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

Ayahuasca Ayllu: An In-Depth Review for Ayahuasca Ceremonies and Dietas in Taray, Sacred Valley, Peru

Ayahuasca Ayllu is a ceremony center on the outskirts of Taray village, five minutes from Pisac in Peru’s Sacred Valley, founded in 2000 by Alonso del Río, a Lima-born musician and author who trained for about 13 years with Shipibo healer Don Benito Arévalo, that holds Friday ayahuasca ceremonies for up to 20 people at a suggested $150 and runs jungle dietas at its own reserve in Madre de Dios, per its ceremonies page. It has a 26-year history, a documented teacher and an intake questionnaire. Against that, it publishes no medical staff, emergency plan or specific contraindications, takes payment as a PayPal donation with no refund terms, and has no independent reviews on major platforms.

🎯 At a Glance

• Locations: A temple on the outskirts of Taray, Calca province, Cusco, Peru, about 50 minutes from Cusco, and the 132 ha Bahuaja reserve on the Tambopata River near Puerto Maldonado, Madre de Dios, used for dietas.
• Approach: Evening ayahuasca ceremonies with the founder’s “medicine music”, and master plant dietas of one week to three months; it describes itself as “not a shamanic or neo-shamanic project”.
• Suitable For: Travelers already in the Sacred Valley wanting a single ceremony with an experienced guide, or a long dieta with a lineage-trained teacher. Not suitable for people taking antidepressants or with heart or psychiatric conditions.
• Costs: A suggested $150 per ceremony paid by PayPal donation; dieta prices are not published, and no deposit or refund terms appear.
• Overall Assessment: A long-running center with a documented teacher and no incidents found, offset by thin medical safeguards, generic contraindications, no published terms and no independent reviews. Directory evaluation: C+.

💬 What Guests Are Saying

No listing was found on Retreat Guru, AyaAdvisors, Third Wave or BookRetreats. Its own site shows three positive testimonials. A 2020 independent blog post describes a ceremony with about 14 people and the founder playing music, a hard but positive experience, and no briefing before the ceremony. No reviews of 3 stars or lower were found. 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 Ayahuasca Ayllu, Alonso del Río, Claudia Lovato and Gareth Morgan.

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

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

🔍 Critical Notes

Who runs it. Alonso del Río says he began leading ceremonies in 1992 with his teacher’s permission, per the about page; a 2009 profile and a 2022 podcast repeat his lineage under Don Benito Arévalo. Claudia Lovato coordinates ceremonies and dietas, and Gareth Morgan, who says he trained with Don Javier Arévalo, now leads the Taray ceremonies. No company or RUC tax number appears.

Screening and medical support. Guests fill in an online questionnaire on illnesses and recent medications, and the site warns that ayahuasca is incompatible with most medicines, but SSRIs, heart conditions and psychiatric history are not named and no washout is given. No medical staff or emergency protocol is published, including for 10 to 15-day jungle dietas far from hospitals.

Money. Ceremonies are paid as a “suggested collaboration” through a donation button, with no refund or cancellation terms.

Status. Operating, with Taray ceremonies listed for November and December 2026 and dietas into June 2027. It is not connected to Ayllu Medicina in Ecuador.

Legal context. Ayahuasca is legal in Peru, its traditional use is national heritage, and there is no licensing regime for retreats, per ICEERS.

🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks

Ask for written medication rules before your first ceremony. 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 served by the center’s guides; its source is not published. Ayahuasca combines the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with a DMT-containing leaf such as chacruna, as Erowid explains.

📍 Location, Setting & Style

• Setting: Cool Andean valley village near Pisac, plus a remote rainforest reserve for dietas.
• Rooms: Not described; the jungle reserve is off-grid with solar power, per its projects page.
• Style: Shipibo-trained ceremonies with original guitar music and long, strict dietas.

Practical guidance: Fly to Cusco (CUZ) and travel to Pisac; no transfers are mentioned.

Should You Book?

Possibly, for an informed guest. Ask in writing who leads your ceremony, the medication and contraindication rules, who on site is trained in first aid, the emergency and evacuation plan for jungle dietas, and what happens to your payment if you cancel. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.

The Team & Story

Ayahuasca Ayllu presents itself as a center for healing and consciousness studies, linked to a free school and a medicine music festival in the Pisac area. We did not independently verify anyone’s training.

Prep & Integration Tips

Before you go: Disclose every medication and condition in writing and plan any change with your own doctor. After you return: Arrange support from a qualified therapist at home. Our guide on how to research ayahuasca incidents can help you check any center.

Pros & Cons

Book Your Ceremony

Ceremonies are listed on its website. 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.