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

Chaka Runa: An In-Depth Review for Ayahuasca and Plant Dieta Retreats in Shamboyacu, Peru

Chaka Runa, also called Chaka Runa Ecovillage and Retreat Center, is an ayahuasca and master plant dieta center on a claimed 44 hectares of rainforest near Shamboyacu, San Martín, Peru, three to four hours by road from Tarapoto, led by a curandero who goes by Don Gino Chaka Runa and offering 10-day dietas for groups of up to 26 from $3,300, per its Retreat Guru page. Against that, no owner, company or surname is published, its on-site doctor is unnamed, it publishes no contraindications, and its 47 reviews are all five stars, carry the same date and describe earlier events elsewhere.

🎯 At a Glance

• Locations: Caserío Lejía, Shamboyacu district, Picota province, San Martín, Peru, per its Retreat Guru event page; a separate dieta runs at an unnamed venue in Urubamba, in the Sacred Valley.
• Approach: Mestizo-tradition master plant dietas with five ayahuasca ceremonies over 10 days, daily plant teas, floral baths and rapé, with kambo and sananga sold as add-ons, plus Chi Kung, yoga and music workshops. A San Pedro pilgrimage and a Q’ero pilgrimage are also offered.
• Suitable For: Adults ready for a long, remote dieta in a larger group. Not suitable for people taking antidepressants or with heart or psychiatric conditions.
• Costs: $3,900 for a 10-day dieta in a private tambo or $3,300 in a glamping tent on Retreat Guru; BookRetreats early-bird prices start at $2,900, per BookRetreats. Refund terms contradict each other between the two platforms.
• Overall Assessment: A large, well-equipped dieta site with a claimed on-site doctor, offset by anonymous ownership, no published contraindications at a site hours from a hospital, a family program with no stated age policy and an unreliable review record. Directory evaluation: C.

💬 What Guests Are Saying

BookRetreats shows 5.0 from 47 reviews on the profile of host “Gino”, all five stars, and every visible review is dated November 27, 2025, per its organizer page. Reviewers praise Don Gino as warm and humble, the icaros and drumming and a supportive community, but several describe weekend or three-day events and a 2019 ceremony, not dietas at this site. Retreat Guru shows no reviews, and no Google, Tripadvisor or Trustpilot presence was found. No reviews of 3 stars or lower were found, and no independent account confirms that a retreat has run at the Shamboyacu site. 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 Italian-language news for reports involving Chaka Runa, Don Gino and the Shamboyacu site.

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

Don Gino’s legal name is not published, which limits searches of court and company records.

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

🔍 Critical Notes

Who runs it. The only named person is Don Gino Chaka Runa, a curandero from Puno who says his grandfather, a Yatiri, initiated him at 15 and that he trained in the Mestizo lineage of Don Solón Tello, Don Guillermo Hojanama and Don José Campos, including at a Munay Retreat Center in Pucallpa, per his BookRetreats profile (unverified). He also appears on a podcast describing his grandfather’s teaching. No owner, landowner, company or tax number is published, and the staff, including the doctor, are unnamed.

Screening and medical support. Guests complete a health application and, “if needed”, a video call. No contraindications for antidepressants, MAOIs, heart or psychiatric conditions are published; on prescription drugs the listings say only to consult the team. The website says a doctor is on site during Amazon dietas with road access for onward care, and BookRetreats mentions 24/7 first aid; neither names anyone or describes an evacuation plan. The main referral hospital, in Tarapoto, is three to four hours away by road, per the center’s own transfer time, and there is no cell service on site.

Family program. The calendar lists a seven-day Family Dieta in July 2027, and BookRetreats shows “All ages welcome”, while its FAQ gives a typical age range of 18 to 70. No page says whether minors drink ayahuasca.

Terms and listings. Retreat Guru says deposits are fully refundable until a day before arrival, while BookRetreats says “All deposits are non-refundable” for the same retreats. Listings disagree on program length, hectares and airport pickup, and Retreat Guru’s amenity list includes a pool, sauna and air conditioning that the mesh-walled tambos and no-internet policy contradict. Older BookRetreats center and retreat listings have been deactivated.

Status. Taking bookings for February to July 2027 on its website, Retreat Guru and BookRetreats. Its earliest dated program is a 17-day dieta in March and April 2026.

Legal context. Ayahuasca is legal in Peru, where its traditional use was declared national cultural heritage in 2008, and there is no licensing regime for retreat centers, per ICEERS.

🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks

With no published contraindications, kambo offered alongside ayahuasca and hospitals hours away, guests must do their own screening. 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 from vine and chacruna said to be grown on site; the master plants used in dietas are not named. Ayahuasca combines the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with a DMT-containing leaf such as chacruna, as Erowid explains.

📍 Location, Setting & Style

• Setting: Lowland rainforest at the edge of the Cordillera Azul, with creeks, waterfalls with natural pools, a maloca and a dining house.
• Rooms: 23 open-air wooden tambos with mesh walls and private bathrooms and 7 glamping tents on raised decks; no internet except in emergencies.
• Style: A Mestizo dieta program with added wellness, music and art sessions.

Practical guidance: Guests fly to Tarapoto, book their own hotel for the first night and take a group transfer after a welcome breakfast; meals are two simple dieta meals a day.

Should You Book?

Only after getting answers in writing: who owns the center, the doctor’s name and qualifications, the full contraindication list, how a guest is evacuated at night and whether anyone under 18 takes part in ceremonies. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.

The Team & Story

Don Gino says the name Chaka-Runa came from his grandfather and means “the bridge man” in Quechua. The center describes a team of ceremony assistants, a botanist and kitchen and grounds staff, none named. We did not independently verify anyone’s training.

Prep & Integration Tips

Before you go: Disclose every medication and condition in writing, plan any change with your own doctor and carry insurance that covers transport to a hospital. 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

Dates are listed on Retreat Guru and 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.