Ayahuasca in Costa Rica: what to know before you go

Costa Rica has become one of the busiest places in the world for psychedelic retreats. It’s easy to reach from North America, it feels familiar to many travelers, and its retreats often look more like comfortable resorts than jungle camps. The Tico Times, an English-language newspaper in Costa Rica, reported in 2026 that by one estimate the country has around 80 psychedelic retreat centers, about 60 of them offering ayahuasca, which would make it the second most popular destination for this kind of travel after Peru.

A comfortable setting can make a retreat feel safer than it is. This guide covers the legal position, a recent death and what it showed, the practical risks of traveling there, and what to ask before you book. It was checked on 2026-10-08. This is not legal or medical advice. Laws, enforcement and travel conditions change, so read your government’s latest travel advice before you go.

The legal position

Costa Rica has no law that sets out how ayahuasca or psilocybin retreats may operate. Local reporting describes the industry as working in a legal gray area, largely outside government oversight. There’s no license for ayahuasca retreats, no required training for facilitators and no inspection aimed at them.

A gray area isn’t permission. Ibogaine is illegal in Costa Rica, according to the same reporting, yet it has been offered at retreats there. The UK government’s travel advice warns that Costa Rican authorities treat drug possession and trafficking severely, with a minimum prison sentence of eight years. In 2026 the Tico Times also reported a leaked Ministry of Health memo that raised concern about health claims made for retreats, amplified by visiting celebrities, and discussed the possibility of shutting down several centers.

For you, that means two things. Nobody official is checking the retreat for you. And the rules could tighten quickly, so ask what happens to your money if a center is closed before your dates.

What a recent death showed

In August 2024 a 40-year-old American social worker died at a retreat on the Nicoya Peninsula after taking iboga root and a concentrated iboga extract. According to the Tico Times, she had a severe physical reaction during the ceremony and asked for an IV because she was dehydrated, but staff couldn’t place one because her blood pressure was very low. She was found unresponsive in a shower early the next morning. Her family said they struggled to reach anyone at the facility in the hours afterward. She had paid about $4,000 and, according to the reporting, didn’t know the substance was illegal in Costa Rica. Investigators spent nearly eight months on the case before sending their findings to prosecutors in March 2025. The Tico Times also recalled a similar case in 2014, when a Norwegian woman died at another ibogaine facility.

Several lessons apply well beyond iboga. Ask what medical skills and equipment staff actually have, and whether a person in trouble is ever left alone, including in a bathroom. Find out whether the center will call an ambulance, and how long one takes to arrive. Ask the center to tell you the legal status of everything it offers, and be wary if it can’t or won’t.

How retreats vary

Costa Rican retreats offer ayahuasca, psilocybin mushrooms, ibogaine and other substances, and some offer more than one during a single stay. Each substance has its own risks, and screening for one doesn’t cover the next. A 2026 study of 49 organizations that advertise psychedelic retreats in the US and Latin America, including Costa Rica, found that about 40 percent offered more than one psychedelic. About two thirds had someone with medical or emergency training on site at least occasionally, and 29 of the 49 said facilitators took psychedelics during ceremonies.

Price is no guide to safety. The Tico Times reported that large operations charge around $5,000 per person. A high price may pay for a pool and good food rather than a nurse on night shift. Ask what you’re paying for.

Travel and health practicalities

The emergency number in Costa Rica is 911. Ask the retreat which hospital it would use and how long it takes to get there by night.
Many retreats are near the coast. The UK advice says rip currents are very common, there are often no lifeguards, and drowning is the second most common cause of accidental death, with about 50 to 60 deaths a year, a third of them tourists. Don’t swim alone, and don’t swim at all in the hours after a ceremony.
The UK advice also reports increases in rape and sexual assault, some apparently targeting tourists, and incidents of spiked drinks. Women traveling alone have reported needing to take extra care.
Malaria is present in parts of Alajuela and Limón provinces, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Talk to a travel health clinic, and tell the retreat about any medicine you’re prescribed for the trip.
Check your travel insurance. Many policies don’t cover events that happen after you’ve taken drugs or other substances.
Prescriptions from abroad can’t be used in Costa Rican pharmacies, according to the UK advice, so bring enough of any regular medicine and keep it in its original packaging.

Questions to ask a Costa Rican retreat

Which substances do you offer, on which nights, and what is the legal status of each in Costa Rica?
Do you screen separately for each substance? Who reviews my health form, and what are their qualifications?
Who leads the ceremonies? Where and with whom did they train, and how long have they worked here?
Who is medically trained, will they be present all night, and will they be sober?
What equipment do you keep on site, and which hospital would you use in an emergency?
Has anyone needed emergency care at your retreat? What happened?
How many participants are in a ceremony, and how many staff?
What is your refund policy if I’m screened out, if I leave early, or if the government closes the center?

Write the answers down, and compare them with what past participants say in their reviews. A center that is proud of its safety arrangements will answer these questions readily. One that brushes them off with talk of trust and surrender is telling you something important.

Respect and reciprocity

Ayahuasca isn’t traditional to Costa Rica. The plants it is made from are native to the Amazon, and the Tico Times reports that most retreats are run by foreign operators rather than Costa Ricans. It’s reasonable to ask where a center’s ayahuasca comes from, who prepares it, and whether the Indigenous communities whose tradition it is see any benefit. Our guide to reciprocity and sustainability covers this.

More guides

Independent reviews help most where there’s no official oversight. You can search the Safe Ceremonies listings and read past participants’ reviews in categories such as ayahuasca and peyote and iboga.