Guides
Wellness retreat for women in Puerto Rico: what to know before you apply
Looking for a wellness retreat for women in Puerto Rico? This one is open to everyone, and women are welcome; it is not a women-only retreat. This page answers the questions people often have when choosing a retreat: what the rooms are like, what happens with food, who leads the sessions and whether you can come alone. The medical side is covered too. The retreat is held in English.
Is it an emergency? Call 911.
Pay now, then choose your time right away. Full refund if you cancel 24 hours or more ahead.
See the cancellation policy
You can cancel for a full refund or change the time up to 24 hours before your visit. Within 24 hours you can't cancel and there's no refund. If you don't join in the first 10 minutes, there's no refund.
If you choose a time less than 24 hours away, it can't be cancelled or changed.
If the clinic can't see you, for example because of a technical problem on our side, we refund you in full.
Is this an emergency?
This is not an emergency service. Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room if you have:
- Chest pain, fainting or shortness of breath: call 911
- Heavy bleeding that soaks through: call 911 or go to the ER
- Bleeding during pregnancy: call your doctor, or go to the ER if it is heavy or comes with pain
- Severe, sudden pain, especially in the abdomen or pelvis: call 911 or go to the ER
- Feeling hopeless, or thoughts of harming yourself: call or text 988, or call Línea PAS at 1-800-981-0023
Help lines
Is it a women-only retreat?
No. The retreat is open to everyone: women, men, couples and solo travelers. It has 10 places, held at a hacienda in Río Grande, Puerto Rico, and no women-only cohort is planned. Room arrangements are confirmed in your acceptance email; ask us about them before you apply.
This page answers the questions people often have when choosing a retreat. If you are looking for a women-only retreat, this one is not planned as one. If an open health and wellness retreat works for you, read on.
The Health Initiative (THI) runs an in-person health and wellness retreat in Puerto Rico: 5 days starting November 15, 2026, at US$4,500 per person. Applications close November 5, 2026, and if you are accepted you reserve your place with a deposit.
A wellness retreat for women: questions before you book
These are practical questions, and we answer them with what we know today. If something isn’t covered here, ask us before you apply.
- Rooms. Simple, comfortable lodging at the hacienda. Room details, including whether rooms are shared or private, are confirmed in your acceptance email.
- Food and dietary needs. Fresh, home-style meals built around whole foods, with Puerto Rican flavors. Tell us about allergies and food preferences on your application.
- Who leads the sessions. Sessions are led by your mobility coach, your meditation and breathwork guide, and your nutrition guide, alongside Dra. Diana Nieves Castro for the medical side. We introduce the team to accepted guests.
- Coming alone. Coming alone is welcome. See our guide to a solo wellness retreat.
- Coming with a friend or a group. See our guide to a group wellness retreat.
- Getting there. Puerto Rico is a US territory, and according to USAGov, US citizens don’t need a passport to travel between the US and Puerto Rico. To fly, the TSA asks adults 18 and older for acceptable ID. Airport transfers are included, and the exact address is shared with confirmed guests.
The medical side
Dr. Diana Nieves Castro, a general practice physician licensed in Puerto Rico. A physician assessment with Dra. Diana Nieves Castro, MD, and lab work when it is clinically appropriate. She provides all the medical care at the retreat.
The retreat does not replace your gynecologist, your screening schedule or your prenatal care. If any of those are due, stay on track with your own doctor.
If you have had ongoing tiredness, poor sleep, changes in your periods, or a worry about iron or your thyroid, take those questions to your own doctor too. MedlinePlus (NIH) lists medical causes of fatigue that include iron deficiency anemia, an underactive or overactive thyroid, sleep disorders, depression, some medicines and alcohol. A retreat can give you time to rest and move, but it is not the way to find the cause of a symptom that keeps coming back.
Midlife and menopause
A wellness retreat is not a treatment for menopause. If you are at that stage and want to know what to expect, our guide to a midlife wellness retreat covers it in detail.
Talk to us first if
Contact us before you apply if you are pregnant (not a ban, but we want to talk it through first), had surgery recently, have a condition that isn’t stable, were recently in the hospital or need mobility support. That way we can tell you honestly whether the retreat fits right now.
Call [911](tel:911) or go to the ER for chest pain, fainting, heavy bleeding that soaks through, or severe pain. If you are pregnant and bleeding, call your doctor, or go to the ER if it is heavy or comes with pain. If you feel hopeless, call or text 988 (it works in Puerto Rico and on the mainland; press 2 for Spanish) or call Línea PAS at 1-800-981-0023.
How we care for you
We evaluate, diagnose and treat; if needed, we give you a lab order for a lab near you.
We see adults and children of all ages. Patients under 21: a parent with patria potestad (parental authority) or a legal guardian is on camera for the whole visit and shows photo ID.
Real-time video visit. We send you a secure video link. It works on your phone, tablet or computer.
If appropriate, the doctor prescribes and we send your prescription to your pharmacy.
You must be physically in Puerto Rico during the visit (visitors, tourists and cruise passengers are welcome).
In an emergency, call 911.
Frequently asked questions
Is it a women-only retreat?
Can men come?
Who is the physician at the retreat?
Can I come alone?
Is it a treatment for menopause?
What if I am pregnant?
Is the retreat held in English?
About this page
Author: The Health Initiative
Medical care provided by Dr. Diana Nieves Castro, MD (PR license 24027)
Disclosure: Founding Executive Director of The Health Initiative
Published: 2026-10-10 · Updated: 2026-10-11
Sources (5)
- Do you need a passport to travel to or from U.S. territories? (USAGov) (opens in a new tab) (accessed 2026-10-10)
- Acceptable identification at the TSA checkpoint (TSA) (opens in a new tab) (accessed 2026-10-10)
- Fatigue (MedlinePlus, NIH) (opens in a new tab) (accessed 2026-10-10)
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (opens in a new tab) (accessed 2026-10-10)
- Línea PAS (ASSMCA, in Spanish) (opens in a new tab) (accessed 2026-10-10)