Amazon Rainforest Wellness Retreat: Yoga, Spa & Shamanic Ceremonies in Ecuador

La Selva sits in the Ecuadorian Amazon, roughly a short flight and boat transfer from Quito, on the edge of Lake Garzacocha. The property is a 500-hectare private reserve run as a carbon-neutral eco-lodge for more than 30 years, working with indigenous partner programmes and protecting pristine rainforest. Wildlife is not a side note here: the reserve has recorded over 500 bird species, plus dolphins, turtles, monkeys and the occasional manatee in the wider region.

The wellness programme runs alongside the wildlife side of the lodge. Yoga takes place daily in an open-air pavilion on the lake shore, open to all levels from complete beginners to experienced practitioners. Sessions focus on alignment of body, mind and spirit, and the setting does a lot of the work — lake breeze, jungle sounds, and a view straight out over the water.

The spa is the other half of the programme. Treatments use local indigenous ingredients and traditional techniques: massages with aromatic essential oils from plants growing locally, body scrubs with Amazonian fruits, and soothing herbal baths. The treatment rooms are set within the rainforest, so the soundtrack is the actual jungle.

For guests who want it, the lodge arranges spiritual ceremonies led by local shamans, including ayahuasca ceremonies, held in a sacred natural setting on the reserve. These are conducted with respect for their traditional context and are optional rather than built into the standard schedule.

Ecological exploration fills out the rest of the week. Guided rainforest walks and tailored wildlife-viewing tours run with the lodge's naturalist guides, and the lodge's approach is built around rewilding and conservation rather than pure entertainment — the walks are designed to give guests real encounters with the biodiversity of the area.

La Selva suits people who want their wellness week to include mud, boats and insects rather than just a spa menu. It's remote, humid and genuinely wild, which is the point — but it isn't a polished resort, and guests should arrive expecting an eco-lodge experience.

What's included

- Accommodation at La Selva Eco Lodge on the rainforest reserve - All meals at the lodge restaurant - Daily yoga sessions in the lakeshore pavilion - Guided rainforest walks with naturalist guides - Wildlife viewing boat excursions on Lake Garzacocha - Spa treatments using Amazonian ingredients - Transfers from Quito to the lodge and back - Access to the 500-hectare private reserve

What's not included

- International flights to Ecuador - Travel insurance - Personal expenses and souvenirs - Optional shamanic ceremonies and ayahuasca ceremonies - Additional spa treatments beyond those included - Alcohol and drinks outside meal service - Gratuities