Francesca is a naturopathic medical practitioner, holistic nutritionist, and plant medicine facilitator. Growing up in the Midwest, she sparked a desire at a young age to be of service to the world around her as she witnessed a health and spiritual epidemic. She left home at a young age and began traveling the world gaining knowledge in mind-body medicine and spiritual teachings. Her passion is rooted in guiding others through a variety of natural healing practices to help them restore their vitality and true essence. She is committed to helping others rediscover their empowerment through self-healing, compassion-based therapy, and connection to Spirit.
Since beginning her work with shamanic healing practices and plant medicine, Francesca has helped hundreds of clients release the imprints of trauma and emotional imbalances they carried with them for years. She supports her clients intimately as they move away from Western medical practices that solely treat disease symptoms and inspires them to find emotional liberation and embodied aliveness through treating the root-causes of their pain, often originating in childhood trauma. Francesca is a trauma-informed practitioner and long-term student of Gabor Maté’s work specializing in early-developmental trauma, somatic healing, and addiction therapy.
Francesca’s work is alive with passion and vitality. She believes wholeheartedly that every being on Earth is deserving and capable of emotional freedom and sustainable health, through integrating the parts of ourselves with unwavering compassion. She herself lived a life of addiction and disconnection for years before her first encounter with Ayahuasca, served by beautiful Shipibo maestros that have become her life-long teachers. Her love and reverence for the Shipibo lineage and healers she works besides is felt by her guests. A forever student and explorer of life, Francesca continues her ever-unfolding journey of deepening with plant medicine and working to bridge ancient indigenous practices with the Western world in need of deep collective healing.
Neils’ spiritual practice is primarily informed by the decade he spent living in Peru. During this time, he worked extensively with indigenous shamanic traditions of the Shipibo, Mestizo, and Quechua cultures. He has created, directed, and facilitated many Ayahuasca retreats throughout Latin America and guided thousands of clients through their personal plant medicine journeys.
Those who have worked with Neils are inspired by his deep sensitivity and connection to earth energy and spirit. He embodies an innate gentleness and profound trust in each person’s process and has a unique way of guiding other towards their sacred, heart medicine. He incorporates elements of Somatic Experiencing, IFS, Compassionate Inquiry, and a heart-based, humanistic approach in his work supporting plant medicine. The core of his work is centered around gently guiding clients back to presence, deep acceptance, and trust.
At heart, Neils is a traveler and a seeker. He is passionate about honoring indigenous traditions and facilitating the remembrance of ancient wisdom. Neils is deeply committed to his mission to help others reconnect to self, source, reciprocity, and deep liberation.
Details of this retreat
During our retreats, we encourage vulnerability and compassion in a heart-based container where profound transformation is catalyzed by the powerful healing properties of Ayahuasca served by deeply gifted Shipibo Maestros from the Peruvian Amazon. We complement traditional indigenous plant medicine ceremonies with a trauma-informed, body-based therapeutic approach, and long-term ongoing integration support to help you flourish in the ever-unfolding possibilities of sustainable and lasting transformation.
This intimate plant medicine retreat takes place near the town of Nosara, on the Guanacaste Penninsula in the generous lands of Costa Rica. Our luxury retreat space is immersed in a secluded environment surrounded by lush jungle, breathtaking ocean views and healing nature. The sacred land will submerge you into a supportive place to explore the beauty of nature while you embark on your personal plant medicine journey with a family of world-renowned Shipibo Maestros and highly experienced facilitator support.
This all-inclusive event includes 3 Ayahuasca ceremonies, with Ayahuasca grown, harvested, and brewed by our family of Shipibo maestros in the Amazon jungle of Peru. Included in your private retreat cost will be daily yoga, breathwork, hikes in nature, sacred plant baths, integration circles, community activities, and a highly experienced facilitation team there to support your process fully. All organic meals are included and intentionally prepared with love to best support your health and medicine work. This luxury retreat center offers beautiful rooms all equipped with private bathrooms, hot showers, and beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean leaving you feeling comfortable in your space and fully supported in diving deep into this immersive medicine experience.
We honor and acknowledge that each person's relationship with plant medicine and healing journey is intimate and highly personal, with an array of different needs. Our approach to this work is to meet each guest where they are at in their process, honor their individuality, and provide a safe container of connection and healing.
You will be need to arrive to the retreat space by taxi from Nosara. It is a 20 minute drive from downtown Nosara.
Accommodation
This intimate medicine retreat will take place in the generous lands of Costa Rica, near Nosara. Immersed in a healing natural environment, surrounded by mountains and ocean lies our expansive retreat space. This beautiful and nurturing land will submerge you into a supportive place to explore the beauty of nature while you embark on your personal plant medicine journey.
Shared Casita | All Inclusive
Luxury Glamping (shared) | All Inclusive
Private Single Suite | All Inclusive
Venue & Amenities
A/C in Rooms
Free Wifi
Spa
Sauna
Pool
Towels
Free Parking
Kitchen
Tour Assistance
Hot Tub
Coffee/Tea
Cafe
Restaurant
Fitness Center
Yoga Studio
Housekeeping
Bicycles For Rent
Meals
Menu Types
Vegan
Vegetarian
Pescetarian
Ayurvedic
Includes Meat
Organic
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Nut Free
We offer intentionally prepared, ayahuasca-friendly meals made with love, featuring local organic produce from small farms throughout Costa Rica. We offer organic chicken and locally caught fish.
What's Included
3 plant medicine ceremonies
Meditation and breathwork classes
Daily yoga
Sacred healing plant baths & steams with Amazonian plants
All organic meals throughout the retreat
Intimate group size and 1:1 personalized care, counseling, and facilitation
Multiple workshops, talks, and group circles throughout the retreat to support medical work
1:1 Preparation calls with your facilitators
Virtual group preparation and connection calls
Multiple 1:1 post-retreat integrations calls with your facilitation team 3 months post-retreat
Custom made 100-page plant medicine integration journal
Beautiful retreat venue nestled in the beautiful mountains overlooking the ocean
Customer Reviews
4.98 out of 5.0 average rating
5.0
Verified
Blown Away!
Anam Cara delivered on the powerful healing I was looking for and more.
I had an incredible experience at another ayahuasca retreat center in Costa Rica a few years ago, so went into this retreat with very high expectations and yet was absolutely BLOWN AWAY.
Here is why I now recommend everyone choose Anam Cara:
Retreat design: The whole experience was so thoughtfully orchestrated. In the weeks leading up to the retreat, there was a 1:1 call, a group intro call and a whats app group created, which was critical for preparation and building our group dynamic. Each day of the retreat, the facilitators tuned into what the group needed and adjusted the schedule accordingly, making the whole experience feel highly customized and intentional (instead of cookie cutter).
Multi-modality: The weaving of different practices (dance, breathwork, singing, yoga..) was so beneficial for my processing. The incorpration of these tools helped me get more out of the three aya ceremonies here than the four I did at the other retreat.
Small group: The small group created a depth of connection with everyone and more opportunity to engage directly with the facilitators and Maestros (healers) for support.
If this is your first time sitting with ayahuasca, the Anam Cara team will make you feel so supported through the entire experience. After a quick chat with Francesca/Neils you will know this is the place for you (so reach out now, even if you aren't sure you are ready!).
If it's your 100th time sitting, you'll appreciate the uniqueness of their style and how much deeper you can go with their support. It's truly a special experience and you'll be surprised how much more you get out of this.
5.0
Verified
An experience beyond words
Thank you, Anam Cara, Tierra Encantada, the maestros, and Ayahuasca for the most incredible journey—one that was truly full of love, healing, and connection.
The space itself was breathtaking, and the flow of the retreat felt intentional and seamless. The facilitators were deeply present, compassionate, and genuinely supportive of every participant. I especially appreciated the opportunity to connect with others via Zoom before the retreat began—it made arriving feel like coming home.
The integration support, both before and after, was thoughtful and grounding. The food was absolutely delicious, nourishing the body as beautifully as the ceremonies nourished the soul. And the music—just wow. It was medicine in itself.
What began as a gathering of strangers quickly transformed into a reunion of souls. A true meeting of Anam Caras. There are no words that can fully describe what we experienced together... and that’s part of the magic.
I wholeheartedly recommend this retreat to anyone feeling called.
5.0
Verified
The most humbling, most beautiful experience
Forever grateful for Francesca, Zaianna and Noel, the Maestros , Marina & Teo . And ofcourse all the staff at Tierra encantada . The person I was when I got there versus the person I am now. I never thought I would meet her. I never thought I would be able to shed that part of me that needed to be shed and through this retreat and the help of the The ones mentioned, I was able to finally look in the mirror and see who I truly am see who I was and forgot about, and who I left behind. Not only that I faced my fears, but you could say I conquered them and I’m no longer scared to live my true self sure you can go to another retreat and have other people to help you and guide you. But I doubt they will get the energy and intention and care and love and genuine feelings and nurturing that I got in this retreat with these group of people… it’s truly one of a kind I can’t ever put into words how grateful I am because it’s something felt. But if you want to transformation and you want peace of mind and you wanna be in an environment where you feel safe and cared for I definitely recommend this facility and this group of people to help you get there. My life has never been the same. I’m not the same. I’m the best version of myself and as the days go on, I can see more and more of her unfolding and coming to the light. It humbled me in the most beautiful way. I’m so grateful and I will do this experience 15,000 times over again. I miss it. I miss them. It was bittersweet leaving because I just felt so loved and supported and cared for like never before thank you so much thank you so much. I am so grateful.
5.0
Verified
Incredible journey with Anam Cara Healing Retreats
My journey these past 3 years with Anam Cara, Francesca & Neils, their team & Maestros has transformed my life in so many ways. The essence & formula of how they orchestrate their retreats is a beautiful thing to experience. The importance to me of an intimate group setting & integration was found with Anam Cara. The healing & guidance I've had on this journey I would not have found anywhere else. The insight & wisdom they have for each participant is beyond measure. I was guided to engage in a Master Plant Dieta on my last retreat & the space that was held for me was incredible & always present. It took commitment & work on my part throughout & choosing wisely my own support & how I hold space for myself with their support. If your looking for a medicine retreat with incredible facilitators, integrity, stunning setting, somatic workshops & pre & post integration, this is it! 🩵🌀🩵 Colleen Morris
5.0
Verified
Magic Goddess Woman!!
This woman is absolute magic. I am in awe and inspired by her in many ways. Don’t take my word for it, book with AnamCara… you won’t be disappointed to cross paths with her and her community. Just an exceptional, incredible human being. I feel so blessed to have shared space with her.
Refund & Cancellation Policy
Retreat deposits are non-refundable as a rule however we assess each case individually and do our best to refund your deposit if we can.
Guests must pay their remaining balance in cash upon arrival at the retreat.