A Wellness Retreat in Puerto Rico, with a Licensed Physician on the Team

It is a Sunday night. The laptop is still warm, the calendar for tomorrow is already full, and somewhere in the back of your mind is the same sentence you have said for a year: “I will rest when this is over.” It is never over. The sleep is short, the meals are eaten standing up, and the walk you meant to take stayed on the list.

Staying exactly as you are has a cost too. It is the same week, repeated, until the habits you wanted to change are simply the shape of your life. A few days away does not fix a life. What it can do is give you a stretch of time with the routine removed, in a different place, with people whose job is to help you notice what you do every day.

That is what this retreat is: 5 days in Puerto Rico, starting November 15, 2026, with 10 places per group.

This is an in-person wellness retreat: 5 days starting November 15, 2026, with 10 places per group, held in English. Your week brings together a physician assessment, mobility coaching, meditation and breathwork, nutrition sessions, meals, lodging and island activities.

It is run by The Health Initiative (THI), a US nonprofit. 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. Read who the retreat is for.

The Health Initiative is a US nonprofit. The physician is Dra. Diana Nieves Castro, MD, a general practice physician licensed in Puerto Rico. You do not have to take our word for it: you can verify her license in the Puerto Rico Department of Health’s public lookup (the link is in the sources at the bottom of the page).

Groups are capped at 10 people, so the physician and the coaches know every guest by name. The price, the deposit, the refund and the transfer terms are on this page and repeated at checkout, so nothing about money is a surprise.

We do not publish testimonials, because we would rather you judge the retreat on what it is than on quotes. Your mobility coach, meditation guide and nutrition guide are introduced to accepted guests. Questions before you pay? Use the contact details under “How to apply”, and we will write back.

Between the sessions there is room for the island itself. The list below is what the area offers and what a group may do. It is a list of possibilities, not a promised program: what your group does depends on the itinerary for your start date, the season, the weather and sea conditions, and your physician assessment.

Snorkeling is on the list of possibilities. Nothing on the list is a requirement: you choose how much to take part in.

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.

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. In the assessment 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. Read what the physician visit and labs look like.

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.

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.

The retreat is open to everyone. 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.

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

Write to us or call before you reserve, using the contact details under “How to apply”, and we will tell you plainly whether the week fits. If you reserve, our physician reviews your health in a private step. If she advises that the retreat is not right for you, or we cannot accept you, we refund everything you paid. Read the guide for people with long-standing conditions.

We would rather you know before you pay.

Reserving takes a short form on this page and a deposit through secure checkout. Here is what happens next.

The retreat is $3,500 per person, and it includes:

Not included: flights, travel insurance, personal spending and anything not listed above.

The deposit reserves your place and is paid when you reserve, through secure checkout. The deposit and cancellation terms are on the retreat page and are shown again at checkout.

If you travel as two, each person reserves a place: choose “Two of us” on the form and we confirm both by 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. Fly into Luis Muñoz Marín International (SJU), the island’s main international airport. Airport transfers are included in both directions; pickup details are confirmed 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.

Start dates fall both inside and outside the Atlantic hurricane season (see the NOAA National Hurricane Center climatology). If we cancel or reschedule, we refund everything you paid. The full terms are on this page and shown again at checkout, and we suggest you consider travel insurance.

Check with your plan how your US health insurance works in Puerto Rico. The island’s sun and heat call for care: bring sun protection and water.

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.

Questions first? Use the contact details under “How to apply”, and read what a wellness retreat includes and costs and what to expect at a wellness retreat.