Questions fréquemment posées
Kumankaya is located in the Mayan jungle of the Yucatan peninsula, where the temperature ranges between 73°F - 100°F (23°C - 37°C) throughout the year. The rainy season is between June and October, and the dry season is between November and May. The cooler months of the year are December and January, and the hottest ones are April and May. With this in mind, please read carefully our Packing List below and consider the time of the year you're visiting for any extra item you think is needed for that type of weather.
Reusable Water Bottle: We provide free, fresh drinking water in all common areas. Please don’t bring disposable plastic bottles.
Organic, Environmentally Friendly Soaps and Personal Care Products: Our water comes from a clean, natural source and we aim to have a low environmental impact on our surroundings.
Organic Mosquito Repellent: Cases of malaria are quite rare in the Yucatan area, and in Kumankaya we are lucky to have few mosquitos compared to other tropical rainforests like those in the Amazon basin or Costa Rica. Mosquitoes are most active during the night and they’re not really aggressive, so an organic repellent will be enough to keep them away.
Headlamp or Flashlight: At the moment we only have solar based power in the main house. In all the cabins and the maloca headlamps/flashlight and candle light are needed.
Chargeable Battery Operated-Fan: During the hottest months (March- September), you will need a chargeable battery-operated fan to be more comfortable in your rooms during the day.
Journal and Pens/Pencils: Part of the integration experience has to do with journaling during the day. It’s important to write down your experiences during the ceremony, your dreams and insights during the day. Also, if you lean more to painting, drawing or other types of artwork, we encourage you to bring the materials that will help you to deepen the process in a more artistic way.
Light-Colored Clothing for the Ceremony: Preferably white, but it can also be light or pastel-colored. It’s not mandatory, but please avoid wearing black or dark clothes in ceremony.
Sandals (for around campus) and Shoes or Boots (for nature walks): We ask everyone to take off their shoes when entering the cabins, maloca and common areas. You can bring house slippers for in your room.
Light Sweater and/or Rain Jacket: It is essential during the rainy season, but always recommended as the occasional storm can always come throughout the year.
Cap or Hat and Sunscreen: At any time of the year, the sun in this part of the world can be very strong and it’s necessary to be protected. Mostly if you're taking walks around the property between 10am and 4pm. Please know that during master plant dietas it’s advisable to stay out of the sun as much as possible.
Cash: The closest ATM is located in the town of Felipe Carrillo Puerto, 30 minutes from Kumankaya. Although our rates include everything you need during your stay, you might want to have some cash with you for buying gifts at our souvenir shop or tipping our local staff.
Vaccinations for visiting the Yucatán peninsula are not required. If after staying with us you are planning to visit a country where vaccinations are required, please make sure you get your vaccines at least 10-day before arriving in Kumankaya. This applies for those undergoing traditional medicine therapies.
Visitors from the US, Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and most Latin American countries don’t need a visa to enter Mexico. Please visit this link to make sure your passport is valid for entering Mexico without a tourist visa.
PREPARING FOR YOUR VISIT
We are located in the middle of the pristine Mayan jungle, about 20 minutes driving from the pueblo Felipe Carrillo Puerto in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico. Felipe Carrillo Puerto is the Mayan cultural capital of the Yucatan, located 45-minutes south of Tulum and a little more than an hour north of the Belize border.
It is possible, but not recommended for your first visit. Please know that getting to Kumankaya is a 3-hour drive from the Cancun International Airport or a 60-minute drive from Tulum, and there are some deviations along the way. It’s easy to get lost if you don’t know your way in México.
Solar powered electricity is available in the main house during the day and your devices can be charged there. We have 1 private bungalow that has both electricity and internet. Please ask about this option when booking if these amenities are needed for work. All other cabins and the maloka need candle light during the night. WIFI is available in and around the main house (provided by Starlink), but there is no cell phone signal at Kumankaya, so please have this in mind when you visit. Whatsapp is the best way to communicate with loved ones.
Our water comes from an underground rivers system that runs through the peninsula, so it’s quite clean and suitable for human consumption. However, it’s so loaded with minerals, so after some days of drinking it your body will not be able to process the heavy minerals. Our water is safe to bathe and clean, but for drinking we recommend you to use the purified water available in all common areas and rooms.
During the week the staff can hand wash your laundry. We ask that you bring it with you in the morning but expect it to take a few days to line-dry depending on the weather. Please consider tipping the staff if you choose this. Alternatively, if you would like your clothes machine washed at the lavendaria in town, we typically go to town twice a week and can arrange to drop it off and pick it up. The cost is about 100 pesos per load.
It is possible, but it’s not common. Being located in the middle of hundreds of acres of pristine jungle, we are practically guests of this harmonious ecosystem that thrives with life and diversity. Our facilities and its surroundings are always being cleaned to prevent unpleasant encounters, although we can’t prevent the occasional spider, scorpion, caterpillar, mosquito or any other insect that lives in our land. At Kumankaya, we don’t use aggressive chemicals to fumigate, and our dogs and cats are a great way to keep big and/or potentially dangerous animals away.
Unfortunately, our facilities can’t accommodate guests with physical disabilities that are in constant need of a wheelchair or walking assistant. For the moment, all of our cabins and the maloka are located above the ground and climbing stairs is needed to get there.
ABOUT YOUR STAY
For booking your stay at Kumankaya, we will ask that you make a nonrefundable $500 USD deposit, which can be done through Paypal (with a 10% upcharge to covers fees), bank-to-bank wire transfer (with a $10 USD fee), Wise wire transfer (minimal fees), or we accept crypto.
Please know that before booking your stay for any of our retreats, we will invite you to answer some questions that allow us to know you better and understand the type of healing that suits you best.
We do NOT offer refunds. We are a very small facility, so a cancellation is difficult to fill, especially short notice. However, we understand that emergencies and various situations happen. Therefore, if there is a cancellation 2 months or more in advance, we will transfer your deposit to your next booking. However if the cancellation is made 1 month prior to the visit, you forfeit your deposit. No credit or refund will be given.
Kumankaya reserves the right to withhold sacred medicines if the healing staff considers that the therapies are not benefiting the individual, or are putting his/her health and/or integrity at risk. In addition, Kumankaya reserves the right to ask visitors/participants to leave early if the staff deems that the values, rules, people and/or animals at Kumankaya are not being respected, as agreed before arrival. In cases such as listed above, an explanation will be given, but Kumankaya will not give a refund. If an individual decides he/she wants to leave the retreat early, Kumankaya will not give a refund.