Ayahuasca Colombia

Atmosphere
Features
Atmosphere and feature ratings above are based on Best Retreats research (October 2026). They will be updated if Ayahuasca Colombia submits its own information.
Ayahuasca Colombia (Ayahuasca Spirit Colombia): An In-Depth Review for Ayahuasca Ceremonies near Medellín, Colombia
Ayahuasca Colombia, also branded Ayahuasca Retreat Colombia and Ayahuasca Spirit Colombia, is run by Jessica Greiner, an entrepreneur from Hamburg, with ceremonies led by Sergio Henao, a self-described philosophy professor who says he learned from Mama Concha of the Kamëntsá Biyá. Its main offer is a one-night group ceremony at Casa Vientre, Sergio’s house in the village of Mangarriba in Girardota, about 40 minutes from Medellín, for 500,000 COP (about $138), plus private ceremonies, a seven-day trip to Mocoa in Putumayo and, from 2027, retreats in the Austrian Alps. Guests rate it 5.0 on Retreat Guru from 11 reviews and on Google from 75, praising a safe, family-like atmosphere. No medical staff are named for Colombia, there is no screening questionnaire or emergency plan, the gate stays locked overnight, payment is in cash, no company is registered on its site, and some pages claim ayahuasca may cure psychosis or Alzheimer’s. We found no incidents. Sergio Henao also leads ceremonies for a separate operator, Harmonica Ayahuasca Retreat, in the same municipality.
🎯 At a Glance
- Locations: Casa Vientre, Sergio Henao’s house in front of the sports field near Las Sombrillas stadium in Mangarriba, Girardota, Antioquia, reached by the Mangarriba bus or a taxi, according to its ceremony page. Its Putumayo trip is based about 25 minutes’ walk from Mocoa, and its Austrian retreats are “nestled in the Austrian Alps” in an unnamed town. Offices are listed at two different addresses in El Poblado, Medellín.
- Approach: An overnight ceremony from 9 p.m. to 8 a.m. with icaros, live music, an “energetic cleaning” and an integration talk; private ceremonies with rapé and tobacco; and a Putumayo trip with three ceremonies and optional kambo.
- Suitable For: People in or visiting Medellín who want a short, inexpensive, small-group ceremony in a home setting and will arrange their own transport, bedding and food.
- Costs: 500,000 COP for a group night ($138 on Retreat Guru), 2,500,000 COP for a private ceremony for one and 2,600,000 COP for two, 4,900,000 COP for the seven-day Putumayo trip and €690 to €980 for the Austrian retreats, with kambo extra, according to its dates page. Its terms ask for payment in cash at the start.
- Overall Assessment: A small, well-reviewed home ceremony with an experienced yagecero and low prices, offset by no medical staff or screening questionnaire, no emergency plan, a locked gate overnight, cash payment with strict cancellation terms that contradict its Retreat Guru listing, no disclosed company, unsupported cure claims and retreats in Austria, where the legal position is contested. Directory evaluation: C+.
💬 What Guests Are Saying
| Platform | Rating | Reviews | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retreat Guru | 5.00 / 5 | 11 | March to May 2026 visible |
| Google (widget on the operator’s site) | 5.0 / 5 | 75 | February to May 2026 displayed; widget controlled by the operator |
| Tripadvisor, Trustpilot, BookRetreats, AyaAdvisors | No rating | 0 | No listings found |
The positive picture. Reviewers describe feeling safe and cared for, a warm and professional team, a family atmosphere, a good experience for first-timers and a guide who went beyond the norm. Our earlier profile summarized third-party reviews as calling it picturesque, caring, safe and transformative, which matches what we found.
The negative feedback. No review below five stars is visible on any platform.
Who is writing the reviews. The review base is small and uniformly perfect. The Google figure comes from a widget the operator controls, and three of its ten displayed reviews were posted on May 19 and 20, 2026, two under the same first name written differently. Because Sergio Henao also leads ceremonies for Harmonica Ayahuasca Retreat, whose reviews also praise “Sergio,” reviews can be confused between the two operators; our earlier profile wrongly said most reviews concerned a different center. If you have attended, we encourage you to share your experience through our submission form.
🚩 Incident Report
We searched review platforms and English, Spanish and German-language news for reports involving Ayahuasca Colombia, Ayahuasca Spirit Colombia, Casa Vientre, Jessica Greiner, Sergio Henao, Vanessa Delgado and Mama Concha.
- Deaths and serious injuries: None found involving this operator. In the surrounding area, a 73-year-old American woman died after drinking yagé at a ceremony run by an unnamed Indigenous man in neighboring Barbosa in February 2024, as El Tiempo reported, and a 53-year-old woman died after a ritual at a home in Itagüí in May 2024, according to El Colombiano. No operator was named in either case.
- Sexual misconduct: No allegations found.
- Theft and crime: No reports found.
- Legal action: No police action or lawsuits found.
Our earlier profile also found no theft, sexual misconduct or criminal records, including in a March 2026 update.
If you have experienced or witnessed an incident with this operator, please report it confidentially.
🔍 Critical Notes
Two operators, one healer. Sergio Henao and Vanessa Delgado also appear on the team of Harmonica Ayahuasca Retreat, a different operator run by Oliver Glozik in Vereda Curazao, Girardota, and both say their medicine comes from Mama Concha’s family. We found no shared ownership. Check which operator you are booking with.
Payment and refunds. The operator’s own terms ask for the full price in cash at the start of the retreat, or a 50% deposit with the balance in cash, charge 50% to 100% for late cancellations, exclude any right of withdrawal and set Medellín as the place for all disputes. Its Retreat Guru listings advertise a deposit refundable until the day before. The terms name no legal entity, tax number or responsible person.
Cure claims. The site’s FAQ promises “the possibility of curing depression, psychosis or other mental illnesses,” and it publishes pages titled “Ayahuasca Alzheimer’s cure” and on addiction treatment, while its German safety page lists psychosis as a contraindication. These claims have no medical support.
The law. Colombia has no specific law on yagé, which is governed indirectly by Indigenous-rights norms, and ayahuasca carried without Indigenous authorization has been confiscated, according to an analysis on Bia Labate’s blog. For the Austrian retreats, the legal position is contested: some Austrian sources treat DMT as a controlled narcotic, while local operators claim the brew is legal. The operator’s site makes no statement about it.
Corrections to our earlier profile. Prices have risen: the group night is now 500,000 COP, not 400,000, and a private ceremony is 2,500,000 COP for one person rather than 1,500,000 to 2,300,000. The operator does publish a phone number, email and a map of Casa Vientre. We found no source for jungle ceremonies being “led by” Mama Concha, Taita Guillermo and Taita Miguel, who appear only in photo captions, or for the advice on aftereffects our earlier profile quoted; those remain unverified.
🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks
There is no screening questionnaire; guests are asked to disclose medications at booking. The English pages tell people taking antidepressants or other medication, or with heart, respiratory or blood-pressure problems, to consult a doctor, and to “avoid taking medication for two weeks.” The German safety page goes further, listing psychosis, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and severe heart disease as contraindications and warning that SSRIs, SNRIs and MAOIs “can lead to life-threatening interactions.” No medical staff are named for Colombia; the only medical credential on the team is veterinary. The Austrian page promises an unnamed “experienced physician.” No emergency plan is published, the ceremony takes place in a private house with the gate locked until morning, and the nearest hospital is Hospital San Rafael in Girardota. ICEERS notes that ayahuasca is contraindicated for people prone to psychosis. Never stop a psychiatric medication to qualify for a ceremony without your prescriber’s guidance.
🧪 Brew Substance
The operator says its brew combines Banisteriopsis caapi with chacruna (Psychotria viridis) and that it contains DMT and MAOIs, according to its homepage, sourced through Mama Concha’s Kamëntsá family. Extra cups are possible during the night. Private ceremonies add rapé, tobacco and other plant preparations, and kambo is optional on the Putumayo and Austria retreats.
📍 Location, Setting & Style
- Setting: A family house beside a village sports field in the hills of Girardota, where nights can be cold.
- Rooms: None for the group night; guests sleep on their own mats. Private two-night ceremonies include a room with two single beds; the Putumayo trip uses shared four-bed rooms.
- Style: Kamëntsá-style yagé ceremonies with live music for groups of 8 to 10, organized by a German founder.
Practical guidance: Take a taxi from Medellín (about 40 minutes) or the Mangarriba bus from Girardota. Bring a blanket, mat, fruit, bread and electrolytes; breakfast is fruit and tea. No transfers are offered.
Should You Book?
This is a low-cost, small-group option for people who want a home ceremony near Medellín. Before paying, ask for a screening form, what happens if someone needs a hospital during the night, and written refund terms, and be wary of any promise that ayahuasca will cure an illness. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.
The Team & Story
Jessica Greiner, the founder, describes herself as an entrepreneur from Hamburg with five years of Buddhist studies who organizes the retreats and assists the healers, according to the team page. Sergio Henao, the lead healer, describes himself as a professor of philosophy and master of herbal medicine with more than 15 years of work with ayahuasca. Vanessa Delgado, a veterinarian, leads women’s ceremonies; her father, Jaime Delgado, guides the journey; and Jaime Rivera and Julien Pietro make the music. The site’s copyright dates to 2021. We did not independently verify anyone’s training.
Prep & Integration Tips
Before you go: Follow the dietary preparation on the site, disclose every medication and plan any change with your own doctor. After you return: Integration is limited to conversations around the ceremony, so arrange a qualified therapist at home. Our guide on how to research ayahuasca incidents can help you check any operator.
Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Low prices; small groups | No medical staff or screening questionnaire for Colombia |
| Experienced yagecero | No emergency plan; gate locked overnight |
| Perfect ratings so far | Cash payment; terms contradict Retreat Guru refunds |
| Clear directions and contact details | Unsupported cure claims |
| No incidents found | No disclosed company; Austrian retreats legally contested |
Book Your Ceremony
Group nights in Girardota are scheduled every two weeks through December 2026, with the Putumayo trip in February 2027 and Austria in May and June 2027, bookable through the website, WhatsApp or Retreat Guru. Before paying anything, get the price, the cancellation terms and the emergency arrangements in writing. 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.

