Best Countries for Psilocybin Retreats

Psilocybin mushroom retreats are operating in more countries around the world than you might think. Accessing psychedelics can be done safely with skilled and experienced facilitators with medical staff onsite in the best countries for psilocybin retreats. Here are some of the most popular countries people travel to find healing and wellness with psilocybin.

Jamaica Mushroom Retreats

Jamaica’s tropical splendour and laid-back atmosphere are becoming a mecca for people seeking psilocybin and a haven for a growing list of retreat centers like Dimensions. Magic mushrooms are widely available for legal purchase and consumption. Unlike other countries, Jamaica never made mushrooms illegal, so growing, consuming, and researching shrooms is accepted. 

Psychedelic retreats in Jamaica became famous for Gwyneth Paltrow and her team from goop ventured to the country in a Netflix special to partake in a magic mushroom retreat. The government has fully recognized the healing potential of psilocybin, with everyone from veterans looking for relief from PTSD to wellness seekers wanting a legal mushroom experience have been travelling to Jamaica.

Mexico Psilocybin Retreats

Mexico’s crystal beaches and mystical mountains are now becoming dotted with a huge variety of retreat centers which are the site of many transformational experiences with psychedelics.

Psilocybin is technically illegal, but this hasn’t slowed the healing and wellness scene in Mexico. The relaxed laws come from a long history of indigenous use of psilocybin with the Aztecs and Olmecs. Mexico is where the first Westerner, Gordon Wasson, tripped on Psilocybe mexicana with Mazatec curandera Maria Sabina and coined the term “magic mushrooms.”

Today, beachside resorts and mountainous retreats operate without issue and psilocybin mushrooms, spores, and grow kits can be bought openly. Many other psychedelics like ibogaine, 5-MeO-DMT, and ayahuasca can be experienced in Mexico in comfortable retreats with medical staff. Some groups are lobbying in Mexico to make psychedelic retreats officially legal, but in the meantime, the country remains a hotspot with famous luxury operations like The Buena Vida.

Costa Rica Psilocybin Retreats

The lush jungles, stunning beaches, safety, and comfortable living conditions have made Costa Rica an international wellness and healing destination. Costa Rica is similar to Mexico because psilocybin is technically illegal but rarely enforced, as such psychedelic retreats in Costa Rica are starting to become more popular. Retreats such as OM Jungle Medicine blend psilocybin with multiple healing modalities for optimal healing and integration.

Costa Rica began taking steps towards greater acceptance of psychedelics in 2022, with lawmakers led by ​​Costa Rica President Rodrigo Chaves pushing for recreational cannabis use. Cannabis has been legal for medical use in Costa Rica for several years. While the government hasn’t mentioned psychedelics, the country hosts some of the world’s most famous luxury ayahuasca retreats like Soltara.

Netherlands Mushroom Retreats

Psychedelic retreats in the Netherlands have long attracted travellers wanting to try psilocybin mushrooms and legal cannabis. Smart shops and coffee shops have sold a variety of psychedelics for decades. In 2008 psilocybin laws changed, making the sale of mushrooms illegal. However, the law did not specify that spores and truffles could not be sold, both of which are readily available in cities like Amsterdam.

Because of the open drug laws in Holland, many retreats have continued to operate by using psychedelic truffles. However, with the resurgence of interest in the benefits of psilocybin, new retreat centers have begun to appear, making the Netherlands a European and international hub for psilocybin. Holland is home to many researchers at Maastricht University and trusted retreat operators like Synthesis Retreats and Psychedelic Insights making it a favourite choice for those wanting to explore psilocybin. 

Portugal Psilocybin Retreats

Portugal’s old-world charm, agreeable weather, and reasonable costs have made it an attractive destination to host retreats. Retreat centers have Western comforts and safety while offering skilled facilitation of psilocybin and a wide range of other plant medicines worldwide. 

Portugal decriminalized drugs in 2001 to focus on harm reduction rather than punishing substance users who instead can benefit from treatment. While psilocybin and other compounds are still technically illegal to produce or sell, law enforcement addresses drug use as a public health issue. For the past several decades facilitators and shamans have flocked to Portugal to offer many wellness, healing, and plant medicine retreats.

Spain Psilocybin Retreat

Psychedelic retreats in Spain dot the oceanside and mountains and also draw seekers out into the countryside castles like Sacruna to experience entheogens. Spain has decriminalized psilocybin mushrooms for personal use. Spain’s policy doesn’t allow for the production or sale of psilocybin yet allows many retreats to operate in the country. 

The Mediterranean island of Ibiza has an international reputation for raves and recreational drug use. However, part of the island is also renowned for hosting world-class psychedelic retreats. Mainland Spain also is home to a growing number of retreat centers offering psilocybin and other plant medicines from the comfort of Spanish Villas with integration in the sunshine.

Canada and USA Psilocybin Retreats

How exactly psilocybin retreats will manifest in Canada and the United States isn’t clear yet, but the proposals have many optimistic. Working with psilocybin as a group in one’s home country will likely forge important bonds between those seeking a psychedelic experience. 

While psilocybin is still illegal in the USA, states like Oregon and Colorado are working on legislation to allow for legal psilocybin retreats in the United States. These centers will be led by trained facilitators and use mushrooms grown by licensed producers. The experience is projected to be more accessible to people who cannot afford individual treatment with a specialized therapist.

Canada also has several groups advocating for legal access to psilocybin. The government has not committed to a course of action, although it has shown some openness by giving terminally ill patients access to psilocybin. The Minister of Health has travelled to Oregon and Colorado to learn from lawmakers already in the process of legalizing psilocybin and other psychedelics.

The thought of simply driving for a few hours or flying within one’s country to access psilocybin in a familiar setting will undoubtedly be an attractive option for many.

How to Choose the Best Psilocybin Retreat

Choosing the best retreat will depend on your budget, intentions, and location. The above list is by no means exhaustive. With many countries opening up to psilocybin expected in the future, this list will no doubt grow. Many other countries around the world do offer experiences with magic mushrooms ahead of legalization with great success. However, the countries listed above are where psilocybin retreats have operated safely for years without issue.

A plant medicine journey is a big experience, and the potential for growth exists for those willing to work through the unique challenges psilocybin can present. Here are a few key tips to remember when booking a retreat:

• Talk to a professional to be sure psilocybin is safe for you mentally and physically
• Vet your retreat, facilitator, or shaman through trusted sources
• Make time for preparation and psychedelic integration
• Professional therapists and coaches are available to support the process

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