Terms & Conditions

2. About Curandera

Curandera operates Chão de Estrelas retreat center in Paraty, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. We organize traditional plant medicine retreats led by trained indigenous medicine carriers.

Curandera is not a medical facility, therapeutic clinic, licensed healthcare provider, or travel agency. The content on this website is provided for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing on this website constitutes medical advice, psychiatric guidance, or a recommendation to use any substance.

3. Eligibility

To apply for a retreat, you must:

• Be 18 years of age or older.
• Complete our health screening intake honestly and in full.
• Disclose all medications, psychiatric diagnoses, and relevant medical history.
• Have no absolute contraindications to ayahuasca, as described in our Medical Disclaimer.

Curandera reserves the right to decline any application or to ask a confirmed participant to withdraw where safety requires it. In such cases, our Refund & Cancellation policy applies.

4. Application & Booking

Retreat spaces are allocated through an application review process. Submission of an application does not guarantee a place. Upon acceptance, a deposit is required to hold your space; the amount will be stated in your acceptance offer. Full payment is due no later than 60 days before the retreat start date unless otherwise agreed in writing.

Your booking is confirmed only upon receipt of the required deposit and written confirmation from Curandera.

5. Payment Process

All financial transactions related to your retreat are processed by STR Services LLC, a Colorado limited liability company. STR Services handles all retreat fees covering accommodation, meals, facilitation, integration programming, and every non-medicine cost associated with your stay.

Payment instructions, accepted methods, and amounts will be provided in your acceptance offer. All amounts are stated in USD unless otherwise noted.

All fees are processed securely through STR Services LLC. Specific amounts and payment instructions will be detailed in your written acceptance offer from Curandera.

6. Cancellation & Refund Policy

All reservations canceled before their arrival date are non-refundable but may be credited toward a future Curandera retreat.

We strongly recommend purchasing comprehensive travel and cancellation insurance that covers wellness retreats, including medical evacuation coverage, prior to booking.

7. Gift Certificates

Gift certificates may be purchased and applied toward any Curandera retreat fee. The following conditions apply:

• Gift certificates are non-refundable and have no cash value.
• They are non-transferable — the named recipient must be the retreat participant.
• Valid for 18 months from the date of purchase.
• Subject to retreat availability at time of booking.
• Recipients must complete the standard application and health screening process. Possession of a gift certificate does not guarantee acceptance.

To purchase a gift certificate or apply one toward a booking, contact hello@curandera.co.

8. Scholarship Program

Chão de Estrelas Access Fund

Curandera believes that financial circumstance alone should not determine who has access to this work. A limited number of scholarship placements are available each year for applicants who demonstrate genuine need and readiness. Scholarships cover retreat fees in full; they do not cover airfare or personal travel expenses.

Eligibility

• Applicants must be 18 years of age or older and meet all standard retreat eligibility requirements, including health screening.
• Applicants must demonstrate financial need through the application process. Income verification may be requested during review.
• Employees or immediate family members of Curandera or its affiliated companies are not eligible.
• Each individual may receive a scholarship award only once.

Award Details

• The scholarship covers all Curandera retreat fees, including accommodation, meals, facilitation, and programming.
• Airfare, travel insurance, and personal expenses are the sole responsibility of the recipient.
• Awards have no cash value and are non-transferable to another person.
• Retreat dates are subject to availability at time of booking.
• Recipients must receive medical clearance through our standard health screening process before their place is confirmed.

Application Process

1. Complete a retreat application through curandera.co and indicate that you are applying for scholarship consideration.
2. Shortlisted applicants will be contacted by our team for an interview and income verification.
3. Finalists will be notified by email and must respond within 14 days to accept their award. Failure to respond forfeits the scholarship.

9. Participant Responsibilities & Code of Conduct

By attending a Curandera retreat, you agree to the following before and during your stay.

Before Arrival

• Follow all pre-retreat preparation guidelines, including dietary restrictions (the dieta), medication adjustments as advised, and abstinence from alcohol and recreational substances.
• Disclose any change in your health status to us prior to arrival.

The Golden Rule of Respect

• Respect the medicine, the traditions, and the lineage.
• Respect and follow all directions provided by the Curandera team.
• Respect the healing process of yourself and others in the group.
• Respect the personal boundaries of all other guests and staff.
• Recognize that every participant deserves space, silence, and the freedom to move through their own experience without interference.
• We maintain a zero-tolerance policy against sexual harassment of any kind, verbal or physical. Engaging in sexual activity during the retreat is prohibited.

During ceremonies: please refrain from vocalizing your experience or touching other participants without their explicit consent.

Zero-Tolerance Offenses

The following constitute grounds for immediate expulsion without refund, at the sole discretion of the Curandera team:

• Sexual harassment toward any guest or staff member, including verbal or physical insinuation.
• Behavior that places your own or others' safety at risk.
• Persistent disruptive behavior inside or outside of ceremony that interferes with another participant's healing process.
• Leaving ceremony before it concludes, whether or not you have partaken of the medicine.
• Bringing recording equipment, including a mobile phone, into ceremony space.
• Use of any substances — recreational or pharmaceutical — without the explicit approval of the lead facilitator, including painkillers and anti-diarrhea medication.
• Leaving the retreat grounds without authorization from the Curandera team.
• Providing false or incomplete information during health screening. Any additional travel costs incurred as a result of expulsion are the responsibility of the participant.

Ceremony Attendance

All guests are required to be present for all ceremonies throughout the retreat, whether or not they choose to drink the medicine. Attending ceremony without drinking is always an option. However, if a guest chooses not to enter ceremony at all, they agree to depart without refund and to cover their own onward travel.

10. Assumption of Risk

You acknowledge and fully accept that participation in traditional plant medicine ceremonies — including ayahuasca ceremonies — carries inherent physical, psychological, and emotional risks. These include but are not limited to:

• Intense physical sensations including nausea, vomiting, tremors, and disorientation.
• Heightened emotional states, re-experiencing of past trauma, and psychological distress.
• Experiences of ego dissolution or temporary disorientation that may persist beyond the ceremony.
• Inherent risks of a wilderness environment, including injury.
• In rare circumstances, more serious adverse physical or psychological reactions, including injury or death.

You voluntarily assume full responsibility for all risks associated with participation. A separate Activity Waiver & Release will be provided before the retreat and must be signed prior to participation.

11. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Curandera, its operators, facilitators, staff, and agents shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages — including personal injury, psychological harm, loss of income, theft, or property damage — arising from your participation in a retreat or use of this website.

Our total liability to you under any circumstances shall not exceed the total amount paid by you for your retreat. Curandera cannot accept responsibility for theft or damage to personal belongings.

12. Photography & Media

Curandera may photograph or film retreat activities for documentary, educational, or promotional purposes. You will be asked for separate written consent before any images or footage featuring you are used publicly. You may decline or withdraw consent at any time. Participants are asked not to photograph or record during ceremonies.

13. Intellectual Property

All content on this website — text, photographs, film footage, logos, and design — is the property of Curandera or its content suppliers and may not be reproduced or used commercially without prior written permission.

14. Governing Law & Jurisdiction

These Terms and Conditions are governed by the laws of the Federative Republic of Brazil. Any dispute arising from or related to these terms, the website, or participation in a retreat shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Paraty, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, unless otherwise required by applicable mandatory law in your country of residence.

15. Changes to These Terms

Curandera reserves the right to update these Terms at any time. Material changes will be posted on this page with an updated date. Continued use of this website constitutes acceptance of the revised terms.