Psilocybin retreats in Mexico
Illegal under national law, yet retreats advertise openly with no reported prosecution of a psilocybin retreat.
The law, in plain language
Illegal but tolerated in practice: psilocybin and hallucinogenic mushrooms are group I psychotropics under Mexico's General Health Law, yet retreats advertise openly and we found no reported prosecution of a psilocybin retreat.
Article 245 of the Ley General de Salud lists psilocybin and hallucinogenic mushrooms of any botanical variety in group I, and the Supreme Court upheld that listing against a personal-use claim in November 2024. The federal penal code's carve-out covers possession for the ceremonies of Indigenous and Afro-Mexican communities, not retreats for visitors. Retreats nonetheless advertise openly, and a news search in English and Spanish on 4 October 2026 found no reported prosecution of a psilocybin retreat. Prosecutors have charged ayahuasca ceremony leaders under the same schedule, so the law is enforced against some ceremonial facilitators. That can change without notice, and participants and operators carry real legal risk.
Illegal but tolerated in practice
Prohibited under national law. Retreats operate openly and we found no reported prosecution of a retreat. That can change without notice, and participants and operators carry real legal risk.
Our news search of 4 October 2026 (English and Spanish): No reported prosecution, raid, arrest or closure of a psilocybin retreat or psilocybin facilitator in Mexico was found. Hallucinogenic mushrooms do show up in routine street-dealing arrests in Tulum, and Mexican prosecutors have charged Indigenous ayahuasca ceremony leaders with DMT importation, so the law is enforced against ceremonial use of other group I psychedelics. Finding no reported case is not proof that none exists.
The absence of reported cases is not proof that none exist, and tolerance is a description of what has happened, not a permission. A place moves out of this tier as soon as we find a prosecution.
What the sources say
- Ley General de Salud article 245 classifies psychotropics in five groups. Group I covers substances with "valor terapeutico escaso o nulo" that are "susceptibles de uso indebido o abuso", and lists psilocybin with "hongos alucinantes de cualquier variedad botanica, en especial las especies Psilocybe mexicana, Stopharia cubensis y Conocybe, y sus principios activos", as well as psilocin. [Ley General de Salud (texto vigente, ultima reforma DOF 15-01-2026), Camara de Diputados del H. Congreso de la Union, 2026-01-15, read 4 October 2026]
- Codigo Penal Federal article 193 makes conduct involving the psychotropics in LGS article 245 fractions I, II and III punishable as offences against health. Psilocybin does not appear in the LGS article 479 table of maximum personal-use doses, so the article 478 non-prosecution rule for small personal amounts does not set any threshold for it. [Codigo Penal Federal (texto vigente, ultima reforma DOF 13-03-2026), Camara de Diputados del H. Congreso de la Union, 2026-03-13, read 4 October 2026] [Ley General de Salud (texto vigente, ultima reforma DOF 15-01-2026), Camara de Diputados del H. Congreso de la Union, 2026-01-15, read 4 October 2026]
- The only mushroom-specific exception is Codigo Penal Federal article 195 bis, fraction II (as reformed DOF 1 April 2024): the federal Public Prosecutor will not prosecute possession of "peyote u hongos alucinogenos, cuando por la cantidad y circunstancias del caso pueda presumirse que seran utilizados en las ceremonias, usos y costumbres de los pueblos y comunidades indigenas y afromexicanas, asi reconocidos por sus autoridades propias." It is a non-prosecution rule for possession tied to Indigenous and Afro-Mexican community ceremonies. It does not authorise supply, and it does not cover retreats run for visitors, although some retreat sites claim otherwise. [Codigo Penal Federal (texto vigente, ultima reforma DOF 13-03-2026), Camara de Diputados del H. Congreso de la Union, 2026-03-13, read 4 October 2026]
- Mazatec healers in Huautla de Jimenez, Oaxaca, the town that Maria Sabina made known in the mid-20th century, still hold mushroom ceremonies. AFP (October 2024) quotes the family of curandera Julieta Casimiro saying they use the mushrooms as medicine "not to get high", and reports that local healers discourage psychedelic tourism and screen who they will hold ceremonies for. [Mexico magico: la cuna de los hongos alucinogenos rechaza el turismo psicodelico, Proceso (AFP), 2024-10-12, read 4 October 2026]
- On 13 November 2024 the First Chamber of the Supreme Court (Amparo en Revision 179/2024, ponente Ministra Loretta Ortiz Ahlf, unanimous four votes) upheld the denial of an amparo. The applicant wanted health authorisation for all activities linked to personal recreational use of psilocybin, which COFEPRIS had refused in an official letter of 23 January 2023. The Court ruled that LGS articles 245 fraction I, 247 last paragraph, 248 and 249 are constitutional. Press coverage reports this as the first such psilocybin amparo the Court decided. [Amparo en Revision 179/2024 (sentencia, Primera Sala), Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nacion, 2024-11-13, read 4 October 2026] [Rechaza SCJN primer amparo para uso ludico de hongos alucinogenos, Milenio, 2024-11-13, read 11 October 2026]
- In October 2023, Senator Alejandra Lagunes (PVEM) presented an initiative to reform the Ley General de Salud, the Codigo Penal Federal and other laws so that psilocybin mushrooms could be researched and used therapeutically, with Indigenous peoples taking part. It has not been enacted: the LGS in force (last reformed 15 January 2026) still lists psilocybin in article 245 group I. [Mexico debating the decriminalization of psilocybin mushrooms, ICEERS, 2023-11-13, read 4 October 2026] [Se presenta iniciativa de ley para despenalizar los hongos con psilocibina para su uso terapeutico, incluyendo la vision de los pueblos indigenas, Foro Juridico, 2023-11-02, read 4 October 2026] [Ley General de Salud (texto vigente, ultima reforma DOF 15-01-2026), Camara de Diputados del H. Congreso de la Union, 2026-01-15, read 4 October 2026]
- Retreat Guru's Mexico psilocybin page, read on 2026-10-04, showed 98+ psilocybin retreats from roughly 40 centres, mostly in Tulum, Playa del Carmen, Valle de Bravo, Cancun and the Puerto Vallarta area. Operators' own sites publish dates and prices for Mexican psilocybin retreats, for example Eleusinia (Valle de Bravo, 2026 and 2027 dates), The Buena Vida (Sayulita, October and December 2026 dates) and Compassion Retreats (near Tulum). [Psilocybin Retreats in Mexico, Retreat Guru, read 4 October 2026] [Eleusinia Psilo Retreat - Sign up, Eleusinia, read 4 October 2026] [The Buena Vida - Locations, The Buena Vida, read 4 October 2026] [Compassion Retreats - Pricing, Compassion Retreats, read 4 October 2026]
How the law got here
- 13 November 2024The First Chamber of the Supreme Court (Amparo en Revision 179/2024, unanimous) denied an amparo seeking authorisation for personal recreational use of psilocybin and held the Ley General de Salud provisions that prohibit it (arts. 245 fr. I, 247, 248 and 249) constitutional. [Amparo en Revision 179/2024 (sentencia, Primera Sala), Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nacion, 2024-11-13]
- 1 April 2024Article 195 bis fraction II of the Federal Penal Code was reformed. The text in force bars federal prosecution for possession of peyote or hallucinogenic mushrooms for the ceremonies of Indigenous and Afro-Mexican communities recognised by their own authorities. It does not authorise supply or retreats for visitors. [Codigo Penal Federal (texto vigente, ultima reforma DOF 13-03-2026), Camara de Diputados del H. Congreso de la Union, 2026-03-13]
Laws change. This is a summary of cited sources, not legal advice. Medical and legal disclaimer
What it costs
| Currency | Programmes | Centres | Lowest | Median | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USD | 3 | 3 | $1,999 | $7,000 | $7,225 |
Published starting prices for whole programmes, as each centre listed them, read up to 4 October 2026. Each price links to its source on the centre's profile.
Programmes run from 6 to 7 nights (median 7, across 2 published programmes).
What to expect
Psilocybin retreat: the usual shape, drawn from operators' published schedules. Ask each centre for its own.
- Before arrivalIntake questionnaire and medical screening. Reputable operators ask about SSRIs, lithium, cardiac history and family history of psychosis, and decline people accordingly.
- Day 1Arrival, group meeting, intention setting, one-to-one time with facilitators.
- Dosing daysSessions typically run in daylight over 4 to 6 hours, with facilitators present throughout. Doses are often escalated across sessions rather than kept flat.
- Between sessionsGroup integration discussion, bodywork or beach time, and rest. The day after a session is deliberately unstructured.
- Final dayClosing integration session and onward planning.
- AfterAsk specifically what follow-up is included and for how long.
Getting there
Major airports near the listed centres:
- Mexico City International (MEX) [reference]
- Licenciado Gustavo Diaz Ordaz International, Puerto Vallarta (PVR) [reference]
- Cancun International (CUN) [reference]
1 of 3 centres here list airport transfers among what is included. Check before you book a flight.
Centres in Mexico
Illegal but tolerated in practice. Featured centres first, then by name.
- Illegal but tolerated in practice
Compassion Retreats
Alma Chakana, Mexico
From $1,999. Residential retreat.
- Illegal but tolerated in practice
Eleusinia
Valle de Bravo, Mexico
From $7,225. 7 nights. Residential retreat.
- Illegal but tolerated in practice
The Buena Vida
Sierra de Vallejo, Mexico
From $7,000. 6 nights. Residential retreat.
We have not inspected this centre. A listing is information from public sources, not an endorsement or a safety rating. How we list
Questions people ask
- Is psilocybin legal in Mexico?
- Illegal but tolerated in practice: psilocybin and hallucinogenic mushrooms are group I psychotropics under Mexico's General Health Law, yet retreats advertise openly and we found no reported prosecution of a psilocybin retreat.
- How many psilocybin centres are listed in Mexico?
- 3 centres are listed here, read from public sources up to 4 October 2026.
- How much does a psilocybin retreat in Mexico cost?
- Published starting prices for 3 programmes at 3 centres run from $1,999 to $7,225, with a median of $7,000. These are the centres' own published prices, read up to 4 October 2026.
- How long is a psilocybin retreat in Mexico?
- Published programmes run from 6 to 7 nights, with a median of 7 nights across 2 programmes.