FAQ psychedelic retreat wellness

No. You are responsible for your flight from your home airport to SJO airport.

San Jose (Juan Santamaria) International Airport. The airport code is “SJO.”

Our private ground transportation will depart from SJO domestic airport at 2:00 PM on the arrival day of your retreat. Please account for the time to go through customs and immigration. This process can take as little as 15 minutes and 2.5 hours, depending on the day at the airport and how busy it is. After you exit the airport, we will have a representative waiting for you with a sign, and the representative will guide you to the domestic terminal, where you will wait with the rest of your group for departure at 2:00 PM.

If you are already in Costa Rica, you will simply need to show up at the domestic terminal entrance at 1:45 PM. The domestic terminal is very small, and you will have no problem meeting our representative and the rest of your group there.

You will depart Verdesana at 9:00 AM, and the estimated arrival to SJO International Airport is 11:00 AM.

Typically, it is suggested to be at the international terminal 2.5 hours prior to your international departure. Please book your departing international flight accordingly, knowing that you will be at the airport at 11:00 AM on departure day.

If you book your departure flight earlier than this, you will be responsible for your own transportation to SJO airport and any extra cost incurred.

Approx. 1.5 hours

Yes, we do have recommendations, please see below:

Hilton Garden Inn La Sabana: 

Located 25-30 minutes from SJO airport, this hotel is within walking distance of La Sabana Park, the National Stadium, and nearby restaurants. This hotel is a good choice if you want to explore San Jose and its surroundings; just be mindful of travel time and transportation options to/from SJO airport. 

Marriott Hotel Hacienda Belen:

 An upscale Marriott hotel located approximately 10 min from SJO airport. We recommend this hotel if you prefer a pleasant property experience and want to be close to the airport. 

Hampton Inn Airport Hotel:

For a more economical option, you can stay at the Hampton Inn, which is across the street from the airport. The hotel offers a free shuttle service between the airport and the hotel. For a more economical option, you can stay at the Hampton Inn, which is across the street from the airport. The hotel offers a free shuttle service between the airport and the hotel. 

Hotel Alta Las Palomas Hotel Alta Las Palomas:

is located 30-40 minutes from SJO airport in Santa Ana. It is a beautiful, contemporary hotel with quality service and great accommodations. You can add transportation and meals to your room booking; contact the hotel directly for details.

Please review the official entry requirements for Costa Rica here: https://www.visitcostarica.com/en/costa-rica/planning-your-trip/entry-requirements

Please review the official entry requirements for Costa Rica here: https://www.visitcostarica.com/en/costa-rica/planning-your-trip/entry-requirements

We do not require you to purchase travel insurance, but we highly recommend it to protect your travel investment. This is the travel insurance provider we recommend: Global Rescue.

Verdesana is located in the country's central mountains, in the province of Cartago, about 1.5 hours from the capital city, San Jose. It is a quiet, secluded, and peaceful environment at 1600 meters of altitude, surrounded by mountains and cloud forest. You can look up ‘Verdesana Forest’ on Google Maps to get the specific geographic location of the campus.

Our property is 105 acres

Our beautiful cabins are handcrafted with cypress wood directly from our plantation. They have been carefully designed to be functional, aesthetic, safe, and eco-friendly.

All rooms come with a full queen sized bed per person. We provide a full bath series (shampoo, conditioner, body wash). Hair dryer. Essential oils & diffuser. A small coffee station. A heater and extra blankets for cooler evenings. Some cabins have a writer's desk. All cabins have a furnished private patio/deck with views of the gardens, forest, or mountains. Umbrellas and headlamps are available. All cabins have standard North American power outlets, so make sure to bring an adaptor if your appliances work with a different system.

Yes, we have a cabin designed for people with special needs, which is extra spacious and accessible.

The closest town Cartago is approx. 25 min away, and there is a hospital here.

We do not require you to purchase travel insurance, but we highly recommend it to protect your travel investment. This is the travel insurance provider we recommend: Global Rescue.

Verdesana is located in the country's central mountains, in the province of Cartago, about 1.5 hours from the capital city, San Jose. It is a quiet, secluded, and peaceful environment at 1600 meters of altitude, surrounded by mountains and cloud forest. You can look up ‘Verdesana Forest’ on Google Maps to get the specific geographic location of the campus.

Our property is 105 acres

Our beautiful cabins are handcrafted with cypress wood directly from our plantation. They have been carefully designed to be functional, aesthetic, safe, and eco-friendly.

All rooms come with a full queen sized bed per person. We provide a full bath series (shampoo, conditioner, body wash). Hair dryer. Essential oils & diffuser. A small coffee station. A heater and extra blankets for cooler evenings. Some cabins have a writer's desk. All cabins have a furnished private patio/deck with views of the gardens, forest, or mountains. Umbrellas and headlamps are available. All cabins have standard North American power outlets, so make sure to bring an adaptor if your appliances work with a different system.

Yes, we have a cabin designed for people with special needs, which is extra spacious and accessible.

The closest town Cartago is approx. 25 min away, and there is a hospital here.

The accommodations/cabins are located relatively close, and each is about a 1-2 min walk from the dining/community space. Some of our trails fx. to the river and yoga space are steep, so it’s a good idea to bring comfortable and practical closed-toed shoes for these trails.

Yes, $25 per load to pick up, wash, dry, fold, and deliver back to you. Allow 24 hours for turnaround.

Yes we have wifi in all structures/cabins onsite except for El Templo yoga shala. The speed is around 100megas, but can get affected it it’s very rainy or windy. Overall the wifi is pretty strong and very reliable.

Yes! We have several small trail systems located directly onsite. Hikes offsite the property are also available. Please inquire with our onsite team if you want to book a guided hike.

You can choose to get your massage at our spa facility or request to have it in your room if the space allows (only some cabins will have space for this).

No, we do not have a gym. However, we’re located on a mountain with excellent hiking and nature trails, yoga equipment, and a spacious yoga shala.

We do not police our guests — we are sharing our values and why they’re important to us. If you are seen with alcohol on campus, you will be reminded of why we have an alcohol-free campus once, and if we observe it again publicly, we will respectfully ask you to leave.

We serve three big meals daily. Between meals, we also serve fruits, snacks, nuts, juice, etc., and coffee and tea are available at all times throughout the day. If you get hungry between meals and snacks are not sufficient, please let our kitchen staff know, and they will be happy to provide extra food for you.

Before arrival, you are sent a form to include all of your personal information, such as allergies or dietary needs. Our kitchen team will ensure that all of your allergies are considered while preparing your food.

Yes! Our water is triple-filtered UV from our mountain’s well and perfectly healthy and safe to drink from all faucets on the property.

No, we cannot prepare individual smoothies. However, if our hosts request a smoothie or food item for the retreat experience, we will provide it.

We provide room service only in cases of sickness and/or Injuries; otherwise, the answer is no.

 The retreat facilitators are all licensed mental health professionals with extensive clinical experience, certifications, and expertise in their respective fields, including psychedelics, sexology, trauma, and nutritional psychiatry. The operations team at Verdesana @ Imiloa will be available throughout the retreat to ensure smooth logistics and support. All supprt-staff members are legally employed and local to Costa Rica.

You will be given the direct line to our front desk team. If you need anything from them during your stay please contact this line directly. They can also help remove bugs or insects from your room.

Packing list:

● Hat

● Sunglasses

● Organic sunscreen

● Organic mosquito repellent

● Reusable water bottle

● Boots or comfortable closed toe shoes *(our forest trails can get muddy and slippery, so make sure to bring comfortable and practical footwear keeping this in mind)

● Swimwear (optional: if you want to swim in the river)

● Yoga attire/comfortable clothes

● Hiking/fitness wear

● Rain jacket

● Warm sweater & warm socks

● Binoculars (if you want to do some birdwatching)

Grounding of comfort items for your psychedelic journey. 

For phone service, there is WIFI on campus, and we recommend WhatsApp as the best way to communicate.

We are a dry campus. If you are consuming alcohol at Verdesana or alcohol is visible in your accommodations, or you smoke cigarettes or marijuana or anything in your accommodations that is not aligned with our core values, we will directly let you know. You will be asked to leave the property with secure accommodations and coordinate your travel back to SJO at your own cost.

Please email your request to welcomehome@imiloainstitute.com and include the breed of dog, weight, and supporting documentation. While we will consider your request, we respectfully reserve the right to refuse entry to anyone with an emotional support animal unless they have received approval in writing from our team.

We take these requests seriously and have to evaluate several factors before making a decision, including the allergies of other guests and team members, the impact on the wildlife, and the impact on the accommodations and our property.

If you have a certified service animal, please email us so we can work with you to accommodate your accessibility needs.