At Hayulima, you will find a supportive family that guides you through your experience with sacred plants in an intimate and serene environment. By working with small groups, we ensure personalized and individual attention for each guest, allowing for a deeply personal and transformative journey.
Arutams´s devotion to medicinal plants began at a young age. Since then he has been able to work with many elders and masters of different ancient traditions.
He is initiated into the practices and rituals of the Red Path such as the Sweatlodge, Vision Quest, Sun dance, Star dance, limpias and various kinds of ceremonies, using power plants as Ayahuasca, San Pedro in Ecaudor, Mexico and around teh world.
He and his family are the custodians of Hayulima Spirit Sanctuary.
Shiram is a carrier of ancestral medicine. She has been working with native rituals and power plants for 10 years. She is a conductor of temazcals and a co-founder of the group Mujeres de Luna (www.mujeresdeluna.org).
Along her path, she has worked with the feminine energy and the obsidian mirror. She accompanies the work of some of the Andean and Amazonian elders.
Chocolatier. Mother. Vision quester. Sun dancer, and singer. Diana carries the altars that she received the blessings from the ancestors of the “Camino Rojo”such as the ceremonies of Two Tobaccos and Temazcals. She also takes care of the food and nourishment diet of all the people that come to drink medicine at Hayulima.
Diana carries and holds her prayers from her land Killawasi, located in Quito. There she lives with her two children and shares medicine with her community.
A passionate musician, Diana’s sacred tool is singing and sharing the vibration of her beautiful voice and instruments.
Matías Lizama is a Chilean man whose path has been guided by a journey of ancestral knowledge for over a decade. His life has moved in rhythm with ancient celebrations, including dancing in the San Juan festivities of indigenous communities in northern Ecuador.
For Matías, music is more than sound—it is a path to the spirit, expressed through the many instruments he plays, inviting the heart to remember and reconnect. His journey is ultimately offered to love, peace, and art, guiding every step of his creative and spiritual path.
Fernanda is mother and actress, focused on movement, bodywork, and creativity as forms of expression. Her path integrates art as a manifestation of life and ancestral knowledge, cultivating a deep and sensitive understanding of human processes.
She also offers Thai massage therapy, understanding the body as a key space for transformation and creative exploration understanding the body as a key space for care and transformation.
Details of this retreat
Experience the Transformative Power of Our Retreat in a Natural Reserve
Power Plants Ceremonies and Rituals: Engage in transformative healing through our guided Ayahuasca and San Pedro ceremonies and rituals.
Natural Reserve: Discover the beauty of Hayulima, set in the lush cloud forest of the Choco Region.
Comfortable Lodging: Stay in our eco- guest house, featuring cozy resting areas, hot water, laundry service, and walking paths through the forest.
Meals: Savor nourishing, organic meals prepared with local ingredients, including vegetarian and vegan options. Enjoy access to fresh fruit and teas at all times.
Transportation: Convenient pick-up and drop-off from Quito’s airport included in the retreat fee.
Retreat Details:
Join us for a 10-day transformative retreat, which includes:
Transportation: Internal mobilization from Quito Airport to Hayulima and back to Quito Airport.
Lodging: 10 days and 9 nights in comfortable, eco-friendly guest house.
Meals: Three complete vegetarian meals per day, and snaks.
Ceremonies:
2 Ayahuasca ceremonies
1 San Pedro ceremony
1 San Pedro Temazcal ceremony (sweat lodge)
1 San Pedro Power Walk
Rituals:
1 purification and flowering bath in the river
2 additional Temazcales (sweat lodges)
Participate in sharing circles to connect and reflect with fellow participants.
Extra options
Kambo: Experience a cleansing and health ritual for the body with this powerful medicine that boosts our immune system.
Andean Limpias: Rejuvenate with energy cleansing rituals using medicinal plants that energize, balance, and offer liberation to continue on your spiritual path.
Massages: Relax and unwind with our therapeutic massages designed to relieve stress and promote overall well-being.
Embrace this unique opportunity to heal, grow, and connect with nature in the heart of the Choco Region Natural reserve.
Via El Cinto Alto #7
Mindo, Ecuador
(We are 2.5 hours from Quito Airport)
Accommodation
Comfortable Lodging: Stay in our eco- guest house, featuring cozy resting areas, hot water, laundry service, and walking paths through the forest.
Program Price
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
Discover the beauty of Hayulima, immersed in the Choco Region's cloud forest natural reserve in Mindo, Ecuador. The Sanctuary resides on over 112 hectares of protected cloud forest, teeming with an abundance of wildlife and native flora. Vibrant toucans, hummingbirds, butterflies, and countless other species inhabit our sacred space freely and undisturbed. Our guests can explore this vast ecosystem with confidence in a safe and gentle manner. Definitely the best place for your retreat.
Meals
Menu Types
Vegan
Vegetarian
Pescetarian
Ayurvedic
Includes Meat
Organic
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Nut Free
Savor nourishing, organic meals prepared with local ingredients, including vegetarian and vegan options. Enjoy access to fresh fruit and teas at all times.
What's Included
The 10 day retreat includes the following activities:
Round Trip transfer from the Quito Airport to Hayulima. The ride is 2.5 hours one way.
Lodging for 10 days and 9 nights at the Hayulima guest house
All meals, 3 per day except when there is ceremony. All vegetarian.
2 Ayahuasca ceremonies
1 San Pedro ceremony
1 San Pedro Temazcal (sweat lodge)
1 San Pedro Walk of Power, hikking
1 purification and flowering bath in the river
2 temazcales (sweat lodge)
2 sharing circles
Customer Reviews
5.00 out of 5.0 average rating
5.0
Verified
"Into the Green: A Soul-Nourishing Journey at Heulenima."
Hayulima the spiritual retreat in Ecuador, was, honestly, fantastic. The people I met were warm, grounding, and truly kind. The ceremonies themselves felt powerful and deeply meaningful. Being surrounded by the jungle added something almost magical. "It felt transformative, like something shifted inside me. I felt more grounded, more connected .Traveling across the world to South America for spiritual retreat is never a light decision. But Hayulima exceeded my expectations. It offered a balanced, respectful approach and the sense of community and care was fully up to the mark."Thank you so much for the experience you've given me. It was truly meaningful and I'll carry it with me." I will also be back at some point.
5.0
Verified
I love and respect the Hayulima Family - they are incredibly powerful and loving and caring Shamans
This was my first time sitting with the plant medicines. I have so much love and respect for the Shamans Fernanda, Mathias, and Salvador. They are loving, attentive, creative, and genuine people who truly cared for me and ensured my experience and what I took away from the experience was valuable and helpful. I am so grateful that life brought me to Hayulima for my first sitting in a power plant ceremony. I plan to return annually as long as I am able to do so. To add, the food is delicious and nutritious and the property staff are kindly and helpful. The property itself is gorgeous, filled with wildlife, beautiful flora, and morpho butterflies that fly everywhere. At nighttime the fireflies twinkle brightly. I went in June and it was the rainy season and quite tranquil. Thank you to the Hayulima Family for this wonderful experience!! I love you guys!
5.0
Verified
A weekend of magic, a lifetime of memories
I only had time for a weekend journey - San Pedro + temezcal, kambo, and ayahuasca - but I got to experience a glimpse of eternity so really, I was and am at Hayulima forever.
I have experienced plant medicine before in several settings, but never have I gotten to experience ceremonies with such intentionality for ritual, perfect musical accompaniment, nor such a familial atmosphere. This combination led to a journey that completely transported me in the best way. Everyone has a different plant medicine experience depending on your own needs and intentions, but Hayulima has all the tools to set you up for the strongest, safest possible connection to the universe.
Practically, Hayulima is in a beautiful location, has wonderful food (almost too delicious, as I was hoping to cut back for the weekend but constantly found myself going for seconds), cozy accommodation, and plenty of space (and blankets! and hammocks!) for quiet personal reflection. Do take the mosquito recommendations seriously: two pairs of pants, long socks, and always long sleeves! Don't let that deter you though, mosquitoes are a small inconvenience for an opportunity to commune with the universe.
Enormous, universe-sized thank you to Salvador, Amalia, and Diana for leading such intentional ceremonies and using their voices, musical instruments, and beautiful words of prayer to connect me to my higher self, while remaining friendly, funny, kind, and welcoming to my human self. Thank you to Andres who added levity to the weekend with fun chats and stories along with grounding to the ceremonies. Thank you to the Ryans for your help with volunteering: moving hot, heavy rocks, cleaning, singing, playing music, and being exceptional liaisons. Thank you to my fellow participants - you know who you are (C, E, R, and P) - and best of onward luck on your journeys. It was truly a pleasure sharing space with all of you.
5.0
Verified
Weekend Journey
Hayulima Spiritual Sanctuary is everything that the reviews say it is – a welcoming and warm family experience that is simply life changing!
As this was my first time, I was cautious and had no idea what to expect. I was nervous for a change, mainly because I had no idea what my mind and heart may bring up during the sessions. More than a week later, I am still learning from both sessions, and I will continue to do integration work after I get back home to Canada.
Salvatore, Amalia, Diana, and Andres are exceptional connectors, very open hearted, and treat you like family from the beginning! The volunteers were also great to learn from and get to know.
I highly recommend Hayulima to anyone interested in exploring the benefits of these life altering scared plants.
I will definitely be back on my next trip to Ecuador!
5.0
Verified
Such a wholesome weekend
What an amazing time I've had here. This was my first Ayahuasca retreat and I felt like I struck gold. The people at Hayulima are all so warm, kind and above all, knowledgeable. They welcomed me, and the other participants in their home and shared there lifestyle with us. Beforehand I was in doubt whether 3 days might be a bit too short, but it is more than enough to have an amazing experience. (Though I will definitely come back some day for a 10 day retreat, I would highly recommend it if it fits your schedule).
Some key elements which stood out to me:
The guidance in terms of dosage, I was initially "afraid" of maybe a dosage being to light and then having flown all this way to have a "mid" experience. The shamans guided you to your own perfect dosage in which you had all the time and control to feel whatever you needed.
The support outside of the ceremonies, the team was always available for a chat or advice if I was walking around with something.
The authenticity. This aint a tourist activity for some "westerners" used as a means of making money, not at all! They truly welcomed me, and the other participants with open arms. They don't do these ceremonies for us, we are welcomed to partake in their ceremonies! Futhermore, they were fully transparent about rituals, traditions and all the questions we asked.
Overall, everything was done with so much warmth, support, safety, good food in a beautiful setting. I took some weeks before writing this review, but my enthusiasm is still as alive as the day a left. 10/10!
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Early Bird Discount: 10% Off Until Aug 13
Available Dates
August 14 - 23, 2026
Payments made through Retreat Guru do not include the cost of: plant medicine, psychedelics or similar products.
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