Woman apprentice of the teacher Life, hiker of the mountains, mother, guardian grandmother of the Medicine Forest Casa del Sol in the Valley of Longevity in Vilcabamba, Ecuador.
I was born in Lima during the internal war in my country, which deeply marked the rest of my existence. I studied journalism and before finishing my degree I moved to Mexico where I lived in a mobile home traveling and connecting with different peoples and traditions from North and Central America.
Then I returned to the South and for 22 years I have lived with my husband Santiago Ayala and my family in the mountains of the Vilcabamba Valley in the native forest of the medicine of the San Pedro cactus and the Willka tree. My 4 children and recently my granddaughter were born here, next to a river that sings and heals the soul.
I learned - and I continue to learn - in the Andean mountains with my Q'ero teachers a very old and sweet way of relating to the living altars of Mother Earth and that is the medicine that I walk in love with sharing and giving continuity to that sublime understanding of reciprocity in gratitude through offerings, rituals, pilgrimages and ceremonies. I am also a Vision seeker, Sun Dancer and Pampamisayoq woman.
Santiago is a highly respected Shaman and a gifted healer. He has learned sacred teachings from many ancestral traditions. Santiago carries the blessings of his tribal chiefs, family and many indigenous elders. He is a Sun dancer, carrier of the sacred Chanupa (sacred pipe), and holds space for Vision Quests.
Santiago devoted his life to the shamanic path at age 26 after overcoming a serious illness. He is the guardian of one of the last San Pedro and Willka trees forests in southern Ecuador, preparing it in the traditional way to be used for healing purposes. His medicine songs, prayers and blessings carry a powerful intention to heal the heart with the sacred spirit of San Pedro.
Details of this retreat
Enter as an individual. Leave as Family.
We are devoted to creating an immersive healing process with ancestral plant medicines, rituals and workshops. The Casa del Sol environment was intentionally nurtured for spiritual exploration, self-growth, and reflection. Our retreats are for those on a journey of personal growth, clarity in their life purpose, emotional and physical healing. Through the indigenous teachings, we help our family to develop a stronger spiritual connection to the world around them.
Ayahuasca & San Pedro Retreat
Our 11 day San Pedro & Ayahuasca Plant Medicine Retreat includes:
Lodging for 11 days and 10 nights in pristine natural environment close to the river.
All meals, 3 per day except when there is ceremony. All vegetarian, organic, mostly vegan.
2 Ayahuasca Ceremonies
1 San Pedro Traditional Ceremony
1 San Pedro with Sweat Lodge
1 San Pedro Mountain Hike
Rape medicine with each ceremony (optional)
2 Sweat Lodge (one of the with San Pedro medicine)
1 Laundry service
Workshops, Sharing Circles & Integration Activities (including transportation)
Rest Days
(What’s NOT included: Airfair tickets, Kambo Sessions, Massage Sessions, Optional Healing Activities, Airport Pick-up or Drop-off)
Daily Activities Schedule
Day 1
Arrival
Personal Interview
Introduction and Guidelines
Sweat Lodge Ceremony
Day 2
Kambo (extra and optional)
Embodiment Practice
Workshop on working with Plant Medicines
Day 3
San Pedro Daytime Ceremony in Our Temple in the Native San Pedro Forest
Kambo II (extra and optional)
Rest
Sound Healing ceremony
Day 9
San Pedro daytime ceremony with Sweat Lodge
Day 10
Kambo III (extra and optional)
Integration Workshop
Dance celebration
Excursion in town
Closing circle
Day 11
Departure
Accommodation
We have a wide choice of rooms that suit every need. At maximum retreat capacity, we have 4 private rooms and 6 shared rooms. We have both shared and private accommodations located in our main house and cabins by the river. All rooms are in close proximity to clean bathrooms and include electricity.
Our main home has a spacious living room for relaxing, a large kitchen for a handful of cooks, a dining room that seats sixteen, a grassy courtyard and a terrace surrounded by climbing flowers that overlook the valley. There are nearby walking trails for short day treks and flourishing gardens for lounging at home.
Casa del Sol Retreat Center is located in the beautiful Sacred Valley of San Pedro in Vilcabamba. The closest airport is the Catamayo (Loja Airport, LOH).
The best travel itinerary is to book your flight to Quito (UIO), as flights to Loja are currently only departing from Quito. Once in Quito, please book a flight to Loja Airport (LOH) through Aeroregional or LATAM.
Please note that flights to Loja Airport are currently available everyday. Make sure you check their website for any updates in the days available.
After you land at the Loja ‘Catamayo’ Airport (LOH), you can take a taxi directly to our Center.
We can organize taxi direct transfers from Loja airport to Casa del Sol. Please let us know your arrival and departure flights and times in case you would like us to coordinate this for you.
The taxi ride is a 60-minute drive through beautiful Andean valley and costs $35.
Accommodation
We have a wide choice of rooms that suit every need. At maximum retreat capacity, we have 3 private rooms and 6 shared rooms. We have both shared and private accommodations located in our main house and cabins by the river. All rooms are in close proximity to clean bathrooms and include electricity.
Our main home has a spacious living room for relaxing, a large kitchen for a handful of cooks, a dining room that seats sixteen, a grassy courtyard and a terrace surrounded by climbing flowers that overlook the valley. There are nearby walking trails for short day treks and flourishing gardens for lounging at home.
Shared Cabin by the River
Bunk beds to share in cabin by the river. Beautiful experience of connecting with nature. No wifi. Price is per person.
Shared Room in Main House
2 individual twin beds in the main house. Has wifi. Price is per person.
Private Room in Main House
Double bed in the main house. Has wifi
Private Cabin by the River
Beautiful circular wooden cabin by the river. An amazing place of rest and privacy with a beautiful view.
1 Twin bed | Shared bathroom | No wifi
Price is per person
Suite with Private Bathroom and Balcony
Located in the second floor of the main house. Queen bed, bathtub, walk-in closet and balcony with view to the forest and river. Price is per person.
Venue & Amenities
A/C in Rooms
Free Wifi
Spa
Sauna
Pool
Towels
Free Parking
Kitchen
Tour Assistance
Hot Tub
Coffee/Tea
Cafe
Restaurant
Fitness Center
Yoga Studio
Housekeeping
Bicycles For Rent
We are devoted to creating an immersive healing process with ancestral plant medicines, rituals and workshops. The Casa del Sol environment was intentionally nurtured for spiritual exploration, self-growth, and reflection. Our retreats are for those on a journey of personal growth, clarity in their life purpose, emotional and physical healing. Through the indigenous teachings, we help our family to develop a stronger spiritual connection to the world around them.
Meals
Menu Types
Vegan
Vegetarian
Pescetarian
Ayurvedic
Includes Meat
Organic
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Nut Free
We are very flexible in our kitchen, cooking vegan, vegetarian and carnivore using organic chicken from Vilcabamba and organic eggs from wild chicken of our neighbor.
What's Included
Lodging for 11 days and 10 nights in pristine nature environment close to the river.
All meals, 3 per day except when there is ceremony. All vegetarian, organic, mostly vegan.
2 Ayahuasca Ceremonies
1 San Pedro Traditional Ceremony
1 San Pedro Ceremony with Sweat Lodge
1 San Pedro Mountain Hike
Rape medicine with each ceremony (optional)
2 Sweat Lodge (one of them with San Pedro medicine)
1 Laundry Service
Workshops, Sharing Circles & Integration Activities, including transportation
Rest Days
What's Not Included
Airfare tickets
Kambo Sessions
Massage Sessions
Optional Healing Activities
Airport pick-up or drop-off
Customer Reviews
5.00 out of 5.0 average rating
5.0
Verified
Great experience
Thank you so much Casa Del Sol! When I first arrived I had so much emotional baggage, from my time in service to family and relationship unbalanced. Moreover, I was dealing with a relationship breakup and was looking for clarity. I instantly felt like home, Ximena and Santiago were so welcoming with their compassion and open hearts. Everyday was planned with either plant medicine ceremony to rest days. The food was all veggies/ vegan and tasted amazing. Surrounded by mountains, river and all types of birds.. really felt disconnected from my everyday reality. After a few day I started to get clarity about life and felt less anxious. There was a lot of internal reflection I did and most importantly forgiveness. The group I started with ended becoming family, such a perfect integration. In the end I learned to love myself, to be gentle and to move forward. Again, thank you Casa adel Sol for welcoming and letting me part of your family.
Overall, I traveled from GYE to Quito on airplane, landed in Loja and casa del sol arranged a pick up from the airport to my hostal. Everything was secured and I did not experience and crime. In the Vilcabamba town there was plenty of security and was able to walk around at night. The local people were so friendly and welcoming and guided me when I had questions.
I will come back to visit and I encourage who ever is ready to take their journey on healing, to chose Casa Del Sol.
Best,
Jesse
5.0
Verified
Strongly recommend Casa Del Sol
This was my second time at Casa Del Sol. I came about a year and a half ago for one of the women retreats and again for the San Pedro and Ayahuasca retreat and this time I brought my niece who is a young adult. This is the perfect place for first time plant medicine participants as well as experienced participants. The groups are a lot smaller than a lot of other places I’ve been to so it was nice to be able to really get to know my fellow group members. It truly became a family within the week and a half there. I feel completely safe and supported by the facilitators. Santiago and Ximena are truly one of a kind healers as well as everyone that is there for support. I have been able to process a lot in the ceremonies and have deep healing and gain deeper insight for myself and my life. Casa Del Sol is truly a magical place surrounded by the beautiful San Pedro cactuses and a river. 10/10 and I strongly recommend for anyone and everyone. I can’t wait to come back and will always recommend Casa Del Sol to all my friends and family.
5.0
Verified
Much gratitude in the heart
I will always remember my time at Casa Del Sol. Ximena and Santiago are wonderful souls who do their work wholeheartedly, as does the entire Casa Del Sol team. Ximena and Santiago are very dedicated to their work and have extensive knowledge and wisdom about sacred teachings, rituals and ancestral traditions. Their home, retreat place and nature around is absolutely delightful. When I arrived at Casa Del Sol I felt like home and great peace and security. The food at the retreat was also really delicious.
The retreat program was well planned and Ximena and Santiago's San Pedro ceremonies are the best I have been to. The Ayahuasca ceremonies were also really beautiful and well kept. At the retreat, in addition to the actual program, it was also possible to take other treatments that support well-being and healing, such as lymphatic massage, abdominal massage, full body massage and neuro-emotional technology. I personally got a lot of benefit and support from these, along with the plant medicines, because the process can be demanding and my health was not at its best when I arrived.
I’m happy to say that I left the retreat in better condition than when I arrived there, I got a stronger connection with myself and clarity in my life. I am super grateful for all the support I received while at the retreat, without it I wouldn't have done such a great process. Casa Del Sol is a beautiful place to come back to yourself and heal and strengthens spiritual connection with oneself, others, nature, spirits and world and universe.
It is also safe to travel to Ecuador during these times. Cuenca and Vilcabamba, for example, are peaceful destinations where as a woman traveling alone I did not feel unsafe.
5.0
Verified
Transformative
This was exactly what I needed. Before the retreat I was feeling so stuck and struggling to deal with all my past and current traumas. I really didn’t know where to turn. I had tried so many different types of therapy and healing and still I was stuck.
Throughout the retreat I was able to find peace within, joy, and a new love for myself. I hadn’t felt much of any of those in many years.
Ximena and Santiago are truly amazing people and healers and the medicine was powerful and made with love. You can feel their dedication to the practice and to each individual participant. They made us feel held and supported every step of the way.
The land and space was absolutely gorgeous! Clean and tidy inside with all the amenities you need. The meals prepared for us each day were delicious and clean. Nourishing to the body and soul. Thank you Nati! The landscape was nestled between mountain ranges with so much lush greenery everywhere you turned.
If you are looking for a change in your life or to become more connected to your spirit and the spirit of the land, this is the place to go.
I am beyond grateful for this family and will most certainly be coming back.
5.0
Verified
The best place closer to the Sun
Casa del Sol has been the best experience I have had with plant medicine and retreats. I have been looking for a while and experienced quite a few other places but nothing can compare to Ximena’s and Santiago’s energy and synergy. They planned and strategically hired the best people to be under their beautiful home to host us and helped us along the way. It was an intense and very rewarding experience. I highly recommend it.
Select your options
Available Dates
Select your Dates
Select a Room
Shared Cabin by the River
$1,800.00
Bunk beds to share in cabin by the river. Beautiful experience of connecting with nature. No wifi. Price is per person.
Shared Room in Main House
$1,950.00
2 individual twin beds in the main house. Has wifi. Price is per person.
Private Room in Main House
$2,400.00
Double bed in the main house. Has wifi
Private Cabin by the River
$2,400.00
Beautiful circular wooden cabin by the river. An amazing place of rest and privacy with a beautiful view.
1 Twin bed | Shared bathroom | No wifi
Price is per person
Suite with Private Bathroom and Balcony
$2,900.00
Located in the second floor of the main house. Queen bed, bathtub, walk-in closet and balcony with view to the forest and river. Price is per person.
Refund & Cancellation Policy
The payment of your retreat deposit is 100% refundable if your application is not approved.
Your payment is 80% refundable if you are approved and decide to cancel 60+ days before the start date.
Your full deposit is maintained to be rescheduled up to 21 days before the retreat start date.
Verified
