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

Awakening Project: An In-Depth Review for Ayahuasca Retreats near Pucallpa, Peru

Awakening Project is an ayahuasca retreat listed at “Isla San Francisco” near Pucallpa, Peru, run with an unnamed Shipibo family of shamans, whose only described program was an 18-night retreat with eight ayahuasca ceremonies, kambo and a master plant dieta including toé for $1,600, according to its AyaAdvisors listing. Against that, no owner, facilitator, website or legal entity is named, its own text calls toé “extremely dangerous” while no medical staff or emergency plan is published, it makes unsupported claims about treating depression and addiction, no reviews exist, and nothing is dated after May 2023.

🎯 At a Glance

• Locations: A forest village reached by flying to Pucallpa, then motorcycle to Yarinacocha and a taxi, per its former Retreat Guru page; the village is likely San Francisco de Yarinacocha (unverified).
• Approach: Eight ayahuasca ceremonies with three shamans, one kambo session, a master plant dieta with plants including toé, vapor baths, Shipibo massage, yoga, qi gong and breathwork over 18 nights.
• Suitable For: No one until the operator is identified and publishes medical oversight for toé and kambo. Not suitable for people taking antidepressants or with heart or psychiatric conditions.
• Costs: $1,600 for 18 nights with a 50% deposit, and a full refund only if the minimum of four guests was not reached by May 15, 2023 (unverified).
• Overall Assessment: A Shipibo family program with clear 2023 pricing, offset by an anonymous operator, toxic master plants and kambo without stated medical oversight, unsupported health claims and no activity since 2023. Directory evaluation: D.

💬 What Guests Are Saying

No reviews exist on Retreat Guru, AyaAdvisors, Tripadvisor, Google, BookRetreats or other platforms searched, and its Retreat Guru page has been removed. If you have attended, we encourage you to share your experience through our submission form.

🚩 Incident Report

We searched review platforms and English and Spanish-language news for reports involving Awakening Project.

• Deaths and serious injuries: None found.
• Sexual misconduct: No allegations found.
• Theft and fraud: None found.
• Legal action: None found.

No people are named, so no individual could be searched. A US tourist died after a ceremony at a different lodge in Loreto in June 2025, per Swissinfo.

If you have experienced or witnessed an incident with this center, please report it confidentially.

🔍 Critical Notes

Screening and medical support. No medical questionnaire, contraindication list, medical staff or emergency protocol is published, yet the program includes kambo and toé, which its own listing calls an extremely dangerous, highly toxic plant. It also claims to treat depression, trauma and addiction without evidence.

Who runs it. Listings name only “the Shipibo family of shamans” and say the project supports them financially. Interpretation is offered in Italian, English and French. No owner, facilitator, website or Peruvian company was found.

Status. Its Retreat Guru page now returns a not-found error, and the latest dated evidence is the May 2023 enrollment deadline. No closure or rebrand was found.

Legal context. Ayahuasca is legal in Peru, where traditional use was declared national cultural heritage in 2008, per Andina, but no law licenses retreat centers. San Francisco de Yarinacocha promotes community tourism including ayahuasca sessions, per Caretas.

Corrections to our earlier profile. Our earlier page said the project was potentially closed and being monitored for rebranding; no activity after May 2023 and no rebrand were found, but closure is not confirmed. The $1,750 price had no source; its listing gives $1,600. Our earlier grade was C; the grade is now D.

🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks

No contraindications are published, and kambo and toé are part of the program. ICEERS notes that ayahuasca’s MAOI component makes it dangerous with SSRIs and other serotonergic drugs and that it is contraindicated for people prone to psychosis. Never stop a psychiatric medication to qualify for a ceremony without your prescriber’s guidance.

🧪 Brew Substance

Ayahuasca of undisclosed recipe, plus kambo and master plants including piñón colorado, bobinsana, guayusa, sanango, ayahuma and toé. Ayahuasca combines the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with a DMT-containing leaf such as chacruna, as Erowid explains.

📍 Location, Setting & Style

• Setting: A Shipibo village in the forest near Yarinacocha lagoon.
• Rooms: “Large and cozy bungalows”, per the listing.
• Style: Shipibo ceremonies and dietas combined with yoga, qi gong and meditation, with breakfast and lunch only.

Practical guidance: Fly to Pucallpa and travel on to Yarinacocha by motorcycle and taxi; transfers are not included.

Should You Book?

No, unless the operator is identified and explains in writing who supervises toé and kambo and how emergencies reach a hospital. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.

The Team & Story

No founding date or team history is published. We did not independently verify anyone’s training.

Prep & Integration Tips

For any ceremony, ask in writing who serves the medicine, what it contains, how medications are screened and what happens in an emergency, and plan any change with your own doctor. Our guide on how to research ayahuasca incidents can help you check any center.

Pros & Cons

Book Your Ceremony

No current dates are listed. Best Retreats does not take bookings; learn more about our mission.

Last reviewed November 2026.

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