with the medicine. It is difficult to know if it was just a bad batch that maybe sat for awhile, or that it was just my own personal experience. I took 3/4 cup and 1/2 cup in beginning and got very sick first 3 times (normal), and nothing much more except very body heavy. Then the last 3 I only took 1/4 cup give or take, so it's possible it was the amount that didn't allow for deeper experiences, but they mentioned we shouldnt need a lot. So it's tough to tell, so I cannot put blame, but no matter what, I was a little sad about that because of going so far from home and really wanting something deeper; 6 times is a lot to not have much happen, but I did hear groups prior that had wonderful experiences, so just hard to know. Pandorita is a gorgeous place if you're looking for peace, beauty, off grid or connection. I think many Ayahuasca retreats are pricey, this was one of the less expensive ones I could find in Costa Rica, so if you leave your fast paced resort style expectations at home, because that's not what this is, you will have the wonderful ability to see all the beauty that this place provides.

I just came back from this retreat and can definitely say that I will not be going back or recommending this place to anybody. I booked a private room on the beach, which turned out to be a room inside of another room separated by short walls that don’t reach the ceiling with shared shower. Not something you expect when you book a private room. Plus it was located on the second flor of a building were everyone eats, which I was warn about. What I wasn’t warned about was that all the people spend all their time there day and night and since there are mosquito nets instead of windows it was always noisy day and night, so i hardly ever got any sleep. The food was terrible and very limited, it seems like it doesn’t cost them more then a couple of bucks a day to feed each guest. At 1 point we were given plain cold pasta. I haven’t eaten almost anything for 10 days and by the end of it the son of the owner noticed that I wasn’t eating and decided that it was ok to lecture me in a very rude manner for being disrespectful to the kitchen staff by not eating. Wellbeing of the guests is absolutely of no concern to them, he didn’t care about the fact that I was starving for 10 days, but he was convinced that i must take care of kitchen staff fillings. I guess it had something to do with the fact that it looked like he was romantically involved with one of them. They were also convinced that the other guests were happy with the food but I can say from what they told me that it was faaaar from it, almost everyone hated the food and everyone was always hungry. I must say that the shamans were absolutely incredible, very loving and powerful and gave their all to us. Also the facilitator Elisabeth and volunteer Eli were super kind and supportive. Although for some reason I only felt the effect of ayahuasca on me once, which also irritated the owner’s son and he asked if I really wanted to be there implying that I should leave. Unbelievable. I also wrote to the owner complaining about the behaviour of that young man who talked to me like he was a school principal and I was a first grader and he completely ignored me. long story short it was super stressful experience 0 nutrition very little sleep plus they genuinely believe that it’s ok to lecture and be rude to the guests.

I recently attended a retreat at Pandorita and wanted to share an honest review of my experience. While there were some beautiful aspects, there were also several things I wish I had known before going. The Good: The facilitators were kind and supportive. The shamans held a strong, healing presence, and the property itself was beautiful—lush, secluded, and ideal for inner work. I also appreciated that the retreat offered a vegan diet, which is important to me. That said, it was very limited, and the main protein offered was eggs, which are not vegan. For such an intense experience, I really needed more nourishing, plant-based protein. What Was Challenging: I wasn’t told until after I had already taken ayahuasca twice that in the culture of the shamans, it’s actually only the shamans who drink the medicine—they channel healing to others without participants needing to ingest it. Once I found that out from one of the facilitators, I chose to stop drinking the medicine, and honestly, I had a much better experience after that. I felt the medicine left me feeling more drained and foggy than expanded once the visuals wore off. Another thing to be aware of: during ceremony, part of the ritual involves the shaman spitting a clear, incense-scented liquid on you. While I understand and respect this as part of their tradition, there was no option to opt out, and it was really uncomfortable for me. If the retreat is shifting their tradition to allow guests to drink the medicine, I believe it would also be respectful to allow guests to set boundaries and participate in a way that honors their own culture too. Other Things to Know: • You only get one towel every three days—in the jungle humidity, mine was moldy by day three • There’s no hot water • You have access to a dirty sink with no plug to do your laundry • The sweet young volunteer was PAYING Pandorita. She was doing laundry, cleaning the bathrooms, helping with dishes, etc. • You’re expected to attend all ceremonies with no option to sit out or modify your participation • The energy in the room became overwhelming and chaotic As someone very sensitive to energy, this made it difficult to stay grounded during ceremonies. I ended up leaving the retreat early and went to Nereus, which was a completely different experience. The food was incredible, they had hot water, air conditioning, and it was clean. Final Thoughts: I have a lot of respect for the shamanic traditions and the people holding space, but Pandorita just didn’t feel like the right environment for me. If you’re sensitive, need more flexibility, or follow a strict vegan diet, you may want to consider other retreat options. Also worth noting: I left early and was not offered any kind of refund or compensation by the owners