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

Saoró: An In-Depth Review for a Multi-Medicine Retreat with Ayahuasca in the Algarve, Portugal

Saoró is an Irish ceremonial cacao company based in Galway, founded by Vivienne Dempsey with Patrick Daly, that advertised one seven-day retreat in the Algarve, Portugal, in April 2024 combining peyote, ayahuasca, kambo, mushrooms and sweat lodges at an unnamed retreat center about 45 minutes from Faro airport, per its event page. Its ayahuasca offering is very limited: a single ceremony in a single past event, with no other ayahuasca event in its archive through 2026. Against that, the program stacked ayahuasca the night after peyote with kambo and mushrooms in the same week, published no screening, medical staff or emergency plan, named its facilitators by first name only, did not name the venue, and took a non-refundable deposit.

🎯 At a Glance

• Locations: An unnamed retreat center in an Algarve valley about 45 minutes from Faro airport, Portugal; the company itself is in Galway, Ireland.
• Approach: A multi-medicine week with one ayahuasca ceremony, peyote, kambo, mushrooms, sweat lodges, breathwork and sharing circles.
• Suitable For: No one; the program combined several medicines with no published screening. Not suitable for people taking antidepressants or with heart or psychiatric conditions.
• Costs: £1,100 early bird or £1,350 for seven days and six nights with lodging and meals, with a “£250 non refundable deposit” and no other refund terms.
• Overall Assessment: A one-off organizer event with risky medicine stacking, anonymous facilitators, no published safeguards and no evidence it ran or recurred. Directory evaluation: D.

💬 What Guests Are Saying

No reviews of the retreat were found on any platform, and Saoró does not appear on Retreat Guru or BookRetreats. 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 Portuguese-language news for reports involving Saoró and Vivienne Dempsey.

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

The facilitators, Kike, Ana, Ryan and Carlos, are known by first name only 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. Dempsey describes herself as a shamanic practitioner on its about page; the ayahuasca ceremony was led by a facilitator named only as Ana. No company registration is shown. It is unrelated to other Algarve operators such as Vine of the Soul.

Screening and medical support. No questionnaire, contraindication list, medical staff or emergency plan was published, although ayahuasca was scheduled the night after peyote, with kambo and mushrooms within three days. The venue was not named, so hospital access is unknown.

Status. The cacao business is active; the Algarve retreat is marked as a past event and whether it ran is unknown.

Legal context. DMT is controlled under Decree-Law 15/93, and Portugal’s 2001 decriminalization covers personal use only, not supplying brews to paying guests; authorities often treat ayahuasca as prohibited, according to ICEERS.

🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks

Combining several psychoactive medicines in one week raises the risk of interactions; ask for screening for each one. 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 a facilitator named Ana; its source was not published. Ayahuasca combines the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with a DMT-containing leaf, as Erowid explains.

📍 Location, Setting & Style

• Setting: A cork-tree valley in the inland Algarve.
• Rooms: Wooden cabins, a yurt and tipis around an open-air workspace, with a pool.
• Style: An eclectic multi-tradition medicine week organized by a cacao brand.

Practical guidance: Fly to Faro; airport transfers were offered at extra cost.

Should You Book?

Not as advertised. If a similar event returns, ask in writing for the venue, the facilitators’ full names and training, the screening rules for every medicine, who on site is trained in first aid, the emergency plan and the refund terms. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.

The Team & Story

Saoró presents itself as a ceremonial cacao company building community around sacred plants. 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

The past event is described 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.