Atmosphere

Features

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

The Nature Within: An In-Depth Review for Ayahuasca Retreats in Guanacaste, Costa Rica

The Nature Within, also listed as The Nature Within Us, is a Costa Rica retreat brand whose website offered June and December retreats, private ceremonies, a mentorship program and pages on “Our Medicines” and safety, and which a competing retreat’s comparison table lists as an ayahuasca center in Garza, Guanacaste, aligned with the Inga and Siona peoples (unverified). Since May 2026 its site has said it is “taking a period of rest” and not accepting bookings. No owner, facilitator or company is named anywhere, no prices, screening, medical staff or emergency plan are visible, and it has no reviews on any platform. We list it as an unverified operator.

🎯 At a Glance

• Locations: Garza, Guanacaste, Costa Rica, according to the third-party table only; its own site says just “Costa Rica”. No address or GPS is published.
• Approach: Ceremonies with sacred plants, yoga, meditation and breathwork, said by the third-party table to follow Inga and Siona yagé traditions (unverified).
• Suitable For: No one while bookings are paused and the operator is unidentified. Not suitable for people taking antidepressants or with heart or psychiatric conditions.
• Costs: The third-party table lists “starting at 1,150” US dollars for five to seven days (unverified and likely outdated). No deposit or refund terms are visible.
• Overall Assessment: An anonymous, paused operator with no reviews and no visible safeguards. Directory evaluation: C-.

💬 What Guests Are Saying

No reviews were found on Retreat Guru, AyaAdvisors or any other platform. The only outside description, calling it “very safe and professional”, comes from a competing retreat business and cites no source. 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 news for reports involving The Nature Within.

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

No owner or facilitator is named, so no individual could be searched, and 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 person, company or lineage is named on its site. Its site files date back to December 2022.

Screening and medical support. Its safety and medicines pages are hidden behind the pause notice, so no questionnaire, contraindication list, medical staff or emergency plan is visible. If the Garza location is correct, the nearest hospital is likely in Nicoya, about an hour by road (unverified).

Status. Paused since May 2026, with no retreat dates shown.

Legal context. In January 2025 Costa Rica’s Health Ministry called ritual healing with ayahuasca an unauthorized practice and noted that DMT is controlled, per the Tico Times; as of October 2026 only one retreat held a ministry authorization and no raids had been reported, per the Tico Times.

🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks

If it reopens, ask who leads ceremonies and for written screening rules before booking. 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 medicine and its source are not published. Ayahuasca combines the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with a DMT-containing leaf, as Erowid explains.

📍 Location, Setting & Style

• Setting: Pacific coastal Guanacaste, if the Garza location is correct.
• Rooms: No accommodation details are visible.
• Style: Ceremony combined with yoga, meditation, breathwork and mentorship.

Practical guidance: Confirm the venue and transport directly if it reopens.

Should You Book?

Not while bookings are paused and the operator is unidentified. If it reopens, ask in writing who runs it and leads ceremonies, the price and refund terms, the screening 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

The Nature Within presents itself as a way to open your heart and uncover your true nature through 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

Its website is not taking bookings. 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.