Psychedelic Retreats in San Isidro de El General

Hoping to experience Costa Rican nature at its best?

Looking at psychedelic retreats in San Isidro de El General is a good start.  Located in the southern part of the San Jose province about 80 miles south of the Costa Rican capital, it sits in the shadow of Cerro Chirripo, Costa Rica's tallest mountain, it is located on the Inter-American Highway.

Local attractions include:

• The San Isidro Farmers Market (Feria del Agricultor in San Isidro de El General): Located at the Fairground in Santa Cecilia, there are more than 200 stalls and are best visited at the crack of dawn on a Thursday.
• Nauyaca Waterfalls: Thirty (30) minutes from San Isidro and is located on private property, so you will need to pay an admission fee to reach the falls. Known as one of Costa Rica's most spectacular waterfalls, the two tiers of falls drop about two hundred (200) feet.
• Cloudbridge Nature Reserve: A private nature reserve on the side of Cerro Chirripó. Itstretches from the 5085 foot level to the 8530 foot level, covering 630 acres.
• Chirripo National Park: At 12,533 feet, Cerro Chirripo is Costa Rica’s tallest mountain top, and allows you to see both the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea from the same spot. If you are willing to spend a night sleeping on the trail, you can hike to the top via a steep 10 mile trail over two (2) days.
• Los Cusingos Bird Sanctuary: Dr. Alexander Skutch, one of the world’s best known ornithologists, once called this place home.

History of Psychedelics in Costa Rica

Any society that produced a plethora of mushroom-shaped artifacts probably placed a great emphasis on their importance within the community, and based on recent research, that seems to be the case. Academic research indicates that indigenous societies, in the area we now consider modern Costa Rica, have long consumed plants and fungi with psychedelic properties. The use of psychoactive substances was associated with local shamanistic rituals/practices, and people who held high positions within the political/religious structures of society.

• Tobacco: Tobacco use and cultivation was noted by the Spanish in the 16th century. Used in celebration of major events
• Morning glory seeds: Ground up with a mortar and pestle.
• Psychedelic mushrooms: References were found to the use of the Amanita muscaria and Psilocybe. While the Amanita was not native to the region, it was transported in.

Legal Status of Psychedelics in Costa Rica

You should be aware that current Costa Rican law prohibits the possession and sale of almost all hallucinogenic/psychedelic substances. While there is inconsistency among the different sources as to the legality of psilocybin mushrooms, you should err on the side of caution.

The legal status of ayahuasca in Costa Rica is that it is simply unregulated, although DMT, the active ingredient in Ayahuasca brew, is a controlled substance under Costa Rica’s Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Law #8204. This means that there are no specific Costa Rican laws concerning Ayahuasca use.