Plantas Sagradas

Reishi Session August 2-8th, 2025

Orquídea Session August 11-17th, 2025

Join us for an intimate retreat exploring the plants, foods, and traditions of the Sierra Norte region of Oaxaca. We will experience hands-on educational workshops led by Zapotec masters of medicinal plants, wild mushrooms, and traditional medicine.  

In partnership with local Zapotec communities, our ecotourism retreat is designed to support bio-cultural diversity and protect natural and cultural heritage. Experience Oaxaca’s diverse ecosystems through responsible travel to natural areas, and educational programming that promotes the well-being of the local communities.

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What’s Included

Lodging, Meals, & Transportation

  • Accommodation (5 days, 6 nights)

  • 3 meals daily, with the exception of two, so you may explore

  • Transfer to and from Xoxocotlán (OAX) International Airport during the scheduled retreat (iIf you arrive early or leave late we can help you organize transportation to/from the airport)

  • Private in-country transportation

Workshops & Experiences

Learn from the masters as we venture deep into the forest to forage for wild mushrooms in one of the most prolific fungi regions in the world. Our journey is guided by Mujeres Recolectores De Hongos Silvestres (Women Gatherers of Wild Mushrooms), a collective of Zapotec women preserving their local traditions. We will learn how to forage responsibly without causing harm to the ecosystem. Our teachers will help us classify, identify, and prepare edible mushrooms.

Spend a day walking through the forest with a local medical plant expert, recognized by the community for her in-depth knowledge of native plants and their healing properties. Learn to identify medicinal plants and gain a deeper understanding of their traditional uses by preparing salves with native healing plants.

Reflection & Conversation

We believe reflection deepens learning and strengthens community. Reflecting on our shared experiences creates pathways for rich and inspiring dialogue and exchange. We invite you to participate in individual and group reflections, journal prompts, sharing circles, and movement and meditation offerings during our time together.

Experience the Spirit of Oaxaca and the Sierra Norte through ceremony and  rituals. Throughout our time together we will meet with Curanderas (healers) who carry wisdom passed down through generations. We invite you to gather in community for limpia and temazcal ceremonies.

Itinerary

  • The first day is considered a travel day. Participants who arrive in Oaxaca City on this day may take the private transportation to Casa de las Bugambilias. There is a welcome dinner this evening for those who can make it, but the official orientation and start to the retreat is the following morning, once all participants have arrived.

  • We begin our retreat with breakfast in Oaxaca City. After breakfast we travel (1.5 hours) to Cuajimoloyas in the Sierra Norte. We will spend the afternoon getting settled in our cabins in the forest, and have lunch prepared by a cocinera tradicional (traditional cook) from the community. In the evening we will gather for an energetic limpia and agradecimiento (gratitude) ritual with a local healer in the forest. After the ritual, we will gather for a dinner of local dishes.

  • We begin our day with breakfast and morning movement. After breakfast, we will spend the morning hiking, accompanied by a local Zapotec master of medicinal plants, recognized by the community for her in-depth knowledge of native plants and their healing properties. As we walk through the cloud forest, we will identify native plants and gain a deeper understanding of their medicinal uses.

    After our morning hike in the forest, we break for a delicious lunch. We then continue the day with our maestra (teacher) preparing our own salves and oils with the plants we harvested during the medicinal plant walk.

    After the workshop concludes, you will have some time to rest. We will gather again in the evening for dinner. You can spend the evening relaxing in your cabin, or with the group around the fire.

  • After breakfast, we head into the forest to forage for wild mushrooms in one of the most prolific fungi regions in the world. Our journey is guided by Doña Marta of Mujeres Recolectoras de Hongos Silvestres (Women Gatherers Of Wild Mushrooms) — a collective of Zapotec women who collect and classify local fungi. We will learn how to forage responsibly, without causing harm to the ecosystem.

    We will bring the mushrooms back to town, where our maestra (teacher) will help us classify and identify them. We spend the rest of the afternoon learning how to prepare traditional dishes from the region, and sit down together to eat the mushrooms we foraged.

    In the evening we have a group dinner, and you may relax by the fire o in your cabin.

  • After breakfast and morning movement, we visit the local high school and meet with the students to learn about the community project the Cosa Buena Foundation is supporting through the Plantas Sagradas Retreat.

    In the afternoon we make our way back to the Central Valley to the town of Tlacochahuaya where we will stay the evening at a permaculture eco-village. Upon our arrival, we will enjoy a farm-to-table lunch, followed by a tour of the farm and eco-village. During the tour we will learn about medicinal plants from the Central Valley. You may spend the remainder of the afternoon hiking to an ancient Zapotec ruin, exploring the beautiful eco-village, or relaxing in the natural pool.

    In the evening the group will meet for delicious farm-to-table dinner prepared by a cocinera tradicional.

  • We rise early for a light breakfast followed by a traditional temazcal ceremony. The temazcal (sweat lodge) emulates the womb, and is believed to be an energetic cleansing or rebirth.

    We close our retreat after the temazcal ceremony and prepare to return to Casa Las Bugambilias in Oaxaca City. You will have some free time to rest, or roam around the city and visit shops and galleries before our final group dinner.

  • The last day is considered a travel day. Participants who plan to leave Oaxaca on this day may take the private transportation to the airport for their departing flights. Breakfast will be served at the BnB for those who are able to attend.

Guiding Principles

Educational Immersion

We believe in experiential education and purposeful reflection. Our retreat facilitates an exploration of the cultural depth and traditions of this region in a thoughtful and respectful manner. The experience includes opportunities to engage with local academics, artists, and community leaders, encouraging mutual respect and understanding across borders.

Community

Community is at the heart of everything we do. We collaborate with local leaders and activists who are working hard to preserve their craft, culture, and identity. We have worked with the same families, cooperatives, and communities for several years to create inclusive, long-term relationships.

Cultural Exchange

We encourage the exchange of ideas and experiences that respect and nurture local cultures and communities. We believe that in order for true exchange to occur, we must also consider what we can contribute and share with the local community. Reciprocity is essential to an equitable exchange.

Regenerative Tourism

We practice regenerative tourism by reinvesting 10% of all profits from our retreats into  community-based projects and educational programs in the areas we visit. These initiatives are self-determined by the communities we work within, and carried out by our 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, The Cosa Buena Foundation.

Pricing

Pricing is per person and includes 6 nights of accommodation, 5 days of workshops and experiences, 3 daily meals, airport transfers, and in-country transportation during your retreat. 

  • Single Occupancy Room: $2,900 USD

  • Double Occupancy Room $2,600 USD

A $500 USD non-refundable deposit is required to reserve your spot. The remaining total for the retreat must be paid in full one month prior to the retreat start date either in a single payment or three installments.

  • Yes! Cosa Buena is committed to cultivating and preserving a culture of inclusion and connectedness. Our scholarship programs provide financial assistance to attend our retreats in Oaxaca.

    Scholarship recipients are selected not only for their need, but also for their demonstrated commitment to equitable, respectful cultural exchange and cultivating community through their participation in our retreats. Please indicate in your application if you are interested in being considered for a scholarship.

  • Yes, Mexican citizens receive a 15% discount.

  • Pricing does not include airfare, alcohol (with the exception of planned mezcal tastings), or travel insurance.

  • We require that prior to departure, all participants must have proof of travel insurance that covers personal injury, medical expenses, loss of or damage to luggage, repatriation expenses, and a minimum coverage of $200,000 USD emergency evacuation expenses. Insurance typically costs $60 - $100 USD. We recommend World Nomads, USI, or Allianz.

  • This is not a hallucinogenic mushroom experience. We are guided by expert Zapotec Maestras to forage for edible mushrooms and learn how to prepare them in traditional dishes.

  • Yes, the names are only to differentiate the session dates.

  • Visit our general travel FAQ for more information.

Accommodations

Bed and Breakfast in Oaxaca City

For our nights in Oaxaca City, we will be staying at Casa de Las Bugambilias in the heart of the city— a beautiful colonial home filled with traditional folk art. At Casa Las Bugambilias, everyone will have a single occupancy room.

Rustic Cabins in Sierra Norte

For our nights in the Sierra Norte, we will be staying deep in the forest in rustic adobe & wood cabins. Each room has a chiminea for cozy fires in the evening. All rooms have 1 full bed, 2 bunk beds, and private bathrooms.

Eco Village in Valles Centrales

We will spend one evening at a permaculture center and eco village in the central valleys of Oaxaca. The eco village has shared cabins and small individual huts. All bathrooms are shared. For this evening, all single rooms will be shared.

Social Impact

You participation in the Plantas Sagradas Retreat supports the following community project.

The Cosa Buena Foundation is proud to support the Farmacia Viva project initiated by the local high school in Cuajimoloyas. This project aims to rescue ancestral knowledge about medicinal plants by establishing a garden and green pharmacy dedicated to these valuable resources. Our contributions have helped with the construction of the pharmacy, installation of an automatic irrigation system in the medicinal plant garden, as well as supporting the student’s continuing education by financing educational workshops with permaculture and regenerative agriculture centers in Oaxaca.

Testimonials

  • “From start to finish, the Plantas Sagradas Retreat was an absolute treat. The airport pick-up, accommodations, meals (including vegan options!) and thoughtfully planned educational activities have left me with a sense of divine connection to the communities, people, and plants that I encountered and learned from. Plantas Sagradas was the most humbling, inspiring, and grounding trip I think I might ever experience in my life (until I am hopefully back next year for the Entre Sueños Retreat). Being able to participate in this Cosa Buena retreat has provided me with so much knowledge and spiritual refreshment. Plantas Sagradas has renewed my love of and interest in plant medicine and botanical healing. Muchas gracias to Vera, Sam, Kiana, Leiss, Marta, Ester, baby Elio, and Totopo and all the other kind, welcoming, beautiful souls who made this retreat so spectacular. I’m leaving with a notebook full of knowledge, dried hongos, mangoes, and polleo! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for curating such a unique and warm experience. Until next time.”

    Sharita Henry (Toronto, Canada)

  • “I really enjoyed the entirety of this experience. I received healing and knowledge that I did not expect to receive or know that I needed. I’m truly grateful for the entire experience, it is hard for me to pick just one thing that I enjoyed the most. I can say however, that this was a life changing experience for me. The limpia and temazcal rituals helped me recognize I was holding onto a lot, and I was able to let go of it during the temazcal. Foraging for mushrooms was also a life changing experience for me, and introduced a new appreciation for the beautiful world of plants and fungi. Thank you to the Cosa Buena team for doing such a great job and making me feel comfortable. Five stars!”

    Emilio Gonzalez (Hansville, Washington)

  • “Everything from the lands we walked, the foods we ate, the women we encountered, and all the rituals and workshops we participated in, the Plantas Sagradas Retreat was an incredibly healing and enriching experience. I thank the Oaxacan lands, the Zapotec women and communities, and every member of the lovely Cosa Buena team for allowing me to learn, heal, and play together, as one. Mil gracias.”

    Krishna Trujillo (Cali, Colombia)

  • “I really enjoyed the focus of this retreat because it touched on work with plants and mushrooms from different perspectives (foraging, herbalism, the kitchen, gardens, and the energetic and healing properties of plants). One of my favorite moments was sharing the cocina (kitchen) with Marta, and preparing the mushrooms we foraged in traditional Oaxacan dishes—it was incredible! The Cosa Buena team and facilitators were phenomenal, so warm and welcoming, and they introduced us to incredible people in the Sierra Norte, it was spectacular to have access to these people. It was very special to witness the work Cosa Buena does in the community, and meet all the people and projects they are supporting. There is so much intention behind everything they do. Thank you Cosa Buena and thank you Oaxaca for allowing me to bloom, for introducing me to incredible people who shared their ancestral knowledge of medicinal plants, for creating this transformative journey, for reminding me that the kitchen and food unite us, for showing me what true abundance is. I am leaving with a full stomach and a happy heart, like the delicious hot chocolates we drank in the mountains.”

    Agustín Yarde Buller (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

  • “Plantas Sagradas is an amazing journey, not only into the Sierra Norte of Oaxaca, but also into one’s connection with mother earth. The Cosa Buena team have planned an incredibly respectful, intentional, and enriching experience. They have formed genuine and loving relationships with people in the Zapotec communities of Oaxaca, and the retreat serves as a platform for them to share their amazing knowledge about the earth.”

    Loretta López (Guadalajara, Mexico)

  • “The Plantas Sagradas retreat was more beautiful than I can put into words. Not only are you introduced to the wonders of botany and medicinal plants, but you form bonds that are life changing and affirming. Meeting and learning from traditional healers, feeling like their family, taking them home with you in your hearts and future actions; it really is more than I could ever put into words. If you are questioning whether or not you should come on this retreat, my answer to you is do it—it is magic.”

    Shannon Smith (Tucson, Arizona)

  • “I really felt validated as a first-generation Chicana on Cosa Buena’s Plantas Sagradas retreat. It was a beautiful journey that guided me to be more spontaneous and explore parts of my culture I don’t normally have access to. I felt seen and heard. Oaxaca y las plantas no son mágicas, son sagradas. I know everyone will continue to enjoy and process this experience we love and respect for years to come.”

    Leslie Ortega (Los Angeles, Caiifornia)

  • “It was such an honor to visit the communities in the Sierra Norte during the Plantas Sagradas retreat. I left the retreat feeling inspired and thankful to have spent the week with so many kind and interesting women. The fact that my time on the retreat contributed to The Cosa Buena Foundation’s work in the region also made this a stand out experience.”

    Brittany Arceneuax (New Orleans, Louisiana)

  • “Plantas Sagradas was my second Cosa Buena retreat, I returned for this retreat after experiencing Entre Sueños. Once again, I am completely blown away by my time with Cosa Buena. Cosa Buena has created a one-of-a-kind experience to meet, learn from, and share with locals in a respectful and thoughtful manner, while connecting with nature, yourself, and new friends. I also enjoyed meeting four other women who had been on Entre Sueños retreats as well, that was very special! I am leaving Oaxaca with a renewed purpose and sense of self, thank you Cosa Buena.”

    Juliette Bouquerel (Paris, France)

  • “I am leaving the Plantas Sagradas retreat with a deeper understanding of myself and the world around me. I am extremely grateful for all the people I met along the way, especially those who welcomed us into their homes and communities to share their knowledge and stories. Thank you Cosa Buena for giving us this unforgettable experience, and for helping us remember the divine connection we all have with our earth.”

    Lauren Williamson (Half Moon Bay, California)

Read more testimonials

Apply for Plantas Sagradas

REISHI session August 2- 8, 2025
ORQUÍDEA session August 11-17th, 2025