How to start your own retreat with $2,000 USD
Reserve your retreat at Amaca Beach with ≈ $2,000 USD, pay in three stages and fill your places before settling the balance. A guide for retreat facilitators.
Your retreat starts with a date, not all the money
Most retreats that never happen do not fail because there are too few students. They stall earlier, when the facilitator sees the full venue quote and assumes all that money must already be in their account before announcing the event.
At Amaca Beach Retreat, we change the order. Reserve your dates with ≈ $2,000 USD, 6 months before your retreat. That secures your dates at a beachfront hotel on Mexico’s Pacific coast, south of Puerto Vallarta, on Quimixto beach, reached only by sea. From then on, you have half a year to sell your places.
Here is how the model works, what the numbers look like and how different facilitators can use it to launch their first retreat or their next one.
The model
Three payments over six months
The model applies to dates at least 6 months away. You pay at three points, each tied to a stage of your sales.
- 01
Six months before
≈ $2,000 USD
Approximate; paid in MXN
Secure your date. From that day, you can promote your retreat with confirmed dates, a venue and real photos.
- 02
Three months before
50% of the total
Reach the halfway mark
After three months of advance sales, your participants’ deposits start covering this payment.
- 03
One month before
100% of the total
Settle the balance
Your participants have paid their balances, and you settle with Amaca Beach before arriving at the beach.
There are no hidden costs or financing charges between payments. The initial quote is what you pay, in three parts.
Cash flow
Why it works: your participants fund your retreat
A well-planned retreat pays for itself, provided participants’ payments arrive before the venue payments are due. This schedule is designed around that.
Advance sales with confirmed dates.
A retreat without a date or venue is hard to sell. Once you reserve, you can publish the dates, hotel, rooms and activities: the details people need to see before paying.
Participant deposits cover the second payment.
If you collect a deposit when participants sign up, three months of advance sales can give you the cash flow to reach 50%.
Participant balances arrive before your final payment.
Ask your group to settle six to eight weeks before the retreat. Then your final payment to Amaca Beach comes from money you have already collected.
You start by risking only the deposit. By the second payment, you have had three months of sales and know how your group is taking shape.
An example
What the numbers can look like
Imagine a five-night yoga retreat for 14 participants. All USD figures are approximate, based on an illustrative rate of 20 MXN per USD, not a live exchange rate. Payments are made in Mexican pesos. Your actual quote depends on dates, nights, group size and services.
- Total venue quote (example)
- ≈ $21,000 USD
- Price per participant
- ≈ $2,200 USD
- Deposit at registration
- 40% · ≈ $880 USD
Six months before
Three months before
One month before
By the end, you have paid ≈ $21,000 USD and collected ≈ $30,800 USD. The ≈ $9,800 USD difference covers your fees, guest instructors and materials. The only money paid out of your own pocket before selling was the date deposit.
Who it is for
Who can launch a retreat with this model
These are the types of organizers we work with most, and how each can use the six months to their advantage.
The yoga teacher with their own studio
They have a community that joins them every week but have never organized a trip. They reserve in October for April, announce the retreat in classes and on Instagram with photos of La Xala, the practice deck facing the jungle, and offer an early-booking price to regular students during the first month.
The fitness coach with online clients
Their audience is in Mexico, the United States and Canada. The date deposit lets them confirm a date and publish a registration page, then sell a beach bootcamp with sunrise training, a waterfall hike and meals planned for the group.
The women’s circle facilitator
The group has known each other for years and wants somewhere private, unpretentious and away from the noise. Six months’ notice gives everyone time to arrange flights, time off and childcare without rushing.
The HR team in Guadalajara or Mexico City
The annual budget is already allocated, but approval takes time. A ≈ $2,000 USD deposit secures the date while internal sign-offs are completed.
Formats
What you bring and what Amaca Beach provides
You bring the community, the content and the sales. We provide the venue, operations and arrival logistics.
Accommodation
Groups from 13 participants, 8 to 12 rooms
Beachfront accommodation and a beach bonfire. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are optional.
Retreat with meals
Groups from 13 rooms
Accommodation, breakfast, lunch, dinner, morning and afternoon snacks, and a beach bonfire.
Buyout
The whole hotel: 17 accommodation units
We design the retreat with you: logistics, activities, a guided waterfall hike, and opening and closing circles.
Every format includes access to La Xala for your practices, arrival by sea from Boca de Tomatlán (no more than 15 minutes) and a team that knows the area. Private sessions, ceremonies and therapies can be added on request.
Explore the spaces for your retreatBefore reserving
Frequently asked questions
Is the date deposit deducted from the total?
Yes. The ≈ $2,000 USD is part of your retreat’s total payment.
Can I reserve dates less than six months away?
This model applies to dates at least six months away. For closer dates or high season (holiday weekends, Easter, Christmas and New Year), we will share the applicable payment schedule.
Is the date deposit refundable?
No. The deposit holds your dates and takes them off sale to other groups.
Which currency do I pay in?
Mexican pesos. The $2,000 USD reference is approximate and varies with the exchange rate.
How long does a quote take?
We send a personalized quote within 12 business hours.
Is the hotel closed exclusively for my group?
With a buyout, you have all 17 accommodation units. The Beach Club remains open to visitors, and your group has its own area at each meal.
Reserve your date
Secure your date and start selling
If you have been thinking about your first retreat, the first step is ≈ $2,000 USD and a date six months away. Tell us how many people you have in mind, how many nights and what kind of experience you want to create, and we will send a quote with the payment schedule.
Amaca Beach Retreat · Puerto Vallarta South Shore