Testimonials
Guest Stories & Transformations
At Casa del Sol, we witness profound personal transformations. Our guests have generously shared their journeys of healing, self-discovery, and spiritual awakening. Read their stories and see how the magic of plant medicine and the beauty of nature have left a lasting impact on their lives.
See what our past family members have said about their experience with Casa del Sol!
A perfect balance of commitment and enjoyment his very presence is some of the best medicine available. This is so much more than a retreat center. This is family, this is a right of passage, this is the most beautiful weaving I have ever experienced, and the gift of carrying my own thread into my own life has been the most beautiful honor I have every received.
I feel encouraged to flourish and to bloom and to live so freely in this life. I have found the woman I am meant to be on this Earth through the guidance of our plant teachers and our human ones. I am beyond honored to have been given the gift of experiencing Casa del Sol. I am humbled and so in love. Thank you thank you thank you. Buen Dia, Buena Vida. To my family in Ecuador, my heart is forever yours. Aho.
I left the retreat having gotten more than I EXPECTED & EXACTLY what I needed. It’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve returned home with the first few days being extremely challenging for me but since then with daily integration of the lessons I learnt & more being revealed, life continues to unfold for me in the most beautiful magical ways I used to only dream about.
Coming to Casa del Sol for the Special Yopo Retreat was a life changing experience. I had done Ayahuasca and San Pedro before and felt that I would like to go even deeper. Yopo was a powerful, deep and sweet medicine. The amount of healing I have experienced during this retreats is more than I could have imagined, I’m grateful beyond words to the medicine and to all the beautiful medicine people that so lovingly make the ceremonies special.
It was the best choice I could make. I got everything that I was seeking. Casa Del Sol is so much more than a retreat center. This place is about family, connection, creativity.
My experience was way beyond my expectations. Ximena, Santiago, Mateo, Suzanna, Magda, Norma and Luis showed us a different way of being. I learned so much about myself and the medicines. I made friends for life. Vilcabamba is the best place to reconnect to the source. I am sure I will be back every year.
I went in lost, feeling alone and at a crossroads in life. After the retreat, I left with clarity, peace, love in my heart and most importantly, a soul family I can trust my life with. Ximena, Santiago and Mateo provide the guidance, wisdom, love and light every soul on this planet desperately needs. I sincerely plan on returning in the future.
If you hear the call from Mother Aya and want to do it in the safest and most loving place run by a family of trusted and respectful shamans, look no further.
Love, light and abundance to all. Aho!
Casa Del Sol wildly exceeded my expectations. I came for an Ayahuasca and San Pedro retreat and what I received was much more. Santiago, Ximena and Mateo lovingly welcome you into their home and share centuries old wisdom, traditions and ways of thinking. Feeling safe is one of the most important things when working with these medicines and I can't imagine anyone I'd feel more comfortable entrusting my safety with than these beautiful, wise, experienced and professional human beings. I will truly miss them and look forward to returning sometime soon.
Very positive experience.
Like the other reviewers I am deeply grateful to Santiago, Ximena, Mateo, Suzannah and other members of the Casa del Sol family.
This family is dedicated to serving plant medicines in a respectful manner that furthers the personal growth of their guests. I have participated in many plant medicine retreats and Casa del Sol is very authentic on all levels.
My wife and I were the oldest members of the retreat by quite a few years. We felt very comfortable at Casa del Sol.
With respect, thank you.
I have so much love for this place! Casa Del Sol is a place where you are safe to explore the deep roots of your healing journey. No matter who you are or where you are from, you will be welcomed into the human family and acknowledged as your unique and beautiful self. This separateness that we often feel in this world causes so much of our pain. Come back to the sacred circle and be welcomed in. Face your true self and find your feet again. Whatever you seek, whatever you question, you can find the tools here to unlocking the answers.
Santiago and Ximena have been working with the medicines for many years and have gained the respect of all who have the opportunity to meet them. The land is a sacred oasis full of spirits and magic. I can’t say enough about this place. It is very dear to my heart. My very first ceremony with Santiago changed my life. It rekindled a deep love for all things, self-respect and faith of purpose. I came not knowing what I needed but only that I needed to go. I was greeted with so much love and truth and strength to follow my heart. Trust your calling.
I had pondered over having this spiritual experience for almost 7 years allowing fear to sway me from this inevitable journey. Once I'd finally made the decision that I would sojourn to this beautiful retreat high up in the Andes mountains to finally answer the calling deep in my soul, I was very fortunate to have been able to partake in some of my first Sacred Ceremonies under the sincere care and tutelage of such an esteemed Shaman as Santiago Ayala.
I was still quite nervous when I arrived, but upon being graced with Santiago's presence, all my fears were immediately dispelled; His benevolent attitude, calming spirit, and comforting smile immediately placed me at ease. During ceremony his wisdom and great skill was undeniable,
This treasured experience created quite a defining moment in my life and the take-away is immeasurable.
I spent my time at the retreat from September - December 2016 and participated in several of the ceremonies, it is now June 2018, and I am still evolving, unfolding and slowly awakening to the fact that once you know, you can never go back to not knowing.
Santiago, because of your introduction to the amazing sacred medicine you prepared from the beautiful plant teachers, I Now realize without a single doubt that I am a part of everything, everyone and all that is and that the sacred ceremony never ends. Thank you for your service and your guidance. I will see you and your beautiful family again.
I met Santiago at a sacred medicine retreat near Cuenca, Ecuador in 2016. I was going through a very difficult and confusing time, and shared with the group that I was unsure what I was doing there. But I was really saying I was uncertain about the direction of my life. Santiago asked me very direct questions in the group setting—the questions I needed to hear and contemplate. But he did so with such a great sense of humor—and love—that I was able to look at myself and my life from a new perspective. And to not take myself so seriously. I’m laughing even as I write this. From that day on, I realized I was in the presence of a true master, and a genuinely good man. I have not yet been to Casa Del Sol (though I hope to go there one day soon), but I can say without a doubt that with Santiago as your host and guide, it’s a Retreat Center with a heart.
I had the privilege and pleasure to take part in a 10 day retreat with Santiago, Ximena and their family. The experience is something that is difficult to put into words. I can say that it is life changing and am so grateful for everything I have learned. The time and experiences I have shared with them, I truly value and will remember forever. I consider them part of my family and dear friends. I hope that I can continue to come back throughout my life to continue learning. I highly recommend to anybody interested, that if you feel the calling, to listen to your heart and follow it. Thank you for everything you do Santiago and Ximena. You are wonderful people with beautiful hearts.
After a personal crisis I spent a few months in Ecuador with Santiago. Casa del sol is a blessed space. As soon as I spent my first night there I began dreaming very vividly and I had not had any dreams worth remembering in years. Through many easy and difficult lessons throughout the next few months, I returned home and made moves In my life I would never of done had I not received what I did at Casa del Sol. I am almost effortlessly in a much more powerful place on the earth and also taking care of myself in a way I had not bothered to do so before. Thank you so much to the Ayala family!
