8 Best Bufo Alvarius Retreats for 2024
The sacred medicine of bufo is one of the most potent hallucinogenic substances known to mankind. Not only does bufo help people gain a new perspective and possibly enter a new phase of life, but it also has incredible therapeutic potential — like alleviating symptoms of depression, anxiety, and even PTSD.
While there is much we still have to learn about psychedelics as a whole, there’s no doubt these medicines have a transformative effect on anyone who comes in contact with them.
What is bufo?
Bufo comes from the secretion of the Sonoran desert toad, also called the Bufo alvarius toad or the Colorado river toad. Essentially, the toad’s venom is collected and dried, and then turned into a powdery crystal that is smoked directly from a pipe or vape. The effects of the venom are incredibly powerful — it moves in and out of the bloodstream to create an experience that’s beyond imagination or any type of description.
Those who’ve tried bufo for themselves report rapid healing of traumas and life-changing spiritual encounters. Bufo’s main psychoactive ingredient is 5-MeO-DMT, which is known as “‘the God molecule” in certain circles. The profound, mystical experience associated with bufo has created a heightened interest in this substance from people all over the world.
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8 best bufo retreats for 2024
1. Sacred Heart Sonora
Sacred Heart Sonora offers private, couple, and group retreats in a safe and legal setting — and with the utmost respect for ancestral medicine. Each of their retreats includes a thorough medical evaluation prior to your arrival, in addition to onsite medical supervision during the ceremony itself. The process begins with smudging and instructions for inhalation; once you’ve inhaled the medicine, you can expect to have an out-of-body experience for around 15 minutes.
Then, after you’re back in your body, the Sacred Heart team provides a light snack (to help with grounding) and offers integration tips to further support the effects of your healing.
Location(s): Mexico
Price range: starting at $500 for a 1-day retreat
2. Nirvana Wellness
Nirvana Wellness invites you to experience 10 life-changing days at their facility in southern Mexico. Located on the Yucatán Peninsula near the border of Belize, Nirvana Wellness has created a beautiful backdrop and supportive environment for you to “answer the calling deep in your soul.” Guests have a chance to really dive in with this powerful, but gentle medicine — with the option to experience bufo multiple times in order to reap all its healing benefits. This lush retreat is also committed to the highest standard for bufo facilitation with regards to “safety, training, integration, and physical and mental comfort” during your entire stay.
Location(s): Mexico
Price range: starting at $3,777 for a 10-day retreat
3. Tandava Retreats
Tandava’s guided wellness retreats focus on facilitating real change, which often involves the “destruction of behavior patterns and identities that no longer align with one’s perspective on life.” Each of their ceremonies allow you to explore the deepest realms of your innermost being, and address any behavioral habits that are holding you back from the freedom you’re seeking. In Tandava’s words, “no one should be a victim of their own mental patterning.”
The team at Tandava draws on both Eastern and Western medical philosophies and transformational frameworks to provide the safety (and long-lasting change) their guests desire.
Location(s): Mexico
Price range: starting at $4,950 for a 6-day retreat
4. Vaaiga
Vaaiga is the Samoan word for perspective and was chosen to represent the changed perspective and transformative power of psychedelic medicine. As the team at Vaaiga sees it, bufo provides more than just an altered mindset — it shares “new perspectives on unexplored possibilities, old emotions, and past experiences.” By interacting with bufo at one of Vaaiga’s retreats, guests can expect to make profound changes in how they live and move in the world.
The goal of this retreat center is to pioneer a “holistic approach to optimal wellness and spiritual development” by way of psychedelic transformation, nutrition, movement, and breathwork.
Location(s): Mexico
Price range: starting at $2,350 for a 6-day retreat
5. Expand Therapeutics
Expand Therapeutics is a little different than the other recommendations on our list. This isn’t a traditional retreat center — i.e. they don’t have onsite accommodations or food service — but instead follows a flexible format so that their treatment is available to any budget. Their unique model makes Expand Therapeutics great for independent explorers who don’t want to be tied to a single experience or setting (but want the freedom to come and go as they please).
A typical package includes: 3 pre-integration sessions, 3 to 5 psychedelic medicine sessions, and 3 post-retreat therapy sessions to help you smoothly reintegrate into your everyday life.
Location(s): Costa Rica
Price range: starting at $3,750 for a 5-day retreat
6. Kambo Casita
Kambo Casita is a non-profit spiritual awakening center that provides “healing and education using the sacred plants and wisdom traditions of indigenous cultures.” This Costa Rican retreat works with a highly-trained staff who facilitates safe, ethical, and personalized healing experiences for each and every guest. Though you’re ultimately healing yourself, the Kambo Casita team helps guide you in remembering your true and Divine essence.
These retreats are specially curated to fit your individual needs, and may include the use of kambo, ayahuasca, and bufo to synergistically cleanse the mind, body, and spirit.
Location(s): Costa Rica
Price range: inquire on their website for specific dates and pricing
7. Behold Retreats
Behold Retreats cultivates an environment of “safety, professionality, and compassion” for anyone who feels called to experience bufo for themselves. Along with their private, small group retreats, Behold also offers personalized coaching to guide you through the initial spiritual and physical preparation — all the way through post-retreat integration. This level of service ensures you have the most thorough healing possible, even after you’ve returned home.
The team at Behold are experts in psychedelic facilitation and are “passionately dedicated to healing with psychedelics” as well as helping you connect with every stage of the process.
Location(s): Mexico
Price range: starting at $8,500 for a 6-day retreat
8. Arkana Spiritual Center
Arkana has two healing retreat centers in some of the most beautiful parts of Peru — one is located in the heart of the Amazon, and the other is in the Sacred Valley of the Andes Mountains. Both retreats offer authentic healing experiences through the use of ancestral medicines like ayahuasca, San Pedro, and peyote. What’s more, you can add bufo to any of their ceremonies for an extra charge (roughly $250 for an hour-long experience).
This brief, yet profound ceremony offers an intense, concentrated, and deeply mystical experience that has many therapeutic benefits and can help remove energetic blockages.
Location(s): Peru
Price range: starting at $1,920 for a 7-day retreat
Common FAQs about bufo
Is bufo legal in the U.S.?
Although bufo is illegal in the United States, it’s been used for centuries to heal people throughout Central and South America. So while you can’t attend a bufo retreat stateside, there are plenty of options to interact with this medicine in Mexico, Peru, and Costa Rica.
How much does bufo cost?
The cost for attending a bufo retreat varies depending on where you’re traveling to, the level of your accommodations, as well as the length of your stay (ranging from a few days to a few weeks’ time). Some bufo retreats can run as little as $500, while others cost several thousand dollars for more upscale lodging, amenities, and services provided.
What are the benefits of using bufo?
A single bufo session lasts around 20 to 45 minutes, though its positive effects can be sustained much longer than that. For example, many people describe a greater satisfaction with life after smoking bufo, which then eases the effects of depression and anxiety over the long-term.