The Best Meditation Retreats in South America

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South America has become one of the most beautiful places in the world to go on retreat: mountain valleys, cloud forests, a gentle pace of life and good value. If you are thinking of a meditation retreat here, this guide will help you decide where to go and what to look for.

A note: we are La Casa de Loto, a small retreat in Colombia. We have tried to give a fair overview, including other places we respect.

Why South America for a meditation retreat?

• Nature. The Andes, cloud forests and quiet lakes are a natural support for stillness.
• Climate. Many mountain regions have a mild, spring-like climate all year.
• Value. Retreats often cost considerably less than comparable stays in North America or Europe.
• Easy to combine with travel. A retreat can be the quiet heart of a longer trip.

Popular regions at a glance

• Peru: the Sacred Valley. Dramatic Andean scenery near Cusco and Machu Picchu, at high altitude (around 2,800 metres and more), so allow time to acclimatise. Many retreats in the region focus on plant-medicine ceremonies, so if you are looking for meditation only, ask clearly before you book.
• Ecuador: Andean valleys. Quiet mountain villages with a mild climate and a slow rhythm, often a long journey from the nearest international airport.
• Brazil: the highlands. Regions such as Chapada dos Veadeiros are known for waterfalls, crystals and a strong spiritual scene, but distances inside Brazil are large.
• Argentina: the hills of Córdoba. Gentle hills and small towns popular for yoga and meditation, best combined with a longer trip to Argentina.
• Colombia: the Antioquian mountains. Green mountains, lakes and colourful villages, close to Medellín’s international airport, at a comfortable altitude.

Other Buddhist retreats with a silence focus

If you are specifically looking for Buddhist meditation and silence, these are some well-established places in South America worth knowing about. Schedules change, so always check each centre’s own website for current dates.

• Vipassana courses (S. N. Goenka tradition). Ten-day silent courses with many hours of sitting each day, offered on a donation basis. Centres include Dhamma Santi near Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), the first Vipassana centre in South America; Dhamma Sukhadā near Buenos Aires and Dhamma Viriya near Capilla del Monte, Córdoba (Argentina); Dhamma Suriya in Lima (Peru); and Dhamma Gutti in Antioquia (Colombia). See the official Vipassana directory.
• Chagdud Gonpa Khadro Ling, Brazil. A large Tibetan Vajrayana centre in the hills of Três Coroas, Rio Grande do Sul, founded by Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche, which hosts retreats and teachings. Khadro Ling
• Mosteiro Zen Morro da Vargem, Brazil. Founded in 1974 in Ibiraçu, Espírito Santo, the first Soto Zen monastery in Latin America, which offers retreats open to people of any background.

These are wonderful places for structured, traditional practice.

What to look for in a retreat

• The practice. Which meditation tradition, and is it clearly guided? Is the focus meditation and yoga, or something else?
• Silence. Fully silent, semi-silent or social? See our guide on how to choose a silent retreat.
• Dates. Fixed start dates, or can you arrive any day?
• Size. Small groups feel more personal and quieter.
• Access. How long does it take from the international airport? A day of travel each way matters on a short retreat.
• Altitude and climate. High-altitude places are spectacular but take a few days to adjust to.

Where La Casa de Loto fits

La Casa de Loto is a small meditation and yoga retreat in the mountains of Guatapé, only 80 minutes from Medellín’s international airport (MDE). Our focus is meditation, yoga and silence: guided open-awareness meditation as taught by Dzogchen master Dudjom Rinpoche, a 100-minute traditional Hatha yoga and breathwork class each morning, vegetarian meals, and noble silence from 9 p.m. until 2 p.m. the next day, with full silence always possible. The climate is spring-like all year, with warm days around 25°C and cool nights around 14°C.

You can arrive any day and stay 3, 6 or 9 nights, with no more than 10 guests at a time, so it fits easily into a longer trip through Colombia or South America. And with Guatapé on your doorstep, there is plenty to explore in the afternoons: see things to do in Guatapé.

Discover the retreat experience, see retreats & prices, or read how to get here from Medellín.

Common questions

What is the best country in South America for a meditation retreat?

It depends on what you are looking for. Peru offers dramatic Andean scenery but at high altitude; Brazil and Argentina have long-established Buddhist centres; and Colombia is the easiest to reach from North America, with a mild climate, a comfortable altitude and short, direct flights to Medellín.

Are there silent meditation retreats in South America?

Yes. Ten-day silent Vipassana courses are held in several countries, including Brazil, Argentina, Peru and Colombia. There are also semi-silent retreats, like La Casa de Loto in Guatapé, Colombia, where silence is held part of each day and full silence is always possible.

Do I need meditation experience?

Not for most retreats. Intensive ten-day courses can be demanding for a first retreat, while a guided semi-silent retreat is a gentle way to begin. Clear instruction matters most when you are new.

How long should a meditation retreat be?

Three nights is a good first taste. With six to ten days, the silence has time to deepen and the practice starts to feel like your own.

When is the best time to go?

Many mountain regions can be visited all year. In the Peruvian Andes the drier months, roughly May to September, are the most popular; in southern Brazil and Argentina the seasons are the reverse of North America’s; and in Colombia’s mountains the climate is spring-like all year, with frequent rain.