Sowa Nete
Near Santa Teresa Beach, Puntarenas
Small plant-medicine retreat run by founders Mario and Carolina near Santa Teresa, offering a 4-day, 3-night psilocybin retreat with two ceremonies for groups of up to eight, plus private retreats. It also runs ayahuasca retreats in Costa Rica and Peru and uses hape and sananga in its programmes.
Details from the centre's own website, read 4 Oct 2026. No independent source was found.
The legal position in Costa Rica
Psilocybin and psilocin are on Lista I of the Ministry of Health's national control list, updated 10 September 2026, and article 58 of Law 8204 sets 8 to 15 years in prison for unauthorised supply, including of natural products. There is no grey area in the law. In practice psilocybin retreats advertise openly, and a news search in English and Spanish on 4 October 2026 found no reported prosecution of a psilocybin retreat; the closest case concerns an ibogaine death in 2024. That can change without notice, and participants and operators carry real legal risk.
The sources for this
- The Ministerio de Salud's list of substances under national control, updated 10 September 2026 under Reglamento 45161-S, includes psilocina (PP 012) and PSILOCIBINA (PP 013) among the psychotropic substances of Lista I, alongside DMT and mescaline. The same entries appear in the October 2022 edition. The list does not name mushrooms or any fungus. (Ministerio de Salud de Costa Rica, Direccion de Drogas y Estupefacientes, 10 Sep 2026; Ministerio de Salud de Costa Rica, 10 Oct 2022)
- Article 1 of Law 8204 applies the law to substances in the 1961 Single Convention, the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances (approved by Costa Rica by Law 4990 of 10 June 1972) and the 1988 Convention, and has the Ministry of Health publish the national lists. Psilocybin and psilocin are in Schedule I of the 1971 Convention. (Transnational Institute (copy of statute), 2001; Instituto Costarricense sobre Drogas, current page)
- Article 58 of Law 8204 sets 8 to 15 years in prison for anyone who, without legal authorisation, distributes, supplies, prepares, cultivates, transports, stores or sells the drugs, substances or products the law covers, or cultivates the plants they are obtained from, and for anyone who holds seeds or other natural products to produce them. Article 77 raises the range to 8 to 20 years in listed circumstances, including supply to people under 18 and an offender who uses a position as educator or spiritual guide to restrict the victim's freedom. (Transnational Institute (copy of statute), 2001)
- The INCB has said that plants containing psilocybin are not themselves under international control, but it recommends that governments control such plant material nationally where necessary. Costa Rica's Article 58 reaches the plants and natural products from which controlled substances are obtained, so the international position does not create a national grey area. (International Narcotics Control Board, Mar 2011; Transnational Institute (copy of statute), 2001)
- No Ministry of Health statement, court ruling or legal analysis was found that treats psilocybin mushrooms as outside Law 8204. A March 2025 opinion column argues generally that sacred plants not on the restricted lists are permitted, but it does not address psilocybin's own listing. Claims of a grey area found online come from retreat operators and booking sites. The Ministry's January 2025 warning on ayahuasca and ibogaine, the closest official statement, said such products are unregistered and not authorised for therapeutic use. (Delfino.cr, 13 Mar 2025; Ministerio de Salud de Costa Rica, 27 Jan 2025)
- Retreats operate openly. The Tico Times (27 August 2026) cites an estimate of around 80 psychedelic retreat centres in Costa Rica, roughly 60 of them offering ayahuasca, with others focused on psilocybin mushrooms and ibogaine. On 4 October 2026 BookRetreats' Costa Rica magic mushroom page was headed "59 Best Magic Mushroom Retreats around Costa Rica"; that figure counts programme listings, not distinct centres. (The Tico Times, 27 Aug 2026; BookRetreats, current page)
- The closest enforcement we found concerns ibogaine, not psilocybin. After the American tourist Lauren Levis died on 5 August 2024 following ibogaine at Soul Centro in Bahia Grande de Paquera, the OIJ in Nicoya sent its findings to local prosecutors on 13 March 2025. The report did not say anyone had been charged. (CRHoy, 29 Mar 2025; The Tico Times, 27 Aug 2026)
Enforcement search, 4 Oct 2026
No reported prosecution, raid or closure of a psilocybin retreat or facilitator in Costa Rica was found. Drug enforcement news in the results concerned cocaine and cannabis. We searched news in English and Spanish for: Costa Rica psilocybin retreat arrested OR raid OR prosecuted; Costa Rica retiro hongos psilocibina detenidos OIJ; "hongos alucinogenos" Costa Rica decomiso OR allanamiento retiro. The absence of reported cases is not proof that none exist.
- Closest found: Ibogaine, not psilocybin: the OIJ sent findings on the August 2024 death of Lauren Levis at Soul Centro, Paquera, to prosecutors in March 2025. No charge was reported. (CRHoy, 29 Mar 2025)
The law and every listed centre in Costa Rica
Programmes and cost
| Programme | Nights | Sessions | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psilocybin retreat (4 days / 3 nights, 2 ceremonies) | 3 | 2 | $2,300as published on 4 Oct 2026 |
| Private retreats | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
Prices and formats as published by the operator on the date shown. They change, so confirm directly before budgeting. We never estimate a price that is not published.
Included, as published
- Two psilocybin ceremonies
- Plant treatments (optional hape, sananga)
- Integration circles
- Lodging and all meals
- Yoga, meditation and breathwork
- Transport to/from Santa Teresa
Screening, as the centre describes it
Application form "includes questions about your diet, health, and motivation", including pre-existing physical or mental health conditions and current medications. Psilocybin FAQ: people with a personal or family history of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, or on certain medications "(like SSRIs) should consult a professional first."
The cited psilocybin safety facts to check it against
Accommodation
- Lodging included; private retreats offer options from private apartments to a luxury villa
What a psilocybin retreat involves
The typical shape of this kind of programme. Use it as a checklist to ask against, not as this centre's timetable.
- Before arrivalIntake questionnaire and medical screening. Reputable operators ask about SSRIs, lithium, cardiac history and family history of psychosis, and decline people accordingly.
- Day 1Arrival, group meeting, intention setting, one-to-one time with facilitators.
- Dosing daysSessions typically run in daylight over 4 to 6 hours, with facilitators present throughout. Doses are often escalated across sessions rather than kept flat.
- Between sessionsGroup integration discussion, bodywork or beach time, and rest. The day after a session is deliberately unstructured.
- Final dayClosing integration session and onward planning.
- AfterAsk specifically what follow-up is included and for how long.
Sources for this profile
- Sowa Nete home · Centre's own site, read 4 Oct 2026
- Psilocybin Retreats · Centre's own site, read 4 Oct 2026
- Application form - psilocybin retreat · Centre's own site, read 4 Oct 2026
- Psilocybin FAQ · Centre's own site, read 4 Oct 2026
- The Team · Centre's own site, read 4 Oct 2026
- FAQ · Centre's own site, read 4 Oct 2026
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