If you run a company, you know what burnout looks like.
You answer email at 2 a.m., spend your vacation on calls, and slowly lose the clarity that got you this far. Some founders and executives have stopped trying to fix that with a long weekend. They’re flying to Europe for an ayahuasca retreat instead.
Psychedelic retreats have a long tradition in Latin America, but according to the EU’s drugs agency, they have “recently appeared to have grown in number in Europe.” For Americans, that makes a retreat easy to plan. Ayahuasca is illegal in the US outside narrow religious exemptions. Spain is a direct flight from several US cities, and a retreat there fits into a few days off.
The real thing, outside Barcelona
Moving the ceremony to Europe doesn’t mean watering it down. At Avalon’s Ayahuasca Retreats in Spain, experienced South American shamans lead the ceremonies, working with European facilitators and therapists. Each ceremony runs seven to eight hours, against a typical four to six, with music and the shamans’ traditional songs carrying the group through the night.
The retreat is an hour and a half from Barcelona, in a historic building surrounded by gardens, ponds and a pool. Retreats run four or six days, and a four-day retreat costs around €2,600. Avalon is a registered association under Spanish law.
Groups are capped at 21 guests, supported by a team of about 25 that includes shamans, facilitators, therapists, guardians, musicians and chefs. Alongside ayahuasca, Avalon offers mushroom ceremonies, Kambo cleanses, holotropic breathwork and ecstatic dance.
Bringing the team
Some leaders want to go with their partners or senior team, not alone. Avalon runs corporate retreats for groups who want to work through the experience together, away from the office and the usual hierarchy.
Screening applies to everyone, whether they come alone or with a team. Avalon doesn’t recommend ayahuasca for anyone on antidepressants, anyone who’s pregnant, or anyone with a personal or family history of conditions such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia or borderline personality disorder. Alcohol and recreational drugs are off the table for at least two weeks beforehand.
The part that pays off on Monday
The ceremony isn’t easy. The Global Ayahuasca Survey asked more than 10,000 drinkers about their experiences. Vomiting was common, and many reported difficult psychological effects afterward. About 12% of that group sought professional support. But 88% of them saw those effects as part of a positive process, and most wanted to keep attending ceremonies.
So what happens after the ceremony matters. Every Avalon guest has a one-to-one video call before arriving, and online integration sessions once they’re home. For someone who measures everything by results, that’s where the value is.