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

Nada Brahma Healing Center: An In-Depth Review for Ayahuasca Retreats in San Ramón, Costa Rica

Status note (November 2026). The center’s own website now says “Our chapter of retreats and ayahuasca has closed” and that it is not offering retreats or ceremonies. The domain has become a personal site for co-founder Carlos Picado. The last dated sign of operation is a Google review from March 2025, and third-party listings still describe active retreats. This profile is kept as an archive.

Nada Brahma Healing Center ran small, week-long ayahuasca retreats from about 2017 in the mountains of Santiago, San Ramón canton, Alajuela province, led by Carlos Picado with Fanny Barquero, according to its Retreat Guru page. Groups of five to eight surrendered phones and watches on arrival and took two or three ayahuasca ceremonies plus kambo, temazcal and rapé, with San Pedro or yopo chosen daily by the facilitator, from about $1,250. It rates 4.8 on Google from 48 reviews but 2.5 on AyaAdvisors from four. Against that, 2023 reviews allege guests were denied contact with family during an emergency and then asked to leave, the facilitator listed no training, no medical staff or emergency plan was published for kambo and yopo, and Costa Rica’s Health Ministry called such retreats unauthorized in 2025.

🎯 At a Glance

• Locations: Magallanes, Santiago district, San Ramón, Alajuela province, Costa Rica, per a copy of its Google listing on Trustindex, on a mountain property with a private waterfall and river.
• Approach: Two or three ayahuasca ceremonies a week with kambo, temazcal, rapé and mambé, plus San Pedro or yopo “as recommended,” in a no-devices, unscheduled format with one-on-one integration.
• Suitable For: No one at present; the center says retreats have ended. Former programs were not suitable for people taking antidepressants or with heart or psychiatric conditions.
• Costs: “Starts from $1,250,” per AyaAdvisors, with meals, lodging and San José airport transfers included. No refund policy was published. Our earlier figures of $2,200 and a $1,500 deposit are unverified.
• Overall Assessment: A very small, well-rated program on Google, offset by serious unverified complaints about emergency contact and review removal, no medical cover while giving kambo and yopo, no legal entity found and now a confirmed closure. Directory evaluation: C.

💬 What Guests Are Saying

The positive picture. Google reviewers describe Carlos and Fanny as warm and caring, a very small group, a true digital detox, the forest setting, temazcal, yoga and the cook’s food.

The negative feedback. Three 2023 AyaAdvisors reviews describe a hostile one-on-one session, very little food, frequent 24-hour fasts, dirty rooms with bed bugs, a facilitator “extremely defensive about the fact that he has no training,” and a guest leaving early after being denied phone access to text family. One alleges two participants were barred from contacting their parents during a family emergency and then told to leave, and that the group’s Google reviews were removed. Unverified.

Who is writing the reviews. The visible Google reviews begin in late October 2023, after the July 2023 complaints, and a reviewer alleges earlier Google reviews were removed. The operator displayed its Google reviews through a paid Trustindex widget. 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 Nada Brahma, Carlos Picado and Fanny Barquero.

• Deaths and serious injuries: None found involving this center.
• Sexual misconduct: No allegations found.
• Theft and fraud: None found.
• Legal action: None found. The emergency-contact and review-removal allegations above come from single reviews. Unverified.

Deaths after iboga or ibogaine treatment at other Costa Rican centers in 2023 and 2024 were reported by La Nación; those cases do not involve this center. Our earlier profile found no incidents.

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

🔍 Critical Notes

Screening and medical support. Only a “brief medical screening” a week before arrival was described; no contraindication list, medical staff or emergency protocol was published. Kambo and yopo were given at the facilitator’s daily discretion. Kambo raises heart rate sharply and can cause dangerous sodium loss if guests overdrink water, according to ICEERS.

Who ran it. No company or legal identity number (cédula jurídica) was found. Carlos Picado listed no lineage or training; Fanny Barquero now offers wellness support under a separate brand.

Legal context. In January 2025 Costa Rica’s Ministry of Health warned that ayahuasca products lack sanitary registration and that tourist rituals are unauthorized, as the Tico Times reported, and the Attorney General’s office found no clear legal framework for ayahuasca.

Corrections to our earlier profile. The center is in San Ramón canton, not near Alajuela city, and groups were five to eight. The website no longer offers booking; retreats have closed. Meals were described as vegetarian, not vegan. A 1.5-hour drive from the airport, Carlos as sole facilitator, Fanny’s nutrition credential, $2,200 for seven days, a $1,500 deposit and a seven-day pre-arrival diet remain unverified. The week-long format, the cloud forest setting, two or three ceremonies, kambo, temazcal, rapé, optional San Pedro or yopo, detox retreats, airport transfers, follow-up integration, the $1,250 starting price, device surrender, the Google and AyaAdvisors ratings and the absence of verified incidents are confirmed.

🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks

Only a brief screening was described, with no medical staff or emergency plan. 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 brew’s source was not described. Ayahuasca combines the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with a DMT-containing leaf such as chacruna, as Erowid explains. Kambo, yopo, San Pedro, rapé and mambé were also used.

📍 Location, Setting & Style

• Setting: A mountain cloud forest property with trails to a private waterfall and river.
• Rooms: Simple shared and private rooms, about nine beds.
• Style: Off-grid, unscheduled ceremonies with temazcal, yoga and sound healing.

Practical guidance: Retreats are no longer offered.

Should You Book?

No; the center says its retreats have closed. If it reopens, get the facilitator’s training, medical cover, an emergency plan and a policy on contacting family in writing. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.

The Team & Story

Carlos Picado co-founded the center around 2017 as its spiritual guide and ceremony facilitator and now writes about business and forest conservation. Fanny Barquero supported guests’ wellbeing. We did not independently verify anyone’s training.

Prep & Integration Tips

Before you go anywhere similar: 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

The center no longer offers retreats. 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.