Terms & Conditions
Casa de la Luz — please read carefully before booking your retreat.
We kindly ask all guests to read and understand the following Terms & Conditions before booking a retreat with us. These policies exist to ensure a safe, respectful, and smooth experience for everyone involved. As a small, community-based project, we rely deeply on each reservation and sincerely appreciate your support.
1. Reservation Policy
- A deposit is required to secure your spot. Once booked, we dedicate our space, staff, and preparation — including the medicine itself — exclusively to your retreat.
- The deposit covers our professional services: integration, preparation, logistics, and the plant medicine sessions we facilitate. It does not include the medicine fee or hosting fee, which are paid separately, in cash, upon arrival.
- All bookings are final and non-refundable.
- Rescheduling is available at no additional cost if requested at least 30 days before your retreat date.
- Completing your booking confirms your agreement to these Terms & Conditions. Not having read them does not exempt you from them.
2. Cancellation Policy
Non-Refundable Bookings
- Private retreat bookings are non-refundable.
- The only exception is if Casa de la Luz is unable to host your retreat due to an emergency on our end — in that case, a full refund is provided. (This has occurred only twice in nine years of operation.)
- If required medical information — including current medications — is not disclosed in time, we cannot guarantee your participation, and no refund will be issued.
- In exceptional circumstances, and at our discretion, we may offer a one-time opportunity to rebook at a 20% discount. This constitutes a new booking; prior payments do not carry over.
3. Booking Errors
- If a booking made in error is approved for a refund, bank and platform processing fees may apply, and the refund can take 30–60 days to appear on your account.
- All bookings are automatically confirmed 24 hours after payment is received.
- Leaving the retreat early, or violating our community rules, results in immediate termination of your stay without refund.
4. Confidentiality & Privacy
All personal information you provide is kept strictly confidential. Casa de la Luz will never share, misuse, or disclose your data.
5. Wellness & Liability Policy
Use of Casa de la Luz's facilities, therapy rooms, and services is at your own risk. Casa de la Luz is not responsible for injuries, accidents, loss, or damage to personal property occurring during your stay or while participating in any activity or ceremony.
6. Acknowledgment & Release of Liability
By Booking, You Confirm
That you have read and understood all information provided regarding your stay at Casa de la Luz, Costa Rica; that you acknowledge the risks involved in plant medicine ceremonies and related activities; that you agree to participate responsibly; and that you are substance-free and in generally good health at the time of signing.
7. Check-In Policy
- Check-in: 2:00 PM | Latest arrival: 4:00 PM
- Please make every effort to arrive on time. Late arrival may result in cancellation of your retreat without refund, as ceremonies and preparations follow a fixed schedule.
- Upon arrival, guests must provide emergency contact information and present a valid ID or passport.
8. Important Guidelines
- Weapons and illegal substances are strictly prohibited.
- Proper hygiene and respectful attire are required.
- Arriving under the influence of drugs or alcohol results in immediate dismissal without refund.
- Casa de la Luz reserves the right to deny or cancel participation if the medical form was not submitted on time, or if a guest's health history falls outside our scope of care.
9. Community & Safety Guidelines
These guidelines protect participant safety and support a focused ceremony environment.
9.1 Substance Abstinence Requirements
Participants must be fully free of the following substances before attending, for the minimum periods below. Non-compliance may result in exclusion from ceremony and can present a serious health risk.
- 30 days: Drugs, prescription opiates, psychiatric medication, psychedelics, and similar substances
- 15 days: Supplements such as Ashwagandha, Mentat, or Melatonin, or any substance that cannot be combined with a reversible MAOI
- 7 days: Stimulants, methylphenidates, alcohol use, steroids, cannabis, CBD
- 90 days: Iboga/Ibogaine, or any major surgical procedure
- Any other mind-altering or psychoactive substance not listed must also be fully cleared from the body
9.2 Antidepressants, Anti-Anxiety Medication & Antipsychotics
Guests currently taking antidepressants, anti-anxiety medication, or antipsychotics (including but not limited to fluoxetine, sertraline, paroxetine, escitalopram, venlafaxine, bupropion, alprazolam, lorazepam, clonazepam, diazepam, buspirone, quetiapine, aripiprazole, or risperidone) must consult their physician before making any changes, and must disclose current use during intake.
We strongly recommend discontinuing these medications 3 to 6 months before a plant medicine ceremony, under medical supervision.
Casa de la Luz is not equipped to manage medical withdrawal and cannot be held responsible for adverse reactions resulting from the combination of plant medicine and recent pharmaceutical discontinuation.
9.3 Medical Conditions Requiring Disclosure
Guests must disclose the following on the medical application prior to booking: epilepsy or seizure disorders, diabetes, heart or cardiovascular conditions, liver or kidney conditions, hypothyroidism, brain or open-heart surgery or related disease, and any recent surgery.
9.4 Mental Health Contraindications
Plant medicine is strongly discouraged, and may not be offered, to individuals with a history or current diagnosis of: paranoid schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder; bipolar disorder (Type 1, Type 2, or rapid cycling); psychotic features, delusional disorder, or psychotic disorder due to another medical condition; dissociative identity disorder; or depersonalization/derealization disorder.
Guests who have experienced or suspect psychosis must consult a mental health professional before considering participation.
9.5 Ceremony Conduct
- Remain on your mattress for the duration of ceremony whenever possible; stepping outside briefly for fresh air is permitted, provided the calm of the space is respected.
- Maintain silence during ceremony; speak with staff only if necessary, and briefly.
- Couples must refrain from hugging, physically comforting, or emotionally assisting one another during ceremony, as this can interfere with each person's individual process.
- All phones, smartwatches, alarms, and electronic devices must be turned off and removed from the body.
- Photos and videos are not permitted during ceremonies. Guests may not share another participant's story or likeness without permission.
- Sexual activity is not permitted during the retreat, in keeping with the dieta and the retreat's healing process.
- Casa de la Luz reserves the right to dismiss any guest without refund if their behavior is deemed unsafe or disruptive.
10. Facility & Community Etiquette
- Leave common areas clean and tidy; return any borrowed items; place used dishes in designated areas; dispose of trash responsibly.
- Smoking is permitted only in designated areas.
- Guests remain responsible for their personal belongings throughout their stay.
- Please report any issues or concerns — we are here to help.
11. Medical Disclosure
A full and honest medical history is required during the application process. You will also be asked to sign a liability waiver confirming you take full responsibility for your participation. Providing misleading or incomplete information may result in immediate cancellation of your retreat and, in cases of intentional misrepresentation, possible legal action.
Thank You
Thank you for taking the time to read our policies. By booking with us, you confirm your understanding and acceptance of these Terms & Conditions. We look forward to welcoming you to a safe, respectful, and transformative experience.
Casa de la Luz
