Commonly Asked Questions
Questions by Location
amazon-tarapoto, peru
We will be offering 4 different retreat options for our Amazon location. At this time we will not be offering master plant dietas, but we hope to work toward that someday in the future.
At Soltara in the Amazon, we will be working with a team of 2 Maestros, always a female and male Shipibo healer, for a maximum capacity of 13 guests. There will be rotating teams of Maestros who have been working with us at Soltara, including Maestra Olga & Maestro Americo, as well as others in their family and lineage, including Maestra Tanya & Maestro Gabriel, who have combined decades of experience holding ceremonies and undergoing dietas. We are so honored to continue to share in their medicine and lineage with our Soltara community!
As far as what to do between ceremonies, there is a library of over 500 books on all things spiritual, metaphysical, etc. Depending on the length of the retreat you’re looking at, there may not be a ton of downtime. Because the plants are very plentiful, we’re offering flower baths nearly every day of the retreat and in the 12 Night Retreat there is also the offering of vapor steam baths with medicinal plants.
The weather in Tarapoto tends to be warm and humid. We are in the high jungle and average temperatures reach 26 – 28 C (80 – 83 F) with high humidity (65 – 70% average relative humidity).
For emergencies (if someone needs to contact a guest), we let the guests know in advance that their kins can contact either Nicole or another member of the administrative team. Our team member will email a facilitator on-site and relay the message. If it is a true emergency, she could call our guard (the only place with a phone signal) and communicate the information. They will know to contact a facilitator immediately/when possible. We can then check email as soon as we can.
Accommodations range from Eco-Tambo to a Private Single Suite, with options for shared double rooms.
One thing to keep in mind about our location in the Amazon is that it is significantly more rustic than our location in Costa Rica. Soltara Amazon is a technology free retreat – which means there will not be any wifi, cell service, or air conditioning. There will be limited electricity onsite, in addition to solar powered lights and showers.
The tambos do not have a built in power source, and will likely include simple solar powered lanterns to serve as a light source. The tambo shares bathrooms/showers with the maloca so the showers are not equipped with hot water. The other accommodations have solar powered hot water showers. Staying in the tambo is certainly minimalistic and simple, but also more in line with how traditional medicine work has been done in the past. If you’re looking for a bit more comfort, the other accommodations are in fairly modern buildings.
Because we are located in a High Protection Zone of the Cordillera Escalera National Park, we will provide soaps for guests as they cannot use anything that is not natural, biodegradable, and organic.
The programming at Soltara in the Amazon will follow a very similar format to our regular Soltara programming, with a few additions of vapor/steam and flower baths with medicinal plants from the medicine garden. Soltara Alum will recognize our preparation, intake, safety, and integration support in alignment with existing Soltara programs.
Some of the main differences between our Costa Rica location and Soltara in the Amazon are highlighted below:
- Smaller group size (Maximum of 13 guests per retreat)
- Technology free retreat
- No wifi
- No cell service
- No ac
- Minimal electricity
- Solar powered lights and hot showers
- Located off grid and in the middle of a national park
For our Soltara in the Amazon location, we recommend flying into Tarapoto airport (TPP) which is usually through Lima Airport (LIM). Please wait to book your flights only after your medical intake form has been reviewed and confirmed by our intake team. Please see our Soltara Amazon Travel Logistics page for more information.
Regarding the COVID-19 vaccination, Soltara does not require this to join us on retreat. Please use Google to find out what vaccinations your government recommends for travelers going to Costa Rica, and be sure you’re up to date on all of them. Traveling to Costa Rica primarily requires routine vaccinations, though it is also a good idea to be vaccinated against typhoid. If you happen to be arriving from a country with risk of yellow fever, the Costa Rican government requires proof of yellow fever vaccination; check this page to see if you may be required to get the yellow fever vaccine. Soltara has less mosquitoes than most jungle locations due to the breeze coming off of the Gulf of Nicoya, but nevertheless, please bring natural bug spray to avoid bites from mosquitoes that may in very rare cases be carrying malaria. If you anticipate participating in the ayahuasca ceremonies, please avoid taking antimalarial medication for the retreat. Here you can read the US government’s recommended vaccination information for travelers going to Costa Rica.
Nestled in the Cordillera Escalera National Park, our 30-hectare sanctuary and ecological preserve sits among untouched primary Amazon rainforest, in the high mountain jungle of Peru.
Free from light pollution, technology, and human-made sound pollution, our intimate retreats offer an opportunity for a deeper connection with self, medicine, nature, and community.
There are some spaces to take short walks around the property, but there are not long established trails into the jungle. You can of course explore, but must take care not to go too deep into the jungle because it can be easy to lose your way. If you choose the 12 Night Retreat, there is a trip scheduled to a nearby waterfall in the national park. The streams that run through the property vary in size based on whether or not it is the rainy season. I hear they are a bit muddy and not ideal for swimming.
Unvaccinated travelers can still travel to Peru, however, must adhere to the following testing requirements:
- Those traveling to Peru who are not fully vaccinated must present a PCR molecular test with a negative result (within 48 hours) prior to boarding an incoming flight to Peru, in accordance with current health regulations.
- For domestic flights within Peru, travelers must present a negative PCR molecular test (with results no longer than 72 hours old) when traveling between provinces (Lima to Tarapoto).
For additional information about traveling in Peru while unvaccinated, please reference the following link.
playa blanca, costa rica
Regarding the COVID-19 vaccination, Soltara does not require this to join us on retreat. Please use Google to find out what vaccinations your government recommends for travelers going to Costa Rica, and be sure you’re up to date on all of them. Traveling to Costa Rica primarily requires routine vaccinations, though it is also a good idea to be vaccinated against typhoid. If you happen to be arriving from a country with risk of yellow fever, the Costa Rican government requires proof of yellow fever vaccination; check this page to see if you may be required to get the yellow fever vaccine. Soltara has less mosquitoes than most jungle locations due to the breeze coming off of the Gulf of Nicoya, but nevertheless, please bring natural bug spray to avoid bites from mosquitoes that may in very rare cases be carrying malaria. If you anticipate participating in the ayahuasca ceremonies, please avoid taking antimalarial medication for the retreat. Here you can read the US government’s recommended vaccination information for travelers going to Costa Rica.