Wellness Escape: 4-Day Shukubo Meditation & Yoga Retreat in Guatapé, Colombia

The each day structure is the spine of the retreat. A guided open-awareness meditation opens the day at 6:30am, followed by a two-hour Hatha yoga and pranayama practice with Pema. Breakfast is silent. Another silent meditation sits in the middle of the day before lunch, and the evening brings guided meditation, dinner, and an optional fire and sauna before silence resumes at 9pm.

Afternoons are yours. You can hike the mountain trails, read in a quiet spot, book a massage or reiki, sit in the sauna, or take a cold plunge in the creek. The sauna and treatments cost extra, as does laundry. The main path from the cabins down to town is about ten minutes, and you'll carry your own bags up a trail to reach your room.

The host and lead teacher is Pema, who studied for fifteen years in the Dzogchen tradition of Tibetan Buddhism under teachers including His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, and Loppon Jigme Rinpoche. Before that he was a working DJ. Both biographies — the DJ and the monk — show up in his teaching. He also brings training in Kung Fu and Hatha yoga.

What makes this place different from a standard yoga retreat is the balance of structure and freedom. You get the container of a contemplative schedule, but nothing forces you to participate in every session. The silence is respected rather than policed. It's the kind of place where you can genuinely rest a nervous system worn down by work, which is what a lot of guests say they came for.

The location does a lot of the work. The property sits above Guatapé with forest, gardens, a creek, and birdlife. The nearest town is a short drive or a longer walk. It's a genuinely quiet setting — reviews keep coming back to the sounds of nature and the creek, and to the warm hospitality.

What's included

- 3 nights accommodation in shared or private rooms - 3 daily meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) - Daily yoga classes - Daily meditation classes - Water, tea, and coffee throughout the day - Free WiFi - Yoga mats, props, and meditation cushions - Filtered water

What's not included

- Flights - Travel insurance - Visa fee - Airport transfers (available for a fee) - Additional treatments like massage, reiki, sauna - Activities not included in the itinerary - Laundry service