Agathe Fay, Founder of Amanecer, a Wellness Company Offering Bespoke Luxury Wellness Experiences
Amanecer is a Wellness company located in Baja, California, Mexico. Founded by Agathe Faÿ, holistic mental health guide and creator of luxury wellness experiences, with the intent of creating bespoke wellness programs and retreats for individuals, couples, and groups. “At Amanecer we believe that each sunrise, like each breath, is a new beginning, a fresh start, a new lease on life and that is what we offer our clients through our private bespoke holistic wellness retreats. Whether you are battling addiction, mental health challenges, navigating a turbulent time, or simply want a relaxing reset, we are here to assist you in beginning a new chapter in your life. We will create a fully customized retreat experience solely for you in our beautiful ocean front locations. Surrounded by stunning, untouched nature and her restorative powers, our team of diverse wellness practitioners such as yoga and mindfulness instructors, somatic therapists, healers, bodyworkers, and medical professionals will support you on your healing journey. Today is the beginning of the rest of your life, what will you create?”
When did your path to wellness begin? Share your background and how it unfolded.
My path to wellness began long before I ever stepped onto a yoga mat. It began with a little girl who didn’t feel like she belonged.
I was born in New York City to French parents and spent my early childhood in Paris before my family moved back to the United States when I was seven years old. Suddenly I found myself navigating a new language, a new culture, and a new identity. I was a shy and sensitive child, and for a long time I carried the feeling that I didn’t quite belong. Looking back, I think many of the choices I’ve made throughout my life were really a search—not just for adventure or success, but for a deeper sense of home within myself.
As a teenager and young adult, that feeling deepened into severe depression, an eating disorder, addiction, and a profound search for worthiness through achievement, perfectionism, relationships, and external validation. There was a time in my life when I didn’t want to be alive. I attempted to end my life, was hospitalized, and spent years trying to understand why I felt so disconnected—from myself, from others, and from life itself.
Looking back, I don’t think I was searching for wellness.
I was searching for a place where I finally felt safe to be myself.
Even during those years, there were places where I felt moments of peace. Being underwater, spending time with animals, creating art, and immersing myself in nature brought me a quiet sense of relief long before I understood why. Looking back, I can see that those experiences were gently pointing me toward healing before I had the language for it.
Yoga entered my life in college and became another one of those places. After my divorce, it evolved from an occasional refuge into a daily practice alongside meditation. A therapist encouraged me to deepen that practice, and teachers like Tara Brach, Joseph Goldstein, and Jack Kornfield became important guides. Their work, along with years of study in Colombia, Bali, India, and eventually Mexico, helped me begin understanding healing in an entirely different way.
What I didn’t realize then was that I wasn’t just searching for healing. I was slowly discovering the very conditions that would one day become the foundation of the spaces I now create for others.
Casa Kura Kura is a retreat experience like no other, located in the untouched beauty of Baja California Sur. What makes it so special?
I often say that Casa Kura Kura isn’t just a place—it’s the physical expression of my philosophy of healing.
Over the years, my own healing journey has led me to a simple but profound belief: healing isn’t about fixing ourselves.
We are all born whole. Life can teach us to forget that through loss, trauma, heartbreak, perfectionism, or simply the demands of surviving.
I no longer believe healing is about fixing something that’s broken.
Like a garden, healing can’t be forced. It unfolds naturally when we cultivate safety, presence, connection, nourishment, and love. I believe our bodies, minds, and hearts already carry an innate wisdom. Sometimes they simply need an environment where they feel safe enough to remember the wisdom and wholeness that have always lived within them.
That understanding became the inspiration behind Casa Kura Kura.
Every aspect of Casa Kura Kura was intentionally designed to reflect that philosophy. The quiet rhythm of the ocean. The night sky free from light pollution. The edible and medicinal gardens. Spaces for movement, stillness, meaningful conversation, creativity, and deep rest. Time slows down here, and in that slowing down, people often begin hearing themselves again.
Nature is one of my greatest teachers, and I wanted to create a place where people could experience what I experienced—that profound sense of perspective and reconnection that comes from being immersed in the natural world. I believe we don’t heal in isolation. We heal in relationship: with ourselves, with others, and with nature.
I also don’t ever want to lose sight of what a privilege it is to be living this life. There are still mornings when I walk through the gardens or watch the sun rise over the Sea of Cortez and quietly think, What a privilege it is to call this home. That feeling of gratitude continues to shape how I show up—for this land, for my guests, and for the work itself.
Just as no two flowers or plants need exactly the same care, no two people heal in exactly the same way. That’s why every retreat is thoughtfully tailored to meet each guest where they are and honor what they need most in that season of life. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to healing because every person arrives with a different story, different strengths, and different needs.
Casa Kura Kura is for people navigating burnout, grief, major life transitions, relationship challenges, or simply the quiet feeling that they’ve lost touch with themselves. It’s for those who long to slow down, reconnect with nature, and remember what truly matters.
More than anything, it’s for people who are ready to slow down.
I want every guest who arrives to feel seen, heard, held, safe, and like they belong, because I know what it’s like not to.
Whether someone comes for rest, clarity, healing, or transformation, my hope is that they leave not feeling “fixed,” but remembering the wisdom, wholeness, and connection that have always lived within them.
Share your house-made offerings for a stay at Casa Kura Kura.
One of my greatest joys is sharing the simple rituals that have become part of my own daily life and what the land is offering in that particular season.
Many of those rituals begin in the gardens, where we grow an ever-evolving collection of edible and medicinal plants. Guests are invited to wander the pathways, learn about the plants, harvest herbs, flowers, fruits, and vegetables when they’re in season, and reconnect with the rhythms of nature.
Over the past few years, I’ve fallen in love with medicinal plants and the wisdom they carry. Tending the gardens has become its own meditation and one of my greatest teachers. Every season brings new lessons, new flavors, and a deeper appreciation for the quiet intelligence of nature. That curiosity has naturally evolved into creating botanical products inspired by the land itself.
One of the projects I’m especially excited about is my botanical tea collection, inspired by the plants growing here at Casa Kura Kura. Our first blend, Still Waters, features butterfly pea flower, lemongrass, and lemon balm—three plants that have become part of my own daily rituals and have long been valued for supporting calm and relaxation. It’s the first of several botanical blends I’m developing, each inspired by the rhythms of the seasons, the wisdom of the gardens, and the intention of helping people bring a little of the Casa Kura Kura experience home with them.
I love incorporating the garden into everyday experiences—whether that’s serving seasonal meals featuring freshly harvested ingredients whenever possible, preparing our homemade superfood energy balls, infused waters, fresh dairy and water kefir, homemade almond and coconut milk, and collagen gummies infused with seasonal herbs and botanicals whenever possible.
For guests who want a more immersive experience, we can arrange cooking classes with talented local chefs using ingredients harvested from the gardens, offering a beautiful way to explore both the flavors and traditions of Baja California Sur.
Creativity has always been a salve for me. Along with nature, the ocean, and meditation, art became one of the places where I could return to myself. That’s why I wanted Casa Kura Kura to be more than a place for rest. I wanted it to be a place where people feel inspired to create—whether that’s writing, painting, making music, journaling, or simply allowing new ideas to emerge. We can also arrange private art experiences with local artists for guests who want to explore their creativity in a more guided way.
Guests staying at Casa Kura Kura can choose to add individual wellness experiences to their stay, while those attending an Amanecer Wellness retreat enjoy a fully customized experience built around their individual intentions and needs.
Whether someone joins us for a wellness stay or a private retreat, experiences can include private yoga, Pilates, meditation, breathwork, massage, sound healing, craniosacral therapy, energy work, surfing, snorkeling, sailing, hiking, horseback riding, time in our temazcal-inspired sauna, or gathering around the fire pit for cacao, meaningful conversation, music, or quiet reflection beneath the stars.
Everything is offered as an invitation, never an obligation.
I believe rest is productive. I believe joy is healing. Sometimes the most meaningful moments aren’t found in a scheduled session, but while watching the sunrise over the Sea of Cortez, harvesting herbs for a meal, sharing laughter around the fire, or sitting quietly beneath a sky filled with stars.
Those simple moments often become the ones people remember most.
How important is it to stay present?
I think presence is one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves—and one of the hardest practices to cultivate.
For much of my life, I was either replaying the past or worrying about the future. Looking back, I realize I spent years trying to outrun difficult emotions, searching for happiness somewhere outside of myself. It wasn’t until I began practicing yoga and meditation more consistently that I discovered something surprisingly simple: healing doesn’t happen in the past or the future. It happens in the present moment.
That doesn’t mean being present is always easy. In fact, for many people, especially those who have experienced trauma, anxiety, or chronic stress, slowing down can initially feel uncomfortable. Our nervous systems become so accustomed to being in survival mode that stillness can feel unfamiliar.
That’s one of the reasons I care so deeply about creating environments that feel safe. When we feel safe, our nervous systems begin to soften. We can finally take a deeper breath. We start noticing the beauty around us, hearing our own inner wisdom, and reconnecting with ourselves in a way that’s difficult when we’re constantly rushing from one thing to the next.
Nature has been one of my greatest teachers in this. The ocean has always reminded me that life moves in rhythms rather than straight lines. The tides come and go. Flowers bloom in their own season. Nature unfolds in its own time. I believe healing follows that same quiet wisdom.
I don’t believe presence means ignoring the past or never planning for the future. I think it means fully inhabiting the life that’s unfolding right now. Because this moment is where we breathe, where we connect, where we love, and where healing becomes possible.
Healing isn’t about never losing ourselves again. It’s about learning how to gently find our way back to ourselves, over and over again. Sometimes we return through a conscious breath. Sometimes it’s a walk through the garden, a sunrise over the Sea of Cortez, a meaningful conversation, or simply pausing long enough to remember that this moment is enough.
Please share your featured retreats. What makes your retreats unique?
Every Amanecer Wellness retreat is fully customized because I don’t believe healing is one-size-fits-all. No two people arrive with the same story, the same nervous system, or the same needs, so I don’t believe they should leave with the same itinerary either.
That said, I’ve found that when people reach out, they’re often overwhelmed. Many have spent months—or even years—taking care of everyone else, navigating burnout, grief, anxiety, relationship challenges, or major life transitions. By the time they finally decide to invest in themselves, the last thing they want is to make dozens more decisions.
That’s why I created our Featured Retreats.
Rather than fixed programs, they’re thoughtfully designed starting points that help people recognize themselves and put words to what they’re experiencing. Someone might see the Burnout Recovery Retreat and think, “That’s exactly how I’ve been feeling.” Someone else may resonate with healing after an unhealthy relationship, navigating grief, strengthening their relationship, supporting a teen with anxiety, or finding freedom from addiction. From there, we begin a conversation and co-create a retreat that is entirely their own.
What makes Amanecer Wellness unique is that every retreat is built around the person, not the program. We draw from a multidisciplinary team of practitioners and thoughtfully weave together modalities such as yoga, meditation, breathwork, somatic therapies, creative expression, bodywork, time in nature, and recreational experiences like surfing, hiking, sailing, or horseback riding—always guided by each guest’s intentions and what will best support them in that season of life.
More than anything, I want people to feel deeply seen. I don’t believe it’s my role to tell someone what they need. My role is to listen deeply, ask thoughtful questions, and walk alongside each guest as they reconnect with their own inner wisdom. Every retreat is an invitation to slow down, reconnect with yourself, and remember the wisdom that has been there all along.
What is offered?
Every retreat begins with a thoughtful conversation.
Before a guest arrives, I take the time to understand where they are in life, what they’re navigating, and what they’re hoping to experience. Together, we create an itinerary that supports their intentions while leaving plenty of room for rest, spontaneity, and simply being.
Every Amanecer Wellness retreat is thoughtfully customized around the individual or group. Depending on each guest’s intentions, a retreat may include private yoga, Pilates, meditation, breathwork, massage, sound healing, craniosacral therapy, EMDR or Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy, energy work, creative experiences, time in nature, and recreational activities such as surfing, sailing, snorkeling, hiking, or horseback riding. Guests also enjoy nourishing meals, access to our saltwater pool, temazcal-inspired sauna, and beautiful spaces designed for rest and reflection.
While many guests join us for fully customized Amanecer Wellness retreats, others simply come to stay at Casa Kura Kura and choose to enhance their visit with à la carte wellness, recreational, and creative experiences, allowing them to create the level of support that feels right for them. Whether that’s a private yoga session, a massage, an art lesson, a cooking class with a local chef, or a day on the water, guests can tailor their stay in a way that feels meaningful and restorative.
I work with a multidisciplinary team of exceptional practitioners, and every element is thoughtfully woven together to support the whole person. Rather than following a fixed itinerary, we create experiences that meet each guest exactly where they are.
What have you enjoyed the most during your journey?
Without question, it’s witnessing people reconnect with themselves.
What brings me the greatest joy is creating the kind of space that I know I once needed myself—a place where people feel truly seen, heard, held, safe, and like they belong.
Every time someone tells me they finally feel safe enough to exhale, I quietly think, this is why I created these spaces.
So many people spend their lives taking care of everyone else, staying busy, pushing through, or simply surviving. They rarely have the opportunity to slow down long enough to ask themselves, How am I? What do I need? What brings me joy? Watching someone finally give themselves that permission is an incredible privilege.
One retreat that has stayed with me was a mother and daughter who came to us after navigating a profound family trauma together. Throughout their stay, I watched them soften with one another and begin to reconnect. What touched me most was hearing the mother share that it was the first time in years she had experienced what it felt like to simply receive care. There was nothing she had to organize or manage. She could simply allow herself to be cared for. By the end of the retreat, she had gained a renewed sense of clarity about the next chapter of her life and what she wanted for herself. Witnessing both of them leave feeling lighter and more connected was incredibly moving.
Another guest came to us because she was feeling overwhelmed by the constant demands of her life. She had an incredibly demanding career, was always planning, organizing, and taking care of everything around her, and somewhere along the way, she’d forgotten how to truly rest. She shared that she often woke in the middle of the night with her mind racing, unable to fall back asleep.
During her stay, she slept soundly through the night for the first time in a very long time and woke feeling genuinely restored. While I would never suggest that one retreat is a cure for insomnia, witnessing her nervous system finally experience a sense of safety and deep rest was incredibly meaningful. It was a beautiful reminder that sometimes what we need most isn’t to push harder—it’s to finally allow ourselves to slow down.
I also had the privilege of working with a couple who arrived feeling disconnected from one another. Through the retreat, I watched them gradually begin moving, breathing, communicating, and laughing together again. By the end of their stay, they had rediscovered a sense of partnership and left with a shared vision for the future—both individually and as a couple. Watching that shift unfold was something I’ll never forget.
Those stories are all completely different, and that’s what I love most about this work. No two retreats unfold in the same way because no two people arrive with the same story. Often, the transformation isn’t what someone expected when they first reached out. Sometimes it’s clarity. Sometimes it’s rest. Sometimes it’s repairing a relationship, finding hope again, or simply remembering what joy feels like.
I don’t believe my role is to heal anyone. My role is simply to hold a space where people can soften, reconnect with themselves, and discover what wants to unfold. The greatest privilege of my journey has been witnessing those moments of transformation and being reminded, again and again, that healing looks different for every person.
https://www.casakurakura.com/meet-your-host-agathe-fay
https://www.amanecerretreats.com/about
