★★★★★
“I participated in a few retreats already, at none I went as deep within as here. I will be back.” - Josh B, FL, USA, Guest March 2024
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 founders & hosts Thomas & Fem Massink
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. We can only serve ourselves, each other and humanity if we are a fit. It's not personal, it's timing & energy.
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. Some guests stay in touch forever, and many come back.
Over 40% of our guests have already joined our retreats three times.
Inside The Retreat
At this all-inclusive retreat, everything is taken care of, so you can fully focus on what matters here: you and your essence.
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.
'Into the Wild', Saturday of the retreat. Floating mindful breath-work in hidden cenotes near Rancho Verde, Tulum.
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?
Sunrise beach yoga on Tulum's rocky shoreline, grounding the group before the work begins.
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.
Our self-grown & built 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 retreat founders & hosts
Presence & personal attention. From start to finish and beyond.
MSc, BSW · Retreat Host · Mindset & Mental Health Lead Coach
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 Host · Program, Coach & Guest Coordinator
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 and shamans that are the most established professionals in their field in this region. 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!"
Conscious Comfort Cuisine & Catering
100% Plant-Based. Zero waste. 111% Taste.
Every plate carefully curated and based on the program's activities for optimal nourishment
& made in-house by our award-winning concept:
Liefs Conscious Comfort Cuisine, since 2019.
Every meal is grown, prepared and served with the same intention as the work you came here to do: nourishing, patient, graceful & grateful. Tasteful, high-protein, full-fiber, plant-based, zero-cholesterol and crafted in-house by Mexican-Mayan chefs who offer a true Taste of Tulum, so your body heals at the same pace & depth as your mind & spirit.
Rest & recharge in comfort & style
All houses feature comfortable beds, AC, a ventilator, a kitchenette, a shower and WC and more. We offer various levels of comfort, a shared dorm of 2-4 guests or privacy and luxury, based on your budget. Rancho Verde Tulum has earned Superhost & Guest Favorite awards for a reason, come experience why.
Package: Solitude
Package: Essence
Package: Premium w. friend/kin | Solitude if solo
Package: Premium w. friend/kin | Solitude if solo
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.
Indicative photos. Accommodation may vary slightly.
1,600
USD · All-inclusive* | 10% cash back per referred friend
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.
Indicative photos. Accommodation may vary slightly.
1,800
USD · All-inclusive* | 15% cash back per referred friend
Private house or villa · 1 guest
Spacious, secluded and fully yours, with the most personal guidance.
Indicative photos. Accommodation may vary slightly.
2,400
USD · All-inclusive* | 20% cash back per referred friendElite 1-year membership, 25% off of your next retreat***
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 1-year membership is included free with Solitude, unlocking a 25% discount on your next retreat within one year.
See our Terms & Conditions for further details.
FAQ·Frequently asked questions
The only silly question is the one you didn't ask.
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.
Do I need a visa to travel to Mexico?
Most likely not. Citizens of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Australia, Japan and many other countries can visit Mexico as tourists without a visa for up to 180 days. Holders of a valid US, Canadian, UK, Japanese or Schengen visa, or a US permanent resident card, are usually exempt too. You need a passport that stays valid for your whole stay (we recommend at least six months), and your entry is recorded digitally by immigration (the FMM tourist permit) on arrival. Rules depend on your nationality and can change, so please check with the Mexican embassy or consulate in your country before booking your flight.
Do I need any vaccinations before going to Mexico?
Mexico does not require any vaccination for entry. Health authorities do advise every traveler to be up to date on routine vaccines, including measles (MMR), given the measles cases reported in Mexico in 2025 and 2026, and often recommend hepatitis A as well. Please check with your doctor or a travel clinic at least four weeks before you travel.
Anything else I need to take into account before traveling?
Quintana Roo, the state Tulum is in, charges foreign visitors a small mandatory tourist fee called Visitax (about 285 Mexican pesos, roughly 15 USD per person in 2026). Pay it only on the official site, visitax.gob.mx, and keep the QR code on your phone, as it is checked at Cancun airport before departure. Bring light, breathable clothing, swimwear, comfortable shoes, a reusable water bottle, reef-safe sunscreen and natural insect repellent. Tap water is not drinkable in Mexico; we provide filtered water throughout the retreat. Some pesos in cash are handy for small purchases and tips. We send you a full packing and preparation guide once your spot is confirmed.
Can I host my own retreat at Rancho Verde?
Yes, of course. We are more than happy to host your retreat at Rancho Verde. Please visit our dedicated events page for more information.
Is anything covered by insurance?
Your safety and wellbeing come first in everything we do. Rancho Verde is a private, gated community, and you are cared for by our well-trained, trusted team, who know the ranch and every activity inside out. You are never pushed into anything: every session is an invitation, and you decide what feels right for you. We ask you to tell us openly what you are and are not comfortable with, so we can support you well. Please note that participation in the retreat and all of its activities is at your own risk, and that the retreat does not include insurance of any kind. We strongly recommend that you take out personal travel insurance that covers medical care, cancellation and the activities on the program. Upon arrival, every guest signs a liability waiver. For full details, please read our Terms & Conditions.
Small by design
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 retreats, weddings, private events and Airbnb stays. Airbnb Superhost & Guest Favorite since 2024.
