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

La Matriztica: An In-Depth Review for Ayahuasca and Iboga Ceremonies in Los Pargos, Guanacaste, Costa Rica

La Matriztica is an ayahuasca and iboga ceremony business run from Casa Sagrada, the family home of US-born co-founder Sarah Saso and her partner Brad, who gives no surname, in Los Pargos near Playa Negra, Guanacaste, Costa Rica, that holds two-night ayahuasca weekends for up to 10 people and two-night iboga retreats, per its gatherings page. It requires a medical form reviewed before ceremony and warns about antidepressant interactions. Against that, it offers iboga, a medicine linked to cardiac deaths, with no stated heart screening, medical staff or emergency plan, publishes no prices or refund terms, names no lineage or legal entity, has no independent reviews, and serving these medicines carries legal risk in Costa Rica.

🎯 At a Glance

• Locations: Casa Sagrada, a private home in Los Pargos near Playa Negra, Guanacaste, Costa Rica; its site titles say Nosara, which is a different town. It also lists iboga ceremonies in Traverse City, Michigan, USA.
• Approach: Night ayahuasca ceremonies with icaros and live music, morning integration circles, and iboga ceremonies that Brad says draw on more than 20 years in the Bwiti tradition (unverified); partner retreats add yoga, breathwork and surfing.
• Suitable For: Experienced travelers on the Guanacaste coast who arrange their own medical clearance. Not suitable for people taking antidepressants or with heart or psychiatric conditions, and iboga is not suitable for anyone without a cardiac evaluation.
• Costs: No prices are published and bookings go through WhatsApp. Partner packages that include two ceremonies sell for $3,695 for seven nights, per Recovery Elevator, and about $4,444 to $5,555 with a $1,100 non-refundable deposit, per Loba Luna.
• Overall Assessment: Small groups, a reviewed medical form and morning integration, offset by iboga without cardiac safeguards, an opaque operator, no medical staff and no independent reviews. Directory evaluation: C-.

💬 What Guests Are Saying

No reviews were found on Retreat Guru, BookRetreats, Tripadvisor, Trustpilot or other platforms, and its own homepage shows no testimonials. No reviews of 3 stars or lower were found. 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 La Matriztica, Casa Sagrada and Sarah Saso.

• Deaths and serious injuries: None found. Costa Rican press coverage of iboga deaths at other centers, including a 2024 death at Soul Centro, does not mention La Matriztica, per The Tico Times.
• Sexual misconduct: No allegations found.
• Theft and fraud: None found.
• Legal action: None found.

Brad’s surname is not published, so he was not searched individually, and this absence offers limited assurance.

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

🔍 Critical Notes

Who runs it. Sarah Saso says she grew up in California, studied art and anthropology, has lived in Costa Rica for nearly 30 years and began serving ayahuasca in 2017, per an interview on its blog (unverified). No ayahuasca teacher, Indigenous partner or legal entity is named, per its founders page.

Screening and medical support. Every new guest completes a medical form that Sarah reviews, and its dieta page warns about serotonergic medications. No EKG or heart screening for iboga, psychiatric exclusion policy, medical staff or emergency plan is published. Full hospitals in Guanacaste are likely more than an hour away (unverified).

Status. Operating, with ceremonies listed for November and December 2026 and calendars for 2027.

Legal context. Costa Rica’s drug-dependence agency says ibogaine treatment is not authorized, per CRHoy, and none of the retreats that responded to La Nación held health permits, per DoubleBlind. A leaked 2026 Health Ministry memo pointed to possible closures of retreat centers, per The Tico Times.

🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks

Do not take iboga without a cardiac evaluation and on-site medical monitoring. 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

Ayahuasca served by Sarah and Brad; its source is not published. Ayahuasca combines the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with a DMT-containing leaf, as Erowid explains.

📍 Location, Setting & Style

• Setting: Hot Pacific coast of Guanacaste, between jungle and surf beaches.
• Rooms: Ayahuasca weekends include breakfast but no stated lodging; partner packages use nearby lodges and villas.
• Style: Western-led ceremonies mixing Amazonian and Bwiti influences.

Practical guidance: Fly to Liberia (LIR); transfers are not included for its own Costa Rica events.

Should You Book?

Only with caution, and not for iboga without independent medical clearance. Ask in writing for both facilitators’ full names, the price and refund terms, the cardiac screening rules, who on site is medically trained, and the emergency plan and hospital route. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.

The Team & Story

La Matriztica presents itself as a home where Indigenous traditions meet the modern Western mind. 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: 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

Ceremonies are listed on its website. Best Retreats does not take bookings; learn more about our mission.

Last reviewed November 2026.

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