Wellness Retreat in Puerto Rico, with Medical Care Included

This Puerto Rico retreat is an in-person medical and wellness retreat: 5 days starting November 15, 2026, with 10 places in the first cohort. It is held in English and designed for travelers from the US mainland.

It is run by The Health Initiative (THI), a US 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the same organization that operates our telehealth clinic. Your week brings together medical care from a licensed physician, mobility coaching, meditation and breathwork, nutrition sessions, meals, lodging and island activities.

The retreat is held at a hacienda in Río Grande, Puerto Rico. The exact address is shared with confirmed guests. Río Grande sits next to El Yunque National Forest; read the guide to El Yunque and Río Grande.

The retreat is open to everyone: women, men, couples, solo travelers, friends and family, at any adult age. Read who the retreat is for.

It is for adults who want time away from routine to rest, move, eat well and get a physician’s view of their health and habits. You don’t need to send medical records to apply.

Any adult can apply. There is a guide for each situation: women, couples, solo travelers, groups of friends or family and midlife and beyond. If you are looking for a specific focus, see the guides on longevity and metabolic health, or the full guide to who the retreat is for.

Some situations just need a conversation before you apply, so we can plan your week safely. They are not a list of people who cannot come. Talk to us first if you:

Dr. Diana Nieves Castro, MD, a general practice physician licensed in Puerto Rico. You can verify a doctor’s license in the Puerto Rico Department of Health’s public lookup.

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 doctor decides which labs, if any, make sense for you after she assesses you. Her approach is functional-medicine-style and root-cause, led by a licensed physician: she talks with you about your history and your sleep, movement and eating habits, and what you can change when you get home.

She does not replace your own doctor, who stays in charge of your care. Keep taking your medicines as prescribed and bring them with you; see traveling to Puerto Rico with medications. IV therapy and vitamin drips are not offered, and we do not sell supplements.

A typical day, not a fixed schedule (we share the full schedule with accepted guests): gentle morning movement such as gentle stretching and mobility, breakfast together, a medical or education session, free time or an island activity, dinner, and an evening meditation, with phones kept away during sessions and meals.

Read more in what to expect at the retreat.

Simple, comfortable lodging at the hacienda. Room details, including whether rooms are shared or private, are confirmed in your acceptance email.

Fresh, home-style meals built around whole foods, with Puerto Rican flavors. Tell us about allergies and food preferences on your application.

Examples of what the area offers and what the days may include: a walk in El Yunque rainforest, time at Luquillo beach, a gentle stretching session, and relaxed evenings outdoors. The activities for your cohort are confirmed with accepted guests.

See the guide to El Yunque and Río Grande.

Mobility coaching teaches you to move with more ease. It is movement coaching: it does not diagnose or treat injuries. To understand the difference, read mobility vs flexibility. The US Physical Activity Guidelines start with simple advice for adults: move more and sit less.

Meditation and breathwork are practices for calm and attention. According to the NCCIH, mindfulness meditation may help improve sleep quality, and slow, deep breathing is a relaxation technique that is generally considered safe for healthy people. Some people find these practices uncomfortable, and you can stop at any time. Read more about breathwork and meditation for beginners.

The movement sessions are mobility coaching. See how movement and meditation fit the week.

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.

Meals are included. The nutrition sessions are practical education on eating well day to day; they are not individualized medical nutrition therapy.

The retreat is US$4,500 per person, and it includes:

• Lodging and meals.
• Medical care, and labs when clinically appropriate.
• Coaching and sessions: mobility, meditation and breathwork, and nutrition.
• Island activities and airport transfers.

Airfare and travel insurance are not among the inclusions. Apply first. If you are accepted, you reserve your place with a deposit. We share the full payment terms before you reserve.

A deposit reserves your place. The amount and terms are confirmed in your acceptance email.

Health insurance generally does not pay for a wellness retreat. For HSA or FSA questions, ask your plan administrator.

If you are looking for a wellness retreat in the Caribbean without the paperwork, Puerto Rico is a US territory. According to USAGov, US citizens do not need a passport to travel between the US and Puerto Rico, and CBP says citizens returning directly from a US territory are not considered to have left the country. You still need valid ID to fly: the TSA asks adults 18 and older for an acceptable ID, state IDs that are not REAL ID compliant have not been accepted since May 7, 2025, and a US passport is accepted.

Puerto Rico uses the US dollar, and US airlines fly there. The island’s main international airport is Luis Muñoz Marín International (SJU). Airport transfers are included; we share the details with accepted guests. If you are not a US citizen, the same entry rules apply as for the rest of the United States; check CBP’s guidance for international visitors.

The retreat starts on November 15, 2026, before the Atlantic hurricane season ends on November 30 (NOAA National Hurricane Center). We share the full payment and cancellation terms before you reserve, and we suggest you consider travel insurance.

Check how your US insurance works in Puerto Rico, and what care for visitors looks like if you get sick on the trip. The island’s sun and heat call for care: read about heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

Keep your medicines in your carry-on, with a list of what you take.

Comfortable clothes for movement, swimwear, sun protection, a light rain jacket, walking shoes, a refillable water bottle, and any medications you take. We send the full list with your acceptance.

Arrive on November 15, 2026; the retreat lasts 5 days and you depart after the last one. Airport transfers are included, and we confirm arrival and departure details with accepted guests.

Tell us about your mobility, dietary or other access needs on the application, and we will work with you on what is possible.

If you are already in Puerto Rico, you can book an online doctor visit; online visits are only for people who are physically in Puerto Rico. See how our telehealth works and what a wellness retreat includes and costs.