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

Posada Natura: An In-Depth Review for Ayahuasca Retreats near Quepos, Costa Rica

Posada Natura is a riverside rainforest retreat at Londres, beside the Naranjo River about eight miles from Quepos and Manuel Antonio, run with Eco Era, a US 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose president is Vanessa Caldarelli and whose treasurer, Celina De Leon, leads its ayahuasca retreats, according to its website and IRS filings. Its eight-day retreats include three ceremonies in the Kamëntšá yagé lineage of Taita Juan Bautista Agreda Chindoy, held under De Leon’s US church, Circle of Sacred Nature, with an intake reviewed by an advisory board of doctors, counseling sessions and integration, from $3,600. It rates 4.9 from 30 Tripadvisor reviews. Against that, no contraindication list, on-site medical staff or emergency protocol is published, Costa Rica’s Health Ministry says no ayahuasca retreat holds health permits, a 2023 review alleged undisclosed program terms, and no Costa Rican legal entity was found.

🎯 At a Glance

• Locations: Naranjito, Londres, Quepos canton, Puntarenas, Costa Rica, beside the Naranjo River, per its FAQ and Retreat Guru page; about 15 minutes from Quepos airport.
• Approach: Three yagé ceremonies in the Kamëntšá lineage, individual counseling, integration circles, yoga, meditation, a waterfall trek and a beach day; the site also hosts temazcal and outside retreats.
• Suitable For: People wanting a structured, counseling-supported retreat in a comfortable riverside setting, after getting contraindications and medical cover in writing. Not suitable for people taking antidepressants or with heart or psychiatric conditions.
• Costs: $3,600 (open room) to $5,300 (private suite) for eight days in 2026 and 2027, per its booking page. Cancellations up to 60 days out are refunded “excluding the deposit,” and deposits are non-refundable unless an application is declined.
• Overall Assessment: A long-established venue with a named lineage, nonprofit governance and multi-step intake, offset by no published contraindications or on-site medical cover, the 2025 Ministry position, review integrity concerns and no local legal entity. Directory evaluation: B-.

💬 What Guests Are Saying

The positive picture. Reviewers praise the river and pool, bamboo and stone architecture, food, kind staff and ceremonies held “with integrity and care.”

The negative feedback. A February 2023 one-star Tripadvisor review titled “Fraud,” repeated on BookRetreats, says guests learned only on arrival that their stay was a 10-day silent retreat, that a ceremony was opened to about 20 others, that rooms were not as described, and that the best rooms went to people staff knew. No management response is visible. Unverified.

Who is writing the reviews. Most Tripadvisor reviews were written between October 2015 and February 2016, several on the same days, and one 2015 five-star review came from someone who said they worked with the hosts. A 5.0 rating on the BookRetreats center page belongs to a visiting teacher’s retreat. If you have attended, we encourage you to share your experience through our submission form.

🚩 Incident Report

We searched review platforms and English, Spanish and Italian-language news for reports involving Posada Natura, Eco Era, Circle of Sacred Nature, Celina De Leon, Taita Juan Agreda Chindoy, Gustavo Caldarelli and its named healers.

• Deaths and serious injuries: None found.
• Sexual misconduct: No allegations found.
• Theft and fraud: None found beyond the 2023 review above.
• Legal action: None found involving the center. In 2010 Taita Juan was detained in Houston while carrying yagé to lead US ceremonies, and the charges were dropped within a month, as Colombia Reports and Bia Labate covered.

Our earlier profile noted the 2023 transparency complaint.

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

🔍 Critical Notes

Screening and medical support. Applicants complete a health and medication questionnaire and an intake call, and an unnamed advisory board of medical doctors reviews them, per its retreats page; the doctors “sometimes join retreats.” No contraindication list, on-site medical staff, emergency protocol or nearest hospital is published, and the center says its retreats “are not medical or psychiatric treatment.”

Who runs it. Gustavo Caldarelli and Chiara hosted and led ceremonies in 2013 to 2016; no current role was found for either. Celina De Leon, who holds an MDiv and has apprenticed with the Kamëntšá since 2009, now leads most retreats, with healers Erika Salazar, Kopali Serna and Juani. Eco Era’s filings show modest revenue next to retreat prices, and no Costa Rican company or cédula jurídica was found.

Legal context. In January 2025 Costa Rica’s Ministry of Health warned that ayahuasca lacks sanitary registration, that no group holds health permits for such retreats and that the rituals are unauthorized, as the Tico Times reported. A US church framing has no stated force under Costa Rican health rules.

Corrections to our earlier profile. Retreats now run eight days and cost $3,600 to $5,300, not $1,500 to $2,500 or our $2,850 sidebar price. Gustavo and Chiara were the hosts until about 2016; Eco Era and Celina De Leon run it now. Meals now may include eggs and fish, not only vegan food. Dates are listed through July 2027. The Naranjo River setting, yoga deck, organic food, conservation work, recovery and integration partnerships, Tripadvisor and BookRetreats praise and the review alleging an unannounced silent retreat, uncomfortable rooms and favoritism are confirmed.

🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks

No contraindication list is published. 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

Yagé in the Kamëntšá tradition of Colombia’s Sibundoy Valley. Yagé, or ayahuasca, combines the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with a DMT-containing leaf, as Erowid explains.

📍 Location, Setting & Style

• Setting: Lowland Pacific rainforest on the Naranjo River, beside a conservation reserve the operator says it helps steward.
• Rooms: Riverfront casitas, mostly with shared bathrooms, plus a bungalow and an air-conditioned suite nearby; pool, sauna and yoga shala.
• Style: Lineage-based yagé ceremonies with counseling, yoga and integration.

Practical guidance: Fly to San José; a group shuttle leaves at noon on the first day, or fly to Quepos.

Should You Book?

Possibly, after getting the contraindications, who provides on-site medical cover, an emergency plan and the full program terms in writing, and accepting the legal risk. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.

The Team & Story

The operator says the family bought primary rainforest in 1991 and opened Posada Natura in 2001; independent traces begin in 2013. It also hosts Natura Care Programs for addiction recovery, which says it is not an addiction treatment program. 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: The center offers integration support on request; 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

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Last reviewed November 2026.

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