Atmosphere

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Atmosphere and feature ratings above are based on Best Retreats research (October 2026). They will be updated if Conscious Hub submits its own information.

Conscious Hub: An In-Depth Review for Ayahuasca Retreats near Gaucín, Málaga, Spain

Conscious Hub runs four-day ayahuasca retreats at a rented luxury country house in the mountains around Gaucín, in Málaga province, about 90 minutes from Málaga airport. It is led by a couple who give only their first names, Ariana, a somatic facilitator and ceremonial musician with Peruvian family roots, and Colin, an integration coach, who say they founded it in 2017; Ariana’s father, Sergio Rivadeneyra, plays ceremony music. Each retreat combines two ayahuasca ceremonies with two rapé ceremonies, a cacao ceremony, breathwork, yoga and integration for up to 10 guests, at €2,200 in a shared room. Guests give it a perfect 5.00 on Retreat Guru from 61 reviews, and a doctor reviews each health questionnaire. Against that, no surnames, legal entity or registration are published, who serves the ayahuasca and where it comes from are not disclosed, no medical staff are on site and no emergency plan is published, and its Retreat Guru page has been renamed “Anaya Retreats” without explanation. We found no incidents.

🎯 At a Glance

• Locations: A private country house in the mountains near Gaucín, Málaga province, with views toward the Strait of Gibraltar, according to its retreat page. A Tulum retreat and a “new Spain location” are listed as coming soon.
• Approach: Two ayahuasca ceremonies of five to six hours, two rapé ceremonies, a cacao ceremony, conscious breathwork, meditation, yoga and integration sessions, with live ceremonial music.
• Suitable For: Adults who want a short, comfortable, heavily supported retreat in Europe and accept the legal uncertainty in Spain. Not suitable for people taking antidepressants or with heart or psychiatric conditions.
• Costs: €2,200 per person in a shared room for the November 2026 retreat, according to its Retreat Guru event page; private rooms cost more. The deposit is refundable until a day before the start and full payment until 30 days before. Airport transfers cost up to €70 extra.
• Overall Assessment: Doctor-reviewed screening with stated contraindications, a high staff-to-guest ratio, clear refund terms and consistently glowing reviews, offset by undisclosed surnames, legal entity and ayahuasca source, no on-site medical staff or emergency plan at a remote villa, and an unexplained rebrand. Directory evaluation: B-.

💬 What Guests Are Saying

The positive picture. Reviewers describe a loving, family-like team, Colin and Ariana’s presence, live music from Ariana and her family, excellent vegan food by a holistic chef, a beautiful house and views, close attention from facilitators and deep emotional release; several guests have returned.

The negative feedback. No review below five stars is visible. Some testimonials describe frightening or very difficult first nights, framed as part of the healing.

Who is writing the reviews. Every visible rating is perfect, review counts differ across pages of the same platform, and an affiliate article promotes the retreat. Our earlier profile cited 4.97 from 30 or more Retreat Guru reviews and called it a newer retreat with limited reviews; both are out of date. If you have attended, we encourage you to share your experience through our submission form.

🚩 Incident Report

We searched review platforms and English and Spanish-language news for reports involving Conscious Hub, Anaya Retreats, Ariana, Colin and Sergio Rivadeneyra.

• Deaths and serious injuries: None found.
• Sexual misconduct: No allegations found.
• Theft and fraud: No complaints found.
• Legal action: No police action, raids or lawsuits found involving this center. Spanish police have raided other commercial retreats, including a villa in Pedreguer, Alicante, in August 2025, as eNCA reported.

Our earlier profile also found no theft, sexual misconduct or crime, and its August 2025 update reported none.

If you have experienced or witnessed an incident with this center, please report it confidentially.

🔍 Critical Notes

Who runs it. The founders publish first names only, and no company, association, tax number or legal notice appears on the website. The site says ceremonies are held with “shamanic practitioners” and “ayahuasceros” and that the team studied under unnamed Amazonian healers, but does not say who prepares or serves the brew or where it comes from.

Fees. Retreat Guru calls the retreat all-inclusive, while the operator states that it does “not charge for accommodation, venue access, or ceremonial participation,” only for professional services, wording that appears designed for legal reasons.

Rebrand. Its Retreat Guru center page is now titled “Anaya Retreats,” with no events and no explanation, while the event page and reviews still say Conscious Hub.

Spain’s legal picture. The ayahuasca brew is neither specifically prohibited nor authorized in Spain, but DMT is a controlled substance and organizers have been prosecuted, though most ayahuasca cases have ended in acquittal, according to ICEERS. Our earlier profile said Spain permits plant medicine for religious use; that overstates the law.

Corrections to our earlier profile. The house is near Gaucín, about 90 minutes from Málaga airport, not 20 minutes. The current price is €2,200, not $1,395, and no source supports our $1,650 sidebar figure. Rapé and cacao are also served. We found no source for scholarships, “conscious creation” workshops or the claim that about 55% of participants face transient anxiety; those details remain unverified.

🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks

Each guest completes a medical questionnaire reviewed by the team and an unnamed doctor, and the retreat page excludes people on antidepressants and those with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia or borderline personality disorder, as well as pregnant women, advising tapering only with one’s own doctor. Heart conditions are not mentioned. Guests follow a two-week diet without alcohol, drugs, caffeine or cannabis. Five or six facilitators attend each ceremony, but no medical staff are on site and no emergency protocol is published; the nearest major hospital is the Hospital de la Serranía in Ronda. ICEERS notes that ayahuasca’s MAOI component makes it dangerous with SSRIs and other serotonergic drugs and that it is contraindicated for people prone to psychosis. Never stop a psychiatric medication to qualify for a ceremony without your prescriber’s guidance.

🧪 Brew Substance

The center does not publish its recipe, source or who prepares it. Amazonian ayahuasca usually combines the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with chacruna leaves, which supply the DMT, as Erowid explains. Rapé (tobacco snuff) and ceremonial cacao are also served; no kambo, bufo or San Pedro is offered.

📍 Location, Setting & Style

• Setting: A rural villa in the hills near Gaucín with gardens, an indoor heated pool, an outdoor natural pool and a fireplace living room used for ceremonies.
• Rooms: Shared rooms with two single beds, underfloor heating and air conditioning, with en suite or adjacent bathrooms; private rooms at extra cost.
• Style: A modern wellness program blending ceremony with breathwork, coaching, yoga and live music, for up to 10 guests.

Practical guidance: Fly to Málaga; a group transfer is arranged for up to €70. Meals are organic, vegan and prepared by a holistic chef.

Should You Book?

It may suit guests who want a short, comfortable, well-staffed retreat in Europe, with care. Before paying, ask who prepares and serves the ayahuasca and where it comes from, which legal entity takes your payment, who on site has medical training, what happens in an emergency and how the center views Spain’s legal risks. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.

The Team & Story

Ariana describes herself as a somatic facilitator, medicine journey guide and ceremonial musician of Peruvian ancestry, and Colin as an integration coach with a degree in coaching; both say they are certified conscious breathwork facilitators. Sergio Rivadeneyra, Ariana’s father, is a Peruvian ceremonial musician who says he has a generational connection to the medicine. The wider team includes facilitators for herbalism, yoga, sound and massage, and chef Danielle of Holistika Kitchen. We did not independently verify anyone’s training.

Prep & Integration Tips

Before you go: Disclose every medication and condition in writing and plan any change with your own doctor. After you return: Use the post-retreat group and integration sessions if helpful, and arrange support from a qualified therapist at home. Our guide on how to research ayahuasca incidents can help you check any center.

Pros & Cons

Book Your Ceremony

Retreats are booked through Retreat Guru or its website after a questionnaire. Before paying, confirm the facilitators, the emergency plan and the legal entity in writing. Best Retreats does not take bookings; learn more about our mission.

Last reviewed October 2026.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Consult a qualified medical professional.