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Atmosphere and feature ratings above are based on Best Retreats research (October 2026). They will be updated if Aloee Wellness submits its own information.

Aloee Wellness: An In-Depth Review for Ayahuasca Retreats near Tulum and Cancún, Mexico

Aloee Wellness is an online ayahuasca and plant medicine booking business that runs private ceremonies and short retreats at rented venues on Mexico’s Caribbean coast. It describes itself as “an online portal” that pairs local healers with “Canadian digital automation,” and it does not appear to own a center. Its multi-day packages now run at the Ekumal eco resort in Akumal, between Tulum and Playa del Carmen, and single ceremonies at a house called Casa Shirley on the Ruta de los Cenotes near Puerto Morelos. Ceremonies are led by a healer the company calls Edgar Espartza, described as a fifth-generation Indigenous healer with 20 years of experience. Prices are published and high: from $730 for a one-night private “Retreat Pass” to $3,418 for a five-day private retreat. The company shows a 4.9 Google rating from about 166 reviews through a widget on its own site, but its independent footprint is small: two Retreat Guru reviews and one press testimonial. We found no deaths, assaults, raids or lawsuits. The concerns are an anonymous operator with no named owner or legal entity, no medical staff or emergency plan, packages that schedule ayahuasca and bufo (5-MeO-DMT) about a day apart, refund terms that contradict each other, a clause threatening legal action over chargebacks, and one unverified complaint of a cancelled booking that was not refunded. Our earlier profile needs correcting on its location, group size, prices, transfers and deposit.

🎯 At a Glance

• Locations: Rented venues in Quintana Roo. One- to five-day private packages run at Ekumal Sanctuary Eco Resort in Akumal, about 20 to 30 minutes from Tulum town, according to its ayahuasca retreat page and Retreat Guru listing. Single ceremonies take place at Casa Shirley on the Ruta de los Cenotes, about 30 to 40 minutes from Cancún airport. In 2025 its group retreats used Lunita Jungle Retreat, a separate venue business near Puerto Morelos, which it still lists for private groups.
• Approach: Private ayahuasca ceremonies, with bufo alvarius (5-MeO-DMT), kambo, mambe and ambil, sananga, sound healing and Mayan massage sold as add-ons or packaged together. Guests can swap the ayahuasca ceremony for peyote or psilocybin. Integration is offered right after the ceremony and in one video call within 30 days.
• Suitable For: Travelers already on the Riviera Maya who want a short, private ceremony with hotel-style lodging and are willing to pay for it. Not suited to anyone who needs medical supervision, a long traditional program or flexible refund terms.
• Costs: $730 for a one-night solo Retreat Pass; $1,965 plus tax ($2,220) for a three-night solo retreat; $3,025 plus tax ($3,418) for a five-day solo retreat; about $450 for a daytime private ceremony at Casa Shirley; $300 for a bufo ceremony, according to its 3-day and 5-day pages. Part of each ceremony fee is paid in cash to the healer. Airport transfers cost $80 to $180 each way. Couple prices differ within the same pages.
• Overall Assessment: A polished, private and well-rated service with a published screening form and contraindication list, offset by an operator that will not say who it is, no medical staff or emergency protocol, a high-risk ayahuasca and bufo schedule, contradictory refund terms, an anti-chargeback clause and a thin independent review record. Directory evaluation: C+.

💬 What Guests Are Saying

Here is how Aloee Wellness rates across review platforms in October 2026:

The positive picture. Reviewers on the Google widget and Retreat Guru praise Edgar’s care and judgment with doses, the privacy of the setting, the organization, the massages and the support of the retreat leader, Jessy. Two Retreat Guru reviewers recommend it for a first ayahuasca or bufo experience. In February 2024, Mexico News Daily published one customer’s account of a $450 overnight ceremony with Aloee in Puerto Morelos, describing a calm setting, careful staff and good food. Our earlier profile quoted similar testimonials about feeling safe and supported and about thorough screening.

The negative feedback. A Google review from about a year ago, visible on the company’s own widget, says the reviewer’s booking was cancelled after they disclosed a medication, that no refund was given, and calls the company a scam that “stole my money.” That outcome matches the company’s published rule that failed screening means “no refund, credit, or rescheduling.” A second, shorter Google review from about two years ago says “I dont recommend using this company.” Both accounts are unverified, and the company’s replies, if any, are not shown.

Who is writing the reviews. The company claims more than 4,000 customers (“4,217 Happy Customers”) but has only two reviews on an independent booking platform. Its Google score is displayed through its own widget, which the company controls. It runs a referral program paying $10 to $15 Amazon gift cards per referred paying customer, not tied to reviews. It publishes its own buyer guides, such as “How to Choose the Best Ayahuasca Retreat,” which steer readers toward its private model. Our earlier profile cited a Scamadviser score of 71; the current Scamadviser page shows no user reviews, hidden ownership data and an inconsistent trust score. If you have attended, we encourage you to share your experience through our submission form.

🚩 Incident Report

We searched review platforms, Mexican and English-language news, and legal sources for reports involving Aloee Wellness, Edgar Espartza (and the spelling Esparza) and the venues it uses.

• Deaths and serious injuries: None found. The company claims “zero (0) hospitalization” cases, without data. A 2024 death after an ayahuasca ceremony at a rented cabin in Saltillo, Coahuila, reported by Excélsior, is unrelated.
• Sexual misconduct: No allegations found.
• Theft and financial complaints: One unverified Google review alleges a cancelled booking with no refund (see above). No charges or legal claims found.
• Legal action: No police action, raids or lawsuits found involving the company or its healers.

If you have experienced or witnessed an incident at Aloee Wellness, please report it confidentially.

🔍 Critical Notes

Who are you paying? No owner, founder or legal entity is named anywhere on the website. The terms of service say they are “governed by the laws of Canada and Mexico” but name no company, address or registration number. The company calls itself “Canadian-based,” and its domain, registered in April 2023, sits behind a privacy service. The only named manager is a “General Manager” listed by first name. One page lists a phone number with the 555 prefix normally reserved for fictional numbers, and the email shown on Retreat Guru is misspelled. Ask for the legal name of the company that takes your payment before booking.

Refund terms that contradict each other. The company’s cancellation policy says retreats and the Retreat Pass are not refundable, with rescheduling for credit 30 or more days ahead; ceremonies are refundable 30 or more days ahead. The one-day and private-group pages say bookings are non-refundable, while the three- and five-day pages say they are refundable with 30 days’ notice, and the bufo page allows a refund minus 10% with seven days’ notice. Requests are valid only “in writing via email.” The policy also says “Unauthorized chargebacks will be considered a breach of these terms and may result in legal action,” and that anyone who fails screening or withholds a condition gets no refund or credit. Read every page that applies to your booking and get the terms in writing.

Ayahuasca and bufo in the same package. The three- and five-day packages combine ayahuasca, bufo alvarius and kambo within a few days; the three-day schedule puts ayahuasca on the second night and bufo the next afternoon. Ayahuasca contains MAOIs, and combining MAOIs with 5-MeO-DMT is a recognized and potentially dangerous interaction. The company does not publish a washout period between the two or explain how it manages the risk.

The legal position. Mexico’s General Health Law lists DMT, psilocybin and mescaline (the active compound in peyote) among the most restricted substances, those with “valor terapéutico escaso o nulo,” according to the text of article 245. Ayahuasca as a brew is not named, and a legal explainer describes its status as a tolerated gray area based on “silence and tolerance,” with Quintana Roo authorities not pursuing ceremony operators, according to Mind Medicine Law. Mexico’s federal penal code protects peyote and mushroom use only in ceremonies of recognized Indigenous and Afro-Mexican communities. Enforcement does happen: in September 2026 federal agents seized about 930 grams of ayahuasca extract arriving from Peru at Mexico City airport, as Infobae reported, and several Indigenous healers from South America have been detained in Mexico for carrying ayahuasca since 2022. Aloee sells DMT-containing ayahuasca, offered smokable DMT (“changa”) as an add-on in 2025, and offers peyote and psilocybin to commercial clients. We found no enforcement against the company, but the legal exposure is real.

Corrections to our earlier profile. Multi-day retreats now run in Akumal, not at Lunita in Puerto Morelos, which was the 2025 venue and is a separate business. The company now sells private bookings only, so our earlier “groups of 6 to 10” no longer applies; its 2025 open retreats took 4 to 12 people. We found no current source for a four-day “REBORN” retreat from $1,244, whose page has been removed, or for a $1,000 non-refundable deposit. Airport transfers, which our earlier profile described as free, are now a paid add-on. The Scamadviser score of 71 we cited no longer appears. Our earlier profile’s descriptions of eight double villas, a shared pool and a restaurant with a chef fit Lunita in 2025, not the current venue.

🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks

Aloee requires a free “Health & Safety Screening” before booking, covering health history, supplements and substances used in the previous 60 days, and the healer reviews it again before each session, according to its screening page. It lists exclusions including serious heart conditions or a pacemaker, high or unstable blood pressure, pregnancy, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD and dissociative conditions, and SSRIs and MAOIs. Its safety page says SSRIs, SNRIs, MAOIs, tricyclics, lithium and St John’s wort should be tapered “at least 4 to 6 weeks prior” under a doctor. The pages are not consistent: PTSD is excluded on one page while marketing promotes ayahuasca for PTSD. No doctor, nurse, paramedic or first-aid credential is named anywhere, the only counselor is listed without credentials, and no emergency protocol or nearest hospital is published. Akumal sits on the main highway between Tulum and Playa del Carmen, and the Puerto Morelos venues are inland from the coast, so ask exactly where the nearest hospital is and how a guest would get there at night. ICEERS notes that ayahuasca’s MAOI component makes combinations with SSRIs and other serotonergic medications contraindicated, and that ayahuasca is contraindicated for people prone to psychosis. Erowid warns of extreme, possibly fatal reactions with some prescription drugs. If you book a package, ask how many hours separate the ayahuasca and bufo ceremonies. Never stop a psychiatric medication to qualify for a retreat without your prescriber’s guidance.

🧪 Brew Substance

The company says its ayahuasca is “sourced from Peru” but does not publish its recipe. Traditional ayahuasca combines the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with a DMT-containing leaf such as chacruna, as Erowid explains; our earlier profile’s description of the brew as caapi and chacruna came from general information, not from Aloee. Other medicines on its pages include bufo alvarius (5-MeO-DMT), kambo, mambe and ambil, sananga, rapé, and peyote or psilocybin as substitutes for ayahuasca; in 2025 its Retreat Guru events also listed “changha (DMT)” as an add-on. The bufo page says the “psychedelic product” is paid in cash to the healer. A private ayahuasca ceremony runs from about 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; the Retreat Pass ceremony starts at 7:30 p.m. Ask exactly what is in each cup, who prepared it and how doses are set.

📍 Location, Setting & Style

• Packages: Private, air-conditioned villas at Ekumal Sanctuary Eco Resort in the jungle near Akumal, with a pool, private showers and Wi-Fi. The venue itself rates 4.6 on Google from about 185 reviews, and some reviewers call it rustic.
• Ceremonies: Casa Shirley on the Ruta de los Cenotes inland from Puerto Morelos, for one to eight people. Lunita Jungle Retreat, a separate venue business with its own ceremonies, is offered for private groups of six or more.
• Style: Modern and service-driven: a concierge “7 days/week,” a marketing team, corporate events and a mix of ceremony, massage, sound healing and breathwork. Services are in English and Spanish.

Practical guidance: Fly into Cancún (CUN) or Tulum (TQO). Transfers cost $180 one way from Cancún, $150 from Tulum airport, $100 from Tulum town and $80 from Playa del Carmen. Check-in for the Retreat Pass is at 3 p.m., with a preparation workshop at 6:30 p.m.

Should You Book?

Aloee Wellness may suit you if you are already in the Riviera Maya, want a private ceremony with comfortable lodging, and are healthy, unmedicated and comfortable paying a premium. The trade-offs: you will not know which company you are paying, there is no medical staff or published emergency plan, the packages put ayahuasca and bufo close together, refund terms differ from page to page, and the company threatens legal action over chargebacks. If you go, get the company’s legal name, the full refund terms, the gap between medicines, the healer’s full name and the nearest hospital in writing, and read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.

The Team & Story

The company’s team page describes the lead healer as “Edgar,” and its one-day page gives his name as Edgar Espartza, a “5th-generation indigenous healer with 20 years of experience” who works with ayahuasca, peyote, mushrooms and kambo and says he received a “shaman blessing” from elders in Yucatán. Lunita Jungle Retreat separately describes its ayahuasca carrier Edgar as “a Zapotec ceremony carrier” with more than twenty years of experience; this is probably the same person, but Zapotec (Oaxaca) and Amazonian lineages are different claims, and we found no independent record of his full name. The team page also lists Claudia Torres (ayahuasca, kambo and breathwork), Juan Ruben (ayahuasca and bufo), Priyananda, Kala and Xianti (bufo and cacao), sound healers, a “Healing Counselor” without listed credentials, a massage therapist, Jessy as retreat leader and Chloe as guest concierge. Our earlier profile also named a staff member called Zeb, who appears only in reviews. The domain dates from April 2023 and the earliest press mention from February 2024. The company says 30% of its proceeds fund Indigenous children’s education in Yucatán, without naming a recipient. We did not independently verify anyone’s credentials.

Prep & Integration Tips

Before you go: Complete the screening honestly, list every medication and supplement, and talk with your own doctor well before booking, since a failed screening can cost you your payment. Follow the one to two weeks of dietary preparation the company describes. After you return: The packages include integration right after the ceremony and one video session within 30 days. Arrange support from a qualified therapist at home as well. Our guide on how to research ayahuasca incidents can help you check any center.

Pros & Cons

Book Your Ceremony

Bookings are made through aloeewellness.com and its Retreat Guru page, with calendars open from October 2026 to March 2027. Deposits are taken by card or PayPal, and the balance and the healer’s fee may be paid in cash. Before paying, confirm in writing the legal name of the company, the venue, the full refund terms for your booking, the hours between medicines, and the emergency arrangements. Best Retreats does not take bookings; learn more about our mission.

Last reviewed October 2026.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Consult a qualified medical professional.