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

Casa de la Madre: An In-Depth Review for Ayahuasca Retreats near Pucallpa, Peru

Casa de la Madre, listed as “Casa De La Madre Ayahuasca Healing Center,” is a small ayahuasca guesthouse “on the edge of the lake in Yarinacocha, just outside Pucallpa,” in Peru’s Ucayali region, run by an owner and manager who gives her name only as Cielo. Its listings say it has operated “since late 2009,” after Cielo helped set up groups at the Temple of the Way of Light, and offer a seven-day retreat for $900 with ceremonies, master-plant dietas, kambo, sananga and rapé, for no more than 10 guests, with pickup from Pucallpa airport. Guests on Retreat Guru rated it 4.94, praising Cielo’s care, the lake and its dolphins. But its only online presence is a dormant Retreat Guru page with no dates, the latest dated review is from 2015, no shamans are named, and no screening, medical staff, emergency plan, refund policy or legal entity is published. Our earlier profile said the founder had died in 2023 and the center had passed to a new operator; we found no source for either. We found no incidents.

🎯 At a Glance

• Locations: A lakefront guesthouse on Lake Yarinacocha, about 10 minutes from Pucallpa by boat in the wet season or motokar in the dry season, according to its Retreat Guru page; our earlier profile gave La Restinga, Yarinacocha. No GPS is published.
• Approach: Ayahuasca ceremonies, master-plant dietas, flower baths, kambo, sananga and rapé, with flexible dates “so each person can heal and learn at their own pace.”
• Suitable For: Anyone considering it should first confirm that it still operates and who runs and leads it. Not suitable for people taking antidepressants or with heart or psychiatric conditions.
• Costs: $900 for a seven-day retreat, with no dates or itemized inclusions, according to its Retreat Guru booking page; airport pickup is offered. No deposit or refund policy is published. Our earlier profile’s estimate of about $120 a night from rental listings has no source.
• Overall Assessment: A small lakeside setting and warm older reviews, offset by no evidence of activity since about 2018, an owner known only by a first name, unnamed shamans, no published screening, medical staff or emergency plan, no legal entity and a misleading amenity list. Directory evaluation: C-.

💬 What Guests Are Saying

The positive picture. Reviewers praise Cielo’s care and knowledge of plants, kind shamans, clean and spacious rooms, fresh food, the lake with its freshwater dolphins and sunsets, and a small, safe setting; one said it was the strongest healing of all their ceremonies. Our earlier profile also cited AyaAdvisors reviews praising a “Maestra Estela” and her brother Roldan; no AyaAdvisors listing for this center was found, and those names match another center, so those comments remain unverified.

The negative feedback. No complaints are visible; one reviewer noted, without complaint, that the lodge has no air conditioning or Wi-Fi.

Who is writing the reviews. All visible reviews are five stars and few, and the 14-day program page repeats a single testimonial twice. 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 Casa de la Madre, Cielo and the center’s listed contacts.

• Deaths and serious injuries: None found involving this center. In 2018 Shipibo elder Olivia Arévalo was killed in a community near Yarinacocha by a man linked to ayahuasca tourism, as RPP reported; nothing links it to Casa de la Madre.
• Sexual misconduct: No allegations found.
• Theft and fraud: No complaints found.
• Legal action: No police action or lawsuits found.

Our earlier profile also found no theft, sexual misconduct or crime, noted that Casa de la Madre is distinct from Aya Madre Healing Center, and cited a 2014 DMT-Nexus forum post titled “A cautionary tale about Casa de la Madre, Pucallpa, Peru” whose content had been deleted; that post remains unverified. Its March 2026 update reported no new incidents.

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

🔍 Critical Notes

Is it operating? The Retreat Guru page lists no upcoming retreats, its packages have no dates, its text implies it was written around 2018 (Cielo describes “11 years” of experience since 2007), and the center does not appear in current Retreat Guru listings for the region.

Leadership. Our earlier profile said the founder, “Cielo Tierra,” an Australian, died in late 2023 and that operations continued under “Los Cielos Perú Earth Hospital.” We found no obituary, memorial or other source for her surname, her death or that successor, and those details remain unverified. Anyone booking should confirm who now runs the center.

Listing data. Retreat Guru ticks air conditioning, Wi-Fi, a pool, spa, sauna and gym, while reviews say the lodge has no air conditioning or Wi-Fi and nothing mentions a pool or spa.

Peru’s legal picture. Ayahuasca is legal in Peru, where traditional Indigenous use was declared national cultural heritage in 2008, and retreat centers are not licensed or regulated, according to ICEERS.

Corrections to our earlier profile. The listings never call the shamans Shipibo or name them. We found no source for a resident curandero named William Llerena Murayari, a master Shipibo cook, sustainably grown plants, a maximum of six people per ceremony, treehouse accommodation, monkeys, a website that later went offline or Cielo having managed the Temple of the Way of Light (she says she helped set up groups there); those details remain unverified. The lake is Yarinacocha, not “Lake Ucayali.”

🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks

No medical questionnaire, contraindication list, medical staff or emergency protocol is published; guests are told only to avoid fried food, red meat, alcohol, recreational drugs and pharmaceuticals for two weeks beforehand, with no mention of a doctor. Hospitals are in Pucallpa, a short trip away. 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, and never stop one on a retreat’s instruction alone.

🧪 Brew Substance

The center does not publish its recipe. Amazonian ayahuasca usually combines the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with chacruna leaves, which supply the DMT, as Erowid explains. Kambo, sananga, rapé and master-plant dietas are named as companion medicines.

📍 Location, Setting & Style

• Setting: A lakeside guesthouse on a lake inlet with a deck for watching dolphins, and a ceremony building in the forest described by a guest.
• Rooms: Private rooms or bungalows, described by guests as clean and spacious, without air conditioning; Wi-Fi is at Cielo’s house, not the lodge.
• Style: A small, Western-run guesthouse working with local healers, for no more than 10 guests.

Practical guidance: Fly from Lima to Pucallpa, about an hour; airport pickup and drop-off are offered. Meals are fresh and vegetarian-friendly, with a dieta menu.

Should You Book?

Not without confirming that it operates. Ask who owns and runs the center now, which healers lead the ceremonies, how health conditions and medications are screened, what happens in an emergency and the refund terms, and get the answers in writing. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.

The Team & Story

Cielo says she has worked in Peru since 2007, completed more than 30 plant dietas, and helped set up and facilitate groups of up to 30 at the Temple of the Way of Light in 2009 before opening a smaller guesthouse. A lodge manager named Kelly appears in reviews. No company or tax registration was found. 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

No retreat dates are published; the Retreat Guru page offers a contact form. Before paying, confirm that the center operates, who runs it and the refund terms 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.