Atmosphere

Features

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

Spirit Quest Retreats: An In-Depth Review for Ayahuasca Retreats near Faro, Portugal

Spirit Quest Retreats is a small operator in “a private valley in the hills just above Faro”, Algarve, Portugal, run by facilitators who use spiritual names only, offering six-day retreats with two ayahuasca ceremonies, kambo, sananga and bobinsana for up to eight guests for €888, per its Retreat Guru program page. Guests rate it 4.95 from 22 reviews, and an application is required. Against that, no real names, company or address are published, no contraindications, medical staff or emergency plan are described while kambo and ayahuasca are combined, and it runs paid ayahuasca ceremonies in a country where DMT is controlled.

🎯 At a Glance

• Locations: A private valley in the hills above Faro, Algarve, Portugal, a short trip from Faro airport; full directions are given only after an application is accepted, per its program page.
• Approach: Two ayahuasca ceremonies, one kambo session, two sananga sessions and a closing bobinsana ceremony, with morning breathwork, sharing circles, a wood-fired sauna and optional cold lake swims.
• Suitable For: Adults wanting a very small, traditional-style group near Faro who arrange their own medical clearance. Not suitable for people taking antidepressants or with heart or psychiatric conditions.
• Costs: €888 for six days in 2026 (€777 in 2025), shown as about $1,014 to $1,030 on Retreat Guru, with the deposit taken in US dollars and the balance in euros. The deposit is refundable until a day before and full payment until 30 days before. Airport pickup is not included.
• Overall Assessment: Very small groups, an application process and strong reviews, offset by anonymous facilitators, no published medical safeguards for kambo and ayahuasca, a hidden location and legal exposure. Directory evaluation: C-.

💬 What Guests Are Saying

Retreat Guru shows 4.95 from 22 reviews dated April 2024 to October 2025, per its Retreat Guru page; the visible reviews are all five stars and praise feeling safe, the care of the hosts and cook, the land, the food and clear explanations for first-timers. No listings were found on Google, Tripadvisor, Trustpilot or AyaAdvisors, and 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 Spirit Quest Retreats and the facilitators known as Hermano Rindos Aguas, Hermano Gavin Rana Sagrada and Sister Terra Mai.

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

The facilitators’ legal names are not published, which limits this search. This center is not connected to SpiritQuest Sanctuary in Iquitos, Peru, or Soul Quest in Florida.

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

🔍 Critical Notes

Who runs it. Hermano Rindos Aguas leads the ayahuasca ceremonies; he says a family crisis took him to the Peruvian Amazon about eight years ago, makes “no claim to be a Shaman” and names no teacher or lineage, per his profile. Hermano Gavin Rana Sagrada gives kambo and says he met it about seven years ago, listing no training or certification, per his profile. Sister Terra Mai cooks. Contact is through a Proton Mail address; no website, social account or Portuguese company was found.

Screening and medical support. An application is required before booking, but no medical questionnaire, contraindication list, medical staff or emergency protocol is published, even though kambo, ayahuasca, sauna and cold-water swims are combined in one week. Because the site is withheld, guests cannot check access in advance; the regional hospital is in Faro (our estimate: 15 to 30 minutes).

Listings. Prices appear in both euros and dollars, the host says the price “includes everything” while the platform says medicine is not included in its payment, and a November 2026 event page remains live but is missing from Retreat Guru’s event list.

Status. Operating, with a retreat scheduled for 9 to 14 December 2026.

Legal context. DMT is controlled in Portugal, supplying it can carry one to 15 years in prison, and Santo Daime and UDV requests for religious authorization were denied, per ICEERS; Portugal still lists DMT as a controlled drug, per The Portugal Post.

🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks

Kambo and ayahuasca in the same week without published screening leave guests to judge their own risk. 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 center says it serves only “genuine Peruvian Amazon medicinas”; the brewer is not named. Ayahuasca combines the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with a DMT-containing leaf such as chacruna, as Erowid explains.

📍 Location, Setting & Style

• Setting: Hills above Faro with swimming lakes, fruit trees and dark skies, per its listings.
• Rooms: Private and shared rooms with bedding and towels provided, per its program page.
• Style: A self-described “traditionalist” format with vegetarian dieta food, run by a European team.

Practical guidance: Fly to Faro (FAO); the center is a short trip away, but transfers are not included.

Should You Book?

Possibly, for experienced drinkers who screen themselves. Ask in writing for the facilitators’ full names, the exact location, the contraindication list for kambo and ayahuasca, who on site is trained in first aid, the emergency plan and the legal entity you are paying. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.

The Team & Story

The earliest dated review is from April 2024, and retreats have run in May 2025 and May 2026. 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

Dates are listed on Retreat Guru. 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.