Guide Training Immersion 4-Days
Costa Rica, Sarapiqui – Chilamate Rainforest Eco Retreat – January 2026
- January 22, 2026
- to
- January 26, 2026
- Enrollment Open
An opportunity to connect with other guides from other cohorts and learn from the shared experiences.
If you have completed at least module 4 and submitted the corresponding assignments, of the six-month remote Forest Therapy Guide Training you’re eligible to apply. Completion of this immersion and the six-month training fulfills the requirements for full Certification. When space is available, ANFT-trained guides who have completed training in any past cohort can also participate. Please note that priority goes to students who need to take the immersion to get fully certified. Therefore, when you apply, you’ll be put on a waitlist until three weeks before the start of the immersion.
A 4 day in-person gathering, with 1 or 2 trainers, and people from different cohorts where you will have the opportunity to apply what you learned, experience in-person forest therapy walks and simply connect and share experiences and stories with other guides.
In this immersion, you will:
- Get a hands on experience of what you learned
- Get to know trainers personally
- Get to know other guides and connect
- Learn from shared experiences with other guides
- Deepen into the practice
- Get the opportunity to ask specific questions that might come up
Once you complete this four-day immersion, your certification will be moved from provisional to permanent. You have two years after you complete the six month core training course to complete an immersion. It will help to give you a sense of the community of guides that has grown and is active throughout the world.
About the Venue
Chilamate Rainforest Eco Retreat
Chilamate Rainforest Eco Retreat is located in Chilamate, Sarapiqui, Heredia, Costa Rica in the northern lowland rainforest, and in the heart of the San Juan la Selva section of the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor. It is one of the richest places in all of Costa Rica in terms of biodiversity.
Chilamate Rainforest Eco Retreat is a family-run rainforest conservation and sustainable tourism project built within the Rainforest Alliance Guidelines for Sustainable Tourism with a vision to thrive in harmony with the rainforest while supporting the local community. It is a great location nestled in the rainforest on the majestic Sarapiqui River.
It was founded in 2006 when Davis and Meghan discovered the 55-acre property of Sarapiquí riverfront and lowland tropical rainforest that would become the Retreat and its important conservation area. The original owners, committed to conservation, agreed to sell to Meghan and Davis because of their passion and dedication, despite their limited resources. Over the years, through proposals, supporters, and sheer determination, the couple built what is now Chilamate Rainforest Eco Retreat (CRER).
From the beginning, Davis and Meghan embraced sustainability, working closely with Rainforest Alliance guidelines for sustainable tourism. Davis, wearing many hats—foreman, designer, plumber, and electrician—built the Retreat in harmony with the rainforest, using recycled materials, solar power, rainwater collection, natural lighting and air flow, and biodegradable products. Thanks to audits and training from Rainforest Alliance and EARTH University, the Retreat earned top sustainability ratings and remains a leader in eco-tourism.
A cornerstone of their vision is their impact on the local community. Before even starting the Retreat, Davis and Meghan offered free English classes in the area. Over time, they expanded their community efforts to include environmental education programs, workshops, and technology classes.
They hire only local labor, source products and food from nearby producers, and actively support rural tourism initiatives, empowering neighboring families to benefit from sustainable tourism. Meghan and Davis have been active community members over the years, participating in development associations, school boards, and the steering committee of the San Juan–La Selva Biological Corridor.
If you visit Chilamate Rainforest Eco Retreat, you’ll not only experience the wonders of Costa Rica’s biodiversity but also become part of a story rooted in sustainability, community, and a shared vision for a better future.
The GPS coordinates for Chilamate Rainforest Eco Retreat are: 10° 26´58.44″ N/84° 3´ 51.50″ W.
Lodging
Accommodations
Please see the following document for information on the rooms available:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SW7jjQNCRrVAllFW99SqRBETwK053r32/view?usp=sharing
Meals
Meals
The total price per person is $170 (Including taxes and 10% discount). Includes 4 breakfasts, 4 lunches and 4 dinners, beginning with dinner on January 22 and ending with lunch on January 26.
Special dietary restrictions can be accommodated.
Transportation
Your travel options to get to and from Chilamate is via rental car, bus and or shuttle. Please see the link for more details:
https://www.chilamaterainforest.com/how-to-arrive/
Schedule Details
Arrival
Start date: Thursday, January 22 2026
Check in starts at 3:00 pm (flexibility to receive people earlier)
Orientation circle at 7:00 pm
Departure
End date: Monday, January 26 2026
Check out at 11:00 am
Program ends by 2:00 pm
General Notes
General Notes and Polices
Chilamate does not allow smoking or vaping in any common areas or rooms. There is a small bar where they serve beer and wine and a couple of cocktails.
Wi Fi available.
General Policies and Commercial Conditions Groups
Reservation Policy
All rooms have been blocked for the above indicated dates
50% payment is required 60 days before the group arrives.
Rooming distribution must be set 15 days before arrival of the group
Chilamate Rainforest Eco Retreat cannot guarantee a reservation if payment is not made on the requested date – 50% 60 days prior to arrival of the group.
Only written confirmations from Chilamate Rainforest Eco Retreat will be valid.
The change of previously confirmed dates is subject to availability.
Check IN time is at 3pm and Check OUT at 11am
Pets are NOT allowed, except guide dogs for blind people, which must be indicated in the reservation request.
Cancellation Policy
All cancellations must be made in writing and with confirmation of receipt from Chilamate Rainforest Eco Retreat.
The cancellation policies that apply are the following:
A full refund applies if the cancellation is made at least 60 days before the reservation date.
A partial refund (50%) is applied if the cancellation is made between 59 and 29 days before the reservation date.
No refund applies if the cancellation is made 28 or less days before the reservation date. Refunds do not apply for late cancellations.
Payment Policy
All reservations must be guaranteed with a bank deposit of 50% of the total reservation cost at least 60 days before the arrival of the group- we can send a secure payment link.
The remaining 50% can be paid on or before the day of arrival of the group. Credit cards can be accepted only in person with the physical card. Bank transfers in dollars or national currency are also accepted or payment via secure payment link or PayPal (an extra fee might apply for PayPal).
If payments are received in colones, the exchange rate in force on the date of the deposit or transfer will be applied.
Impossibility of Operation or Force Majeure
It is agreed that Chilamate Rainforest Eco Retreat will be released from its obligations in cases of natural events, fire, floods, strikes, closure by order of government authorities, or any reasonable circumstance beyond our control.
Tuition
The tuition for the four-day immersion is 495 (USD). Wait to pay until you are ready to register for a specific immersion. You will have two years from the completion of your core guide training to do the immersion.
Immersion tuition does not include transportation, lodging or camping fees and food. These expenses are separate from the program costs for the four-day immersion and are the responsibility of the trainee.
IMPORTANT: Please wait until you receive enrollment confirmation before booking travel and lodging.
Tuition figures are subject to change.
Training Team
- Marcela Morales
- Marcela Morales, is a certified Forest therapy guide and trainer with ANFT. She has studies in Anthropology, Management of Natural Resources and has worked as a licensed Naturalist and birdwatching guide for over 20 years in the Cloud forest mountains of Monteverde, Costa Rica. She has been a collaborator at the Environmental Education department of the Tropical Science Center (TSC), and an internship supervisor at the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE). Currently living in the southern Caribbean coast, Marcela offers holistic wellness-culture & nature connection experiences that bring together her passions: Forest Bathing walks, Sound Healing sessions, Qi Gong classes, Naturalist tours and immersions in Bribri Indigenous territory.
- Stana Luxford Oddie
- Based in Canada, Stana has been working for the Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority for over twenty-five years as the Senior Conservation Educator. Her passion is supporting people to build their relationship with all beings with their heads, heart and hands. Stana is a certified Forest Therapy Guide with the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy (ANFT) in cohort 6 in 2016. In 2017 she took on a mentor role and has been a train since 2018. Through Cataraqui Conservation, Stana brings Forest Therapy walk experiences to all ages in the community from private and public organizations in all seasons! She is a dedicated mindfulness practitioner and a recently certified Qi Gong Teacher. You will most likely find her in the outdoors in her garden or in wild places often with her adventurous, Cockapoo pup, Theo, sometimes in the good company of her partner, Lachlan and occasionally with their 17-year-old son, Asher.
Certification Pathway
STEP 1
6-Month Remote Training
You will start with a 6-month remote training, covering the content on live calls with the support of your trainers, fellow students, a very user friendly learning platform, many self exploration and nature connection activities that are done outside. After completing this training you get a provisional certification as a Certified Forest Therapy Guide. To view the available trainings scroll down
STEP 2
4-Day In-Person Immersion
After completing module 4 you can apply to attend a 4-day in-person immersion, for hands on forest therapy guiding experience with trainers and fellow students. You have two years time to complete this step.
STEP 3
Get Your Certification
After completing the 6-month remote training and the 4-day in- person immersion, you will receive your permanent certification as an ANFT Certified Forest Therapy Guide and be part of the largest Forest Therapy Guide Community Worldwide.