★★★★★
Rancho Verde Tulum · November 11-15, 2026
For accomplished people who did everything right, and lost themselves doing it.
Five days to leave with clarity you can actually act on.
From $1,600 USD, all-inclusive · Up to 8 participants · Admission is selective
Limited to 8 participants · November 11-15, 2026 · Applications reviewed personally by Thomas & Fem
You Are at a Threshold
The career. The family. The responsibilities. The relentless forward motion.
And somewhere between all of it, you stopped recognizing yourself.
Not because you failed. Because you never stopped long enough to ask what you actually want anymore. You are not burned out. You are not broken. You just wonder if you are living your purpose, your Ikigai. You are at a threshold, and some part of you has known it for a while.
Small By Design
We host every retreat ourselves, in the home where we live, surrounded by the community we have built in Tulum since 2019. We keep the circle small on purpose, so every guest is truly seen, heard and cared for.
Before you arrive, we talk with you personally to understand where you are in life, what you hope to find and what you are ready for.
Every session is small enough for real conversation. You have time with Thomas & Fem every single day, one-on-one whenever you need it.
You stay, eat and practice at Rancho Verde, the sanctuary we built and live in, with every meal made by our own team at Liefs.
We stay in touch after you fly home and follow how your insights take root. Many guests become friends, and many come back.
Several of our guests have now joined us three times.
Inside The Retreat
Magical moments from past retreats at Rancho Verde Tulum: early sunrise circles on one of many nearby beaches or lagoons, guided meditation and water-therapy at hidden cenotes, traditional tribal ceremonies unique to the ancient Mayan culture, healing baths, temezcals, ice-baths, and meals shared with people who are on a similar path to healing and rediscovering their purpose. Every retreat has a different and unique program, so returning guests experience the full spectrum of holistic activities our program has to offer.
Sunrise beach yoga on Tulum's rocky shoreline, grounding the group before the work begins.
Purpose-Finding Program
Preparation at home, five days together at Rancho Verde, and personal follow-up once you are back in your life.
Before you arrive
November 1-11 · At home
Prepare the Ground
Preparation
Your retreat begins eleven days before you land. You eat fully plant-based, protect your sleep, let go of alcohol and other stimulants, and start a short daily meditation and the reading we recommend, so you arrive rested, clear and ready to do the work.
Five days at Rancho Verde
Wednesday · November 11
Arrive & Settle
Grounding
Grounding into the environment with the group and setting the intentions for the experience. Extended welcome dinner, relaxation, community-connection practices. Sunset and breath-work gratitude session.
Thursday · November 12
Clear the Decks
Release
Burning away the preconditioned mind that tells us we are not capable of more; letting go of blockages. Breath-work, yoga, sun salutations, guided meditation, art-class, deep conversation.
Friday · November 13
Go Deeper
Transformation
A traditional Mayan ceremony led by a vetted local facilitator, to slow down, let your nervous system settle and open up to new perspectives. Breath-work, yoga, journaling & sketching session, guided meditation, nature walks. Every part is optional: you can choose a guided ice-bath or meditation instead of the ceremony.
Saturday · November 14
Into the Wild
Integration
Processing and integrating your newly-found insights during excursions to Tulum's most beautiful hidden gems. Guided wellness practices on location: floating mindful breath-work in lagoons, hidden cenotes or ancient architecture.
Sunday · November 15
Take It Home
Application
Self-care, nurturing techniques, healing the inner child and allowing the creativity outdoors to integrate inward. Review, preview your own version of our methods to take your experience with you into your world.
After you return home
2-4 weeks after · At home
Keep It Alive
Check-in · Goal Integration
Once you are home, we personally check in with you: how you are doing, how your insights are holding up in daily life, and which of the goals you set at Rancho Verde need support, a small adjustment or a celebration. Real change takes root in the weeks after the retreat, and we walk that part with you.
Is This Circle For You?
'Into the Wild', Saturday of the retreat. Floating mindful breath-work in hidden cenotes near Rancho Verde, Tulum.
What You'll Get
Every morning begins with movement: yoga, breath-work, and guided meditation. Not to perform, not to perfect, but to reconnect you to your own body. By day three, most participants describe feeling more present than they have in years.
Chronic high-performance leaves a residue. This retreat is designed to help you release it through cold immersion, time in nature, deep rest and optional holistic sessions. You will never be pressured. You will be invited.
Our coaches check in with you in the weeks prior & those that follow, to help you optimally prepare for your retreat & to honor the decisions you made and stay true to who you found here. The real work starts when you are back in your own environment. Clarity without structure fades by the following week back into your old routine. That is why your retreat does not start and end that one weekend and we'll be there to keep you accountable to your new standards.
Retreat Location
A private, gated jungle sanctuary minutes from Tulum's Caribbean coast. Awarded by Airbnb as 'Superhost' and 'Guest Favorite, world's top 10%'.
A zero-waste eco-community with a villa, chapel, garden house, group house, private pool, small lagoon and yoga space. This is not a hotel. It is your home.
Your Hosts
MSc, BSW · Retreat Lead
Fem knows what it means to rebuild yourself from nothing. Orphaned at eight and raised in foster care, she learned early that resilience is not a personality trait, it is a practice. That understanding became the foundation of everything she does.
By training she is a social worker and holds a Master's in Business, Communication and Organization. In practice, she has spent her career creating spaces where people feel genuinely seen: from nationally televised sports events in the Netherlands to music festivals in Texas, to the retreat circles she leads today at Rancho Verde.
Fem does not coach from theory. She leads from lived experience. When you are in her space, you will feel the difference.
MSc, MA · Retreat Lead
Thomas spent his twenties doing everything society wanted: engineering degree from Delft, history masters from Leiden, offshore career, corporate expat-life in Houston. And then, deliberately, he walked away from all of it. Not because it failed. Because it was not what he lives for.
That decision, to trade security for purpose, is what he and Fem built Liefs Tulum from in 2019. What started as a vegan VW van is now an award-winning café, a retreat sanctuary, and a published book.
Thomas brings that same direct, no-shortcuts honesty to every retreat. He does not ask guests to do anything he has not already done himself. The hard conversations, the real clarity, the decision to actually change: he has been there.
Specialized ceremonies will be facilitated by a strictly vetted selection of local coaches that are the most regionally established professionals in their field. We rotate coaches depending on the program.
"Absolutely magical stay! I honestly cannot say enough good things.
The ranch is lush, wild, and incredibly peaceful. It felt like a true sanctuary while still being cozy and safe.
The vegan food was next-level and honestly some of the best I have ever had. Every meal was nourishing, creative, and clearly made with so much care and intention.
The hosts are truly special humans: warm, attentive, and present without ever being intrusive. You can tell they pour their hearts into this place, and it shows in every detail.
I left feeling deeply rejuvenated and highly recommend this retreat to anyone looking to disconnect and reconnect with themselves in nature.
I cannot recommend this place enough!"
"I gained clarity beyond my expectations. The level of personal attention was exceptional."
Gloria H, CO, USA · Guest 2024 & 2025
"This retreat helped me become more determined and confident in my goals and I recommend it to everybody wanting to live more authentically."
Natascha T, Netherlands · Guest 2023
"I learned more in the first few hours of this retreat than I did at two other complete retreats prior. Thank you for the invaluable wisdom I can apply in my daily life."
Keithia A, BH, USA · Guest 2024
"I knew it would be good, even great. I didn't know it would be exceptional."
Kimberly B, HI, USA · Guest 2024
"Liefs hosted this amazing retreat where they also provided the food. Everything was incredible, we had abundance of delicious vegan food and everytime it was server with so much love and intention. You can really tell their team put so much care into every plate. Thank you and will recommend the retreat as well as the food to anyone!"
Juan Sebastian T, Colombia · Guest & Co-Facilitator 2025
"I enjoyed their magic in a private retreat and it es an amazing journey of wellness, vitality and amazing flavor. Forever grateful to be able to enjoy quality with amazing flavor and in the best energy ever that they hold."
Kenneth I, Mexico · Guest 2024
Award-Winning Catering
100% plant-based. Zero waste.
Every plate carefully curated and based on the program's activities for optimal nourishment
& made in-house by our award-winning concept:
Liefs Tulum.
Every meal is grown, prepared and served with the same intention as the work you came here to do: nourishing, tasteful, high-protein & fiber, plant-based, and crafted in-house by our chefs from our award-winning concept Liefs Tulum, so your body heals at the same pace as your mind.
Investment
All-inclusive. No hidden costs. Ground transport included. Only your plane ticket is not.
Shared dorm-style house · 2-4 guests
Share the house with like-minded people and grow together as a conscious community.
1,600
USD · All-inclusive*
Shared private studio · 2 guests
Share with your partner, a friend or family member. Coming solo? We pair you with a guest of the same gender.
1,800
USD · All-inclusive*
Private house or villa · 1 guest
Spacious, secluded and fully yours, with the most personal guidance.
2,400
USD · All-inclusive*
Everything included in all options:
*Payment plan available on request (30/70% split). Spots confirmed upon receipt of full deposit. The only costs not included are for your own flights.
**Referral reimbursement is done after both you and your invité paid in full.
***Elite Membership is included free with Solitude, unlocking a 20% discount on your following retreat.
See our Terms & Conditions for further details.
Rancho Verde Tulum: a zero-waste jungle sanctuary. Your home for five days.
FAQ
What exactly is included in the price?
Basically everything except your plane ticket. Five nights accommodation at Rancho Verde in your chosen room type, all meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and drinks) curated and catered by award-winning Liefs, all retreat sessions (yoga, breath-work, meditation, creative workshops, guided holistic practices), excursions to cenotes and local natural sites, and post-retreat accountability coaching. There are no hidden costs.
How selective is the admission?
Every application is reviewed personally by Thomas & Fem. This retreat is designed for accomplished leaders 40–60 who are genuinely ready for the work. We limit it to 8 participants to protect the depth and privacy of the experience.
Is there a payment plan?
Yes. A payment plan is available on request, maximum in two parts, 30/70% split. Spots are confirmed upon receipt of the deposit.
What about the holistic sessions and ceremonies: are they mandatory?
No. Every holistic session and ceremony is optional, and you will never be pushed into anything. Before you arrive, we take the time for a personal conversation with you, and more if needed, to understand where you are in life and what feels right for you. During the retreat we check in with you every day and fully respect your boundaries. It is your decision, and yours alone.
What happens after I apply?
We read every application ourselves and reply within 24 hours. If it feels like a good fit, we invite you for a personal call with Thomas & Fem, to get to know you and answer all your questions. Once we both feel it is right, you secure your spot with the deposit, and your preparation starts on November 1.
Applications are reviewed personally. Once full, applications close.
Request an Invitation
8 participants maximum. November 11-15, 2026. Applications reviewed personally by Thomas & Fem.
Apply Now
8 participants maximum. Admission is selective. Every application is reviewed personally by Thomas & Fem. Spots are confirmed upon receipt of deposit.
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Also at Rancho Verde
Rancho Verde Tulum, our zero-waste jungle sanctuary, is available for Airbnb stays and private events. Airbnb Superhost & Guest Favorite since 2024.
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