Ayahuasca Retreat Reviews — Helping You Stay Safe with 5,000+ Independent Reviews
>
Room Features
Property Features
We have been hosting ayahuasca retreats since 1996. Our center is based in the midst of the beautiful Atlantic Rainforest along the coast of Bahia in Brazil. We facilitate a safe and comfortable space for you to achieve harmony in your everyday life by aligning your mind, body, and heart with your true self.
Our 9 day and 11 day ayahuasca retreats are designed to give you a balanced experience. We have ayahuasca ceremonies every other night and in between there are activities to integrate your experiences and insights. There is also ample free time to reflect, to enjoy the beauty of the jungle, to visit the gorgeous beaches, and just to relax, let go, and enjoy the pure bliss of the moment.
Calendar and prices on our website
We have extensive experience integrating ayahuasca, psychology, shamanism, self development, modified states of consciousness, and various other modalities. We are present at all times and are dedicated in supporting you with loving care, attention, safety, and respect.The activities include workshops focused on spiritual development. The techniques covered in the workshops can be practiced even after the retreat to continue the journey of personal growth. Some of the topics include inner child integration, life progression, discovering the source of your blockages and the resources to overcome them. Another very important part of the retreat are the Yoga sessions in the morning which greatly enrich the ayahuasca experiences at night.
Spirit Vine & TheVine Center previously known as Ayahuasca-Healing have been created by Silvia Polivoy. She received her license in clinical psychology and had a private practice in Buenos Aires, Argentina for several years until she began to feel the need to make a transition from studying and healing the mind to exploring the worlds of Spirit. This took her away from the busy city streets to the more tranquil life in the jungle, moving to Brazil where in 2004 she co-founded the TheVine Center, a trans-denominational and inter-faith spiritual center located in the state of Bahia.
The nature of our nonprofit center is philosophical, religious, mystical, spiritual, educational, and cultural. All the retreats’ income’ serves to maintain the center grounds, create employment for the local community, and help preserve the jungle, having replanted thousands of native trees over the years to give but one example.
The retreats take place inside of 39 acres of lush preserved area. It is about 7 miles from Itacaré on the coast of Bahia. Our location is only minutes away from beautiful coastal beaches, which back onto the Mata Atlántica, the second largest rainforest in Brazil.
The experience of sacred tea ceremonies can be challenging for some, deeply religious for others, but profound all around. Please note that we have several programs to offer and the plant ceremonies are always optional and not required to partake in during any of our retreats. The plant ceremonies begin in the evening and go through the night. The group dynamic is very important and there will be facilitators to look after participants throughout. There will be plenty of time for group discussions and also time alone to reflect on the experiences elicited by the spirit vine tea for those that wish to partake in the plant ceremonies.
At the retreat center we grow our own ayahuasca vine and chacruna plants organically! We also have an organic garden to source vegetables for the food prepared during the retreat. We have pure spring water for drinking and also coconut water, juices, and a variety of teas.
During all our programs we follow a strict (though delicious) diet. The meals are completely vegan, gluten-free, and nutritionally balanced, prepared by our in-house chef who has specialized in vegan cuisine and has a post-graduation in functional nutrition. They include plenty of fresh vegetables cooked with delicious herbs and spices, luscious fresh tropical fruits, salads, and grains.
A note about sexual abstinence: this varies from culture to culture; some recommending as long as 30-40 days while others as little as one day or none at all like here in Brazil. For energetic purposes we recommend sexual abstinence during the retreat as well as 3 days before it begins and 3 days after the retreat concludes. As well, a drug free and no salt diet with no red meat, pork or heavy alcohol use for the same amount of time is optimal.
We fully expect you have questions about the retreats, programs and the facilities we offer. Please feel free to explore our website or watch our videos and write to us to come to one of our retreats.
Add Review
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
BlueNomad
June 23, 2025 at 7:12 pmI’ve held onto this experience for months, unsure how to find the words, let alone the strength, to speak up. But healing asks for honesty. So today, I’m choosing to share what I experienced at Spirit Vine.
I visited this retreat center twice—first in 2019, then again in 2024. The first time, there was a team of facilitators supporting the founder. When I returned in 2024, none of them were there. I wasn’t given any explanation, which left me quietly wondering what had changed.
The natural setting is beautiful—the forest, the sunshine, the clean rooms. But this time, something felt different. I came seeking safety, presence, and care. What I experienced instead felt, to me, more transactional than transformational. One moment that particularly unsettled me was when [the founder] told me my “entities” were attacking her. Coming from someone with a PhD in psychology, I hadn’t expected language that I interpreted as spiritual blame rather than compassionate inquiry.
The assistant at the time seemed unprepared to support the deep emotional work participants were doing. I often felt more like a customer navigating a schedule than someone being held in a healing container.
Spirit Vine describes itself as a non-profit “church” with a required $2,500 donation. Personally, I found the structure didn’t reflect the level of spiritual and ethical transparency I had hoped for.
One moment that stayed with me: after the final ceremony, we were encouraged to leave tips for the staff. I gave generously. Later, a staff member told me—off the record—that [the founder] decides who receives what from the pooled tips. I don’t know if this is true or not, but hearing that made me uncomfortable. It raised questions for me about transparency and fairness.
Despite my discomfort, I did my best to stay open and engaged. But I didn’t feel emotionally or energetically supported in the way I expected from a healing retreat. When I asked about the former facilitators and the land they had supposedly bought to help protect the forest, I was met with silence, which only deepened my unease.
I came to this place to do deep emotional work and face wounds I’ve carried for years. But it’s hard to surrender into healing when trust and safety feel compromised.
This review isn’t about blame. It’s about sharing my experience so that others can make fully informed decisions. If you’re considering Spirit Vine, I urge you to ask questions, research carefully, and trust your intuition.
We all deserve healing environments where we feel safe, supported, and respected. I didn’t find that here, but I hope that, by sharing this, someone else might find the clarity they need.
Note: This review was edited to remove mention of the owner’s personal life and another website, but has otherwise been left in its original form.
martyna
June 11, 2025 at 3:54 pmThis was my first experience with ayahuasca and I could not wish for a better place. Silvia created a truly wonderful place, a healing centre that feels safe, containing and well protected. Every single detail is thought about, Spirit Vine is well organised and truly beautiful. The ceremonies felt safe and Silvia offers integrative pathways that other retreats do not, which actually allows understanding ayahuasca experience. The workshops, yoga, and massages offer amazing preparation and sharing and art sessions offer integration opportunities. If I were to do Ayauasca again I would not go anywhere else. I was truly impressed and will be forever grateful for the gift of Spirit Vine. Special thanks to Silvia for creating and managing Spirit Vine, Elvis for taking care of us and all staff members who make sure that Spirit Vine remains a beautiful paradise, a healing place for many souls.
Nina2025
June 9, 2025 at 4:26 pmThe retreat led by Silvia, an experienced psychologist fluent in English, was truly life-changing for me. The organization was exceptional, featuring a structured schedule that fostered a sense of safety and support—an essential aspect when navigating the potentially vulnerable experience of the ceremonies.
Each day was filled with enriching workshops aimed at giving us tools to be more conscious and make the most out of the ceremonies, complemented by nourishing meals that were both healthy and delicious. The yoga sessions were rejuvenating and inclusive, catering to all skill levels, while the massage therapy offered a wonderful opportunity for relaxation. The small group size allowed for meaningful connections with the other participants, enhancing the overall experience.
The site was beautiful and the rooms were super clean.
I highly recommend this retreat to anyone seeking healing or simply looking to take a step back and reset in a safe and supportive environment. It was a truly transformative experience that I will cherish forever!
MikeK
April 18, 2025 at 4:57 amVery pleasant experience.
Silvia and Elvis are really helpful when you want/need it and at the same time non intrusive when you should or feel like working on yourself. You’ll get all the guidance you need. The ayahuasca retreat is very well coordinated in beautiful jungle environment (garden) which is the optimal kind of place for the given nature of the subject with three appropriate light vegan meals a day and nice and clean accomodation to go with it. Everything is cared for so tat you can concentrate on your journey and whatever it is you need to do.
I’ve had one ayahuasca experience so far and definately am going for another when the time is right. A place for people who want to change something in their lives and/or move on in some sense, as from my experience, ayahuasca may not necesarilly get you the exact thing you expect, but will always give you what you need. I’d recomend it to just about anybody with open mind and appropriate will.
PuppyPatchi
April 12, 2025 at 5:45 pmIt has been two months since the retreat and I am still struggling to put into words how magical the whole experience was. Before starting this journey, I felt like something was off but I could not put my finger on it. I feel like Ayahuasca already started doing her magic even by just following the restrictions two months prior. You start removing the noise, things become more clear, and things start aligning. I am still feeling the effect of it in such a positive mind blowing way. For me, Ayahuasca was not necessarily life changing but life tuning and it was Exactly what I needed. I feel to my core so at peace, centered, grateful, happy, present, fulfilled and ready for whatever the universe has in store for me (the good and the bad). Most importantly, my thoughts are SO conscious. I can catch myself in a negative or unproductive thought loop and get out of it with such grace. If I am triggered, I can recognize it and navigate it. Ayahuasca showed me what it feels like to be my highest self and now I can always reference it to remind myself who I am and where I need to flow. It is just so incredible and so Freeing!
First of all, before even considering doing Ayahuasca you Have to be ready to do the deep work that comes with it, especially the intense preparation leading up to it. It is not a recreational experience, it is hard, Very Intense, draining and exhausting. You Have to be ready to let go of your past self or you will really struggle. However, if you are ready for it – I cannot recommend Spirit Vine enough. I have been raving about this place to everyone I talk to. Silvia has created a paradise for true authentic healing. She comes in with a lot of tough love that we all needed. Don’t expect to be coddled here – She means Business. However, you are 110% taken care of – everything at the retreat was perfect and designed with such care. I alway felt so safe and loved. You are surrounded by the most beautiful nature, the bungalow was so peaceful and very clean, the food was delicious and I was always so impressed how creative they got considering all the restrictions and the pond was such a great place to recharge. The workshops were one of the most meaningful experiences of the retreat – not only from talking about your own experience but listening to everyone else’s experience and Sivlia’s perspective and endless wisdom. I feel like a million light bulbs were going off in my head during it – honestly they are still going off.
Nothing can prepare you for the actual Ayahuasca trip but with the right intention it can open your world up in the most beautiful way. It is impossible to describe. Everyone in our group had very different experiences and you just have to trust Aya’s intelligence that you will get the experience you need. The healing journey did not just come from your own journey but from the insane strength of the group you are with. It was the most inspirational humbling eye opening experience I had the honor to be part of with these beautiful extraordinary conscious humans. In the end, I would not change a thing and Spirit Vine was really the ultimate alignment from the universe. Silvia, you are an angel. I cannot wait to be back stronger and more awake.