Find Authentic Retreats in Ontinyent Spain

"Leon is a kind-hearted and grounded guide whose ceremonies are as beautiful as they are healing. He creates a sacred space where everyone feels held and honored, leading each ritual with a gentle strength that invites participants to go deep. A talented guitarist, Leon infuses his music with emotion, and each note adds a layer of beauty and depth to the experience. His kindness and sincerity make him a truly exceptional presence on this journey."

"Camilo has a gentle yet powerful presence, embodying a wisdom and purity that shine through in everything he does. As a yoga teacher and meditation guide, he brings incredible depth to each practice, helping others to connect with their own inner peace. His knowledge of spirituality, world religions, and the history of plant medicine is astounding, especially given his youth, and he shares this wisdom with humility and genuine enthusiasm. His spirit is uplifting, and his care for others is always felt."

"Miriam is a truly radiant soul, carrying a warmth that reaches everyone she meets. Her presence is both calming and inspiring, and she brings profound compassion and insight to her work as a psychotherapist. With a rare combination of intelligence and sensitivity, Miriam guides you through the process with care and understanding, making each step feel safe and transformative. Sings like an angel."

"La Mezquita is a truly magical place, led by warm, compassionate people who create a safe and transformative environment for anyone seeking deeper insights. My weekend there was profoundly moving, a journey beyond all expectations. The ceremonies were masterfully crafted, each detail carefully considered. The live music was mesmerizing, amplifying the experience with rhythms that connected us to the moment and to each other in ways that felt almost otherworldly. The outdoor ceremony in the mountains was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. Surrounded by the raw beauty of the landscape, the San Pedro and mushroom ceremony was profoundly grounding, guiding me into deep layers of my own being where I encountered and released emotions I was holding. It was a journey of vulnerability and healing, as if the medicine and the sacred space around us unlocked parts of myself, allowing me to let go and feel a profound sense of liberation. The mountains, the stars, and the incredible energy of the space all heightened the journey, creating memories and insights I’ll carry with me forever. A huge thank you to the beautiful souls at La Mezquita for such a life-changing weekend. I’m so grateful and can’t wait to return! ✨ "

"Ana is such a good human being, the discussions with her helped me clarify lots of stuff. Thank you!"

"Babaji (Sanson) is great with music! :) The guitar, the lyrics, that handpan... Everything comes exactly when you need, guides you during your trip, and brings the experience on a whole other level."

"During the psychedelic weekend I had an intense experience, exactly what I was looking for. And the guys were there right by our side, they let you have your process and then they help you integrate exactly when you need ;) Their live music is amazing, it guides you during the trip, and anchors you with your intentions. The ceremonies are perfectly timed apart, La Mezquita feels like a magical place, and the additional activities give you a better sense of what you experienced. And to not forget about the beautiful Alicante! :) Such a great experience, I highly recommend it, go with your heart open and the team and the plants will take care of you and your trip."

"There are things you do, so transformative than you realise that there was a before and an after! Sanson and his truly caring team got me to that point. Everything was well prepared and yet always in a casual atmosphere, to open my conscience and lead me in faith and confidence to this new experience. I'm very grateful ! Elisabeth from Belgium"

"Anastasiya is highly intelligent and one of the most empathic humans I have ever met. She really helped me over the weekend and I am so glad to have met her. Thank you 😃 "

"I got a lot out of my weekend at The Mezquita for the introduction to Psychedelics . The plant medicine really does allow you to access a different part of your brain and can show you what your real underlying issues are. Sansom has an incredible team who genuinely really care about their work. The mountain trip and picnic was superb what an amazing place. Beautiful music all weekend too and good food. "

"The people around Sanson have created an impressive utopia in the Mezquita: a place of harmony, of the senses, of encounters, of celebrations and of silence, where everyone is treated with interest and respect regardless of their origins and past. The interaction is cheerful, tolerant and awakens everyone's creativity. The Mezquita is a blessed place for me. It magically leads me back to the essentials in life."

"For years this is the only place where I do this type of retreat. Good company, I always feel very comfortable. Sanson is a nice guy :-)"

"Welcoming team.. I had a great time and would recommend. "

"The mountain walk is incredible and the tree of life is one of the most beautiful spaces. Baba G and the Mezquita team are very attentive and take good care of everything. It is a safe space and can absolutely be recommended. "

"Mezquita has a complete package of care - community sharing, meditation, yoga, Mediterranean Sea ritual, preparation, and full integration. It is a retreat that brings people from all walks of life and countries together. Highly recommend. "

"Guides are super welcoming, warm and professional. We always felt in excellent hands. The location is very beautiful, and the house itself has a wonderful energy. If you are looking for a safe, awe-inspiring, and meaningful experience - la Mezquita is an amazing option. "

"I had an amazing one day retreat and would definitely do it again!"

"I did an Ayahuasca retreat with them (Munay & Joshua). It has been the most profound experience of my life. They took care of us like we were their family. They are truly doing God’s work. I will be forever grateful ❤️"

"I’ve visited the retreat multiple times. Sanson’s a great host and always looks after me. Nice one, Sanson Nick"

"Better than I could have ever hoped for. Every single person in the group that stayed for the duration of the retreat had a profound experience that deeply changed and helped them! I loved my time at Mezquita! I felt safe in all of the ceremonies, the community feeling that was forged was amazing and so helpful in the healing process, the food was fantastic and the facilities were very nice! La Mezquita is amazing and I would recommend it to anyone who is seeking to find themselves or heal past trauma and finally become the person they’ve always wanted to be. "

"My experience at mezquita was a wonderful fulfilling experience full of wonder, love and hope. I went deep.into my subconscious and unlocked some deep trauma. Many thanks to the whole team."

"I came to La Mezquita for the 1-Day Psilocybin Retreat with an open mind but no specific expectations. From the moment I arrived, Klara, Jolie, and Babaji made me feel completely at ease. Their presence was calming and supportive, which allowed me to fully immerse myself in the experience. The retreat began with a beautiful ceremony led by Babaji, whose wisdom created a sacred space for deep exploration. As the psilocybin took effect, I felt myself entering a world that was both familiar and completely new. Jolie’s nurturing energy were instrumental in helping me navigate the different layers of my consciousness. At one point, I encountered a part of myself that I had been avoiding for years—a shadow that I didn’t know how to face. With Klara’s encouragement and Babaji’s profound insights, I was able to embrace this part of myself, transforming it into a source of strength rather than fear. By the end of the day, I felt a sense of peace and clarity that I had never experienced before. The 1-Day Psilocybin Retreat at La Mezquita was not just a journey of self-discovery; it was a homecoming to my true self. I am deeply grateful to Jake, Klara, Jolie, and Babaji for guiding me through this life-changing experience."

"The experience was unique and difficult to put into words. At times it was great, and at other times it was challenging. But through it all, I learned so much about myself, my internal dialogue, feelings, and patterns. I’m incredibly grateful that I took this journey, and I couldn’t have asked for better facilitators than Jake, Jolie, and Sanson."

"I was really nervous about attending the retreat at La Mezquita. However, Ana, and Sanson, were so warm and welcoming that I soon felt safe and comfortable. The experience was unique and difficult to put into words. At times it was great, and at other times it was challenging. But through it all, I learned a lot about myself, my internal dialogue, feelings, and patterns. I’m incredibly grateful that I took this journey, and I couldn't have asked for better facilitators than Ana, and Sanson."

"I'd really recommend this place. I felt very well looked after by Sanson and Anna, (including during the unexpected storm clouds). They were really accepting and attentive to my anxieties, and I felt like Sanson was really trauma informed and safety conscious. It honestly felt like they were as invested in the experience as I was, rather than it just being a job to them. Communication before and after the retreat was great, the food was lovely, the building itself felt really peaceful, and the place we went to in the mountains was stunning. I would definitely go back again."

"I'm a therapist working with trauma and in healthcare. I have attended a number of retreat centres in my quest to become a psychedelic therapist. Therefore, I couldn't believe how powerful the psychedelic retreat weekend was. It really made me reflect on where I need to change. 1000 times thanks to babaji for his work and his team. The San Pedro experience was amazing, super recommended. Food too... One of the key points of the Mezquita is it's family vibe. You are part of their community, and this is very reassuring. It's not a fancy where place where you get treated like a guest. It's down to earth and natural. This brings a very human interchange between the facilitators and the guests. More real. Lastly, and one of the most important aspects is that for a psychedelic retreat centre la mezquita is very fairly priced. The level of service, quality of the experience and the level of detail. It's super accessible. I've have paid almost 3 times the amount of a money for other retreats in the Netherlands. I was super impressed with what the mezquita are doing, how they do it, and the price they deliver for. Bless their souls. "

"I'll never forget the day sitting at the tree of life watching the sun go down. Sansón and his team, Jolie, Klara are amazing souls filled with an act of service and care. Beautiful space, beautiful people. Much love "

"When I arrived at the mezquita I was nervous and closed into my shell, a wall i had been building for a long time. The whole experience was amazing: the atmosphere, the feeling of safety, the music, especially the live Piano. Sanson was very skilled and professional guide. I was given just the right amount to reach where i needed. I didn't manage to achieve ego death, but i was looking for healing not that. I could have deeper but we decided not to. I will be returning for a deeper experience when i have fully integrated this experience. It was the great spiritual awakening of my life. I had never heard of spiritual well being before this retreat, and that's why I never saw it as a priority. Thank you for making this possible. "

"Original Review from March 2023: The staff at La Mezquita is without a doubt one of the most welcoming, attentive, genuine, warm joyful, compassionate and loving group of people I've had the chance to encounter. My initial anxieties around not having slept or eaten enough were received with genuine compassion, and acted upon almost as matter of urgency, which made me feel instantly safe. This attitude wasn't for show: I noticed it throughout the week-end, without fail, not only between staff and non-staff but also between staff themselves, which tends to be rarer. This made La Mezquita feel more like a community or even a close family than a regular business. The setting for the first ceremony was impeccable: the white ample clothing, the candles, the smells, the ornaments, the decor, the music and overall room preparation and cleanliness all felt aligned with the purpose of the gathering. This carefully planned and quiet orchestration helped to create a sense of peace, leading up to the intensely solemn moment of drinking. The gentle contemplative piano, followed later on by the folk guitar and joyful group singing felt just right, in their sequence, mood and energy. The crackling fire was at times the only thing I could hear, and was very soothing and comforting. Unfortunately, I often felt uncomfortable in the presence of Sanson, or when witnessing his behaviour. The second day, he showed up more than 15 min late to the ceremony and the staff had to start filling in for him. He finally entered the room wearing a bathrobe and smoking what looked like a cigar. Without an apology, he sat down and started walking us through the preparations. As we were going around the group assessing our individual states, he quantified his to be 1 out of 10, which made non-staff and staff alike uneasy. One of them even tried to reframe it as a vulnerable and courageous thing to say in order to lighten the mood. After a minute or so, he gave up talking after saying he had nothing else to contribute. The rest of the staff had to continue improvising through the preparations. Other instances of this kind of attitude made me feel either like I was an annoyance to him or that we, as a group, were here to support him rather than the other way around. The way he handled checking me in, the conducting of other business in front of us, his absence at the second integration circle or the inappropriate comments about French people I unfortunately overheard all contributed to reinforce that sense of unkind, self-preoccupied behaviour. Coming from the person who is supposed to be our guide and our support throughout a challenging experience, I find this attitude difficult to accept. Sadly, even what felt initially like genuine and caring moments - as he walked us back to the flat - ended up being clouded by this overall unease. I obviously don't know for sure - maybe it was the absence of piano on the second day - but I can't rule out the influence of these preoccupations on the unfolding of my second ceremony. On this particular point, I wish at least one person in the staff wouldn't drink during the ceremony (maybe I got that wrong?), break out of the group and do regular check-ins. A lot of care and attention is given around the moment of purging, as well as when asked for, but I wish someone had come over unsolicited regularly, given how difficult it is to attract attention in a dark room, in this altered state, where a hand up might well be just part of a contemplation and not a call for help. The flat I stayed at was not up to standards. It was clearly somebody's permanent place, that had be vacated in a rush for the week-end. The bathroom floor was not hoovered, a bathrobe was hanging, there was a bucket of dirty water in the laundry room, the fridge had left-over perishable food. My bed was generally ok, although the metallic bed frame was unstable. On the more logistical side of things, I think the mail that was sent the day before our arrival was really good and informative, but could have been sent a couple of days earlier to make for a smoother transition. For instance, a few of us didn't quite get the importance of white clothing until that message, which was quite late to act upon. Ultimately, it saddens me that one person's attitude ended up tainting my experience of this otherwise wonderful, whole, supportive and kind group of people. This is a rare jewel, and one that I would recommend going for blindly, if it wasn't for some of the more concerning caveats. --- La Mezquita's Response May 2024: Dear Guest, Thank you for sharing your experience with us following your recent ayahuasca retreat at La Mezquita. Your feedback is incredibly valuable to us, and I want to extend my deepest gratitude for taking the time to provide such detailed insights into your stay. I'm truly heartened to hear that you found our staff to be welcoming, attentive, and genuinely compassionate. Creating a safe and supportive environment for our guests is our top priority, and I'm glad to hear that you felt cared for throughout your time with us. I'm also pleased to hear that you found the setting for the first ceremony to be impeccable, and that the atmosphere helped to create a sense of peace and tranquility. It's our aim to provide a serene and harmonious space for our guests to embark on their inner journey with ayahuasca. However, I must express my sincere apologies for any discomfort or unease you may have experienced in the presence of Sanson during your retreat. I want to assure you that your concerns have been taken very seriously, and we are committed to addressing them in order to improve the overall experience for our guests. Regarding the second ceremony, I want to provide some context that may help to explain the challenges you encountered. Sanson was personally dealing with a significant relationship breakup during that time, which understandably affected his demeanor and availability. While this doesn't excuse any lapses in professionalism, I hope it provides some insight into the circumstances that may have contributed to your experience. In addition, I appreciate your feedback regarding the accommodation provided. We are constantly striving to maintain the highest standards of cleanliness and comfort, and I apologize if your expectations were not fully met in this regard. Rest assured, we will review our processes to ensure that all guest accommodations meet our standards moving forward. Warm regards, Sanson - Retreat Lead"

"Original Review from November 2023: My intention for booking this retreat was to use magic mushrooms as a sacred healing tool for inner transformation. This was unfortunately not fulfilled. I cannot recommend this retreat. The good: The location can be found easily and is close to Alicante city center. The atmosphere during arrival time was very friendly, welcoming, positive and relaxed. The helpers (mostly very young women in their early twenties) were friendly, open and positive spirited. During the whole retreat weekend there were several occasions where the helpers created positive and helpful situations, for example, they were in charge of the food, they helped with arrival, they helped during ceremony, they offered a talking circle, they offered yoga sessions and were always there in case of questions/problems. The bad: The host of this place is a very troubled, unbalanced and - at times - aggressive man, that is not in control of his emotional state. He often appeared tired, bored, strained, and high. His temper was dangerous for the group in several situations. One example of his unreasonable behavior being that he entered a sharing circle with a joint in his hand, another example being that he was high himself during a ceremony, and he was high on at least two substances while driving a car with four participants himself. Another example of troubled behavior being that he tried to sell drugs during the final circle. For me, it was not at all a trustworthy retreat, mainly because of the unstable character/personality of the host. I wouldn't recommend the retreat to anyone. This is not a place for safe experience with plant medicine. --- La Mezquita's Response May 2024: Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. Your feedback is invaluable, and I want to express my deepest gratitude for bringing these concerns to our attention. Please accept my sincerest apologies for any discomfort or unease you may have experienced during your time at our retreat. It deeply saddens me to hear that your expectations were not met and that you did not feel the healing and transformative environment that we strive to create. Upon reflection on your feedback, I have taken significant steps to address the issues you raised. It's been a journey of profound self-realization for me personally, as your review prompted me to confront some of my own shortcomings. I'd like to shed light on my own story which is reflected in this short film made about my life in 2017. "Journey to Spain and Feel the Psychedelic Sensations of San Pedro | HEALING POWERS". For anyone interested, the documentary can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tYHbIGEfi8&t=1 I want to clarify a few points that seem to have been misunderstood. Firstly, regarding the incident with the "joint" during the sharing circle, I must clarify that it wasn't a joint but a blend of various herbs, it was consumed in an open-air setting. Please also understand that as facilitators, we take a small dose for the purpose of maintaining clarity and guidance throughout the session. However, I assure you that these doses are minimal and do not compromise our ability to ensure the safety and well-being of our participants. Regarding the issue of driving, your safety is paramount to us. We now use a van as a driver. Also, I want to address the misunderstanding regarding the sale of drugs during the final circle. Our intention is not to promote or facilitate the sale of drugs but to provide ongoing support and integration services for our guests. This includes offering microdosing packages and educating individuals on the responsible and safe use of psychedelics. This allows them to partake in psychedelic experiences without spending 1000s of euros. In light of your feedback, I have undergone profound changes and improvements to ensure that our retreat center remains a safe, nurturing, and transformative space. Once again, thank you for your feedback. It has been a catalyst for positive change. With warmest regards, Sanson"