Atmosphere

Features

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

Sacred Seed: An In-Depth Review for Ayahuasca Retreats near Vilcabamba, Loja, Ecuador

Sacred Seed, also called Sacred Seed Sanctuary, is a family-run retreat farm south of Vilcabamba in Loja, Ecuador, that advertises ayahuasca ceremonies with “experienced shamans”, private retreats and a program for visiting retreat leaders on its website, alongside women’s and creativity retreats. Its farm has gardens, a saltwater pool and a spa, and its local team is named. Against that, its shamans and owners are unnamed, it publishes no prices, screening rules, medical staff or emergency plan, its location is given three ways, its only reviews are self-published, and the only dated, priced program found at the farm centers on San Pedro rather than ayahuasca. We list it as an unverified operator.

🎯 At a Glance

• Locations: Finca La Sofia, a 13-hectare farm in the Quinara valley of Yangana parish, Loja, Ecuador, per a visiting facilitator’s page; its own site says Vilcabamba and its Retreat Guru page says Yangana. No GPS is published.
• Approach: Ayahuasca ceremonies it describes as drawing on Amazon and Andean traditions, plus San Pedro, cacao, temazcal and despacho rituals, yoga and somatic practice. How often ayahuasca is actually served is not published.
• Suitable For: No one until the shamans, prices and safeguards are confirmed in writing. Not suitable for people taking antidepressants or with heart or psychiatric conditions.
• Costs: No prices on its own site. A visiting facilitator’s April 2027 women’s retreat at the farm costs $2,900 to $3,800 for eight nights, with a 50% deposit and no refunds within 59 days.
• Overall Assessment: A comfortable farm with a named local team, offset by unnamed shamans and owners, no published safeguards, self-published reviews only and an unclear ayahuasca offering. Directory evaluation: C-.

💬 What Guests Are Saying

Retreat Guru shows no reviews. The only testimonials, on its own site and the visiting facilitator’s site, are the same few positive accounts praising reverent ceremonies, a humble local team and the farm’s hospitality. No Tripadvisor, Google or AyaAdvisors listing was found. 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 Sacred Seed, Finca La Sofia, Raquel Vivar, Víctor Macas and Adela Bustamante.

• Deaths and serious injuries: None found.
• Sexual misconduct: No allegations found.
• Theft and fraud: None found.
• Legal action: None found.

The ayahuasca shamans are unnamed and were not searched, so 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. No owner or company is named. Raquel Vivar is described as the farm’s matriarch and host, and Gabriel and Víctor Macas as the local team. Its women’s program is led by Adela Bustamante, a Los Angeles-based Ayurvedic practitioner whose own site lists past ayahuasca and psilocybin ceremonies she held in California and Washington. It is a different center from Sacred Valley Retreats in Vilcabamba.

Screening and medical support. Its own site describes no medical questionnaire, contraindication list, medical staff or emergency plan. The visiting facilitator’s program uses a private intake interview and warns against stopping medication without a prescriber. The farm is about 90 minutes by car from Loja’s airport, and the nearest hospital is likely in Loja (unverified).

Status. Taking applications, with retreats listed into April and May 2027.

Legal context. Ayahuasca is not formally legalized in Ecuador but ceremonies are generally tolerated, per TripBase, and there is no ayahuasca-specific statute or permit regime for retreats, per a 2026 legal guide written by a retreat operator.

🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks

Ask for written screening rules and the shaman’s name before applying. 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 unnamed shamans; its source is not published. Ayahuasca combines the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with a DMT-containing leaf, as Erowid explains.

📍 Location, Setting & Style

• Setting: A mild Andean valley farm with sugar cane, gardens, native forest and a river path.
• Rooms: Main-house rooms with private bathrooms, plus smaller rooms and a casita, some with shared bathrooms.
• Style: A family farm mixing Andean ritual and plant medicine with yoga, Ayurveda and creative workshops.

Practical guidance: Fly to Loja via Quito; the visiting facilitator’s program includes the domestic flight and the 90-minute drive, but Sacred Seed’s own transfer terms are not published.

Should You Book?

Not until the gaps are filled. Ask in writing who serves the ayahuasca and their training, how many ceremonies are included, the price and refund terms, the contraindication rules, who on site is trained in first aid, and the emergency plan and hospital route. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.

The Team & Story

Sacred Seed presents itself as a family dream rooted in healing, nature and ancestral wisdom that grew from private family ceremonies. 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

Retreats 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.